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Ingersoll is known as "the greatest infidel" of the 19th century. Steeped in religion as a child by his Baptist preacher father, he eventually came to rail against the hypocricy, judgment, hatred and fear he observed in his fellow Christians, and their attempt to restrict free thought and human liberty. He begins this lecture: SOMEBODY ought to tell the truth about the Bible. The preachers dare not, because they would be driven from their pulpits. Professors in colleges dare not, because they would lose their salaries. Politicians dare not. They would be defeated. Editors dare not. They would ...

An Epistle of the New Testament, author unknown. The primary purpose of the Letter to the Hebrews is to exhort Jews and Christians to persevere in the face of persecution. The central thought of the entire Epistle is the doctrine of the Person of Christ and his role as mediator between God and humanity. (Introduction by Wikipedia)

"Get out of Kentucky and stay out!" the Indians told Daniel Boone. But Daniel Boone did not scare easily. There was the time his daughter was kidnapped by the Indians. Boone tracked the kidnappers through the forest and rescued her. There was the time Boone was captured by the Shawnees. He escaped in time to warn the people of Boonesborough: "The Indians are coming! Get ready to fight!" Boone's life was full of adventure. And this book tells his story. (Summary from book description)

The Book of Isaiah is one of the Major Prophets in the Old Testament. Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon. Christians believe that Isaiah prophesied the virgin birth of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 7:14, KJV): "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus refer to the book of Isaiah. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335–395), believes that the Prophet Esaias (Isaiah) "knew more perfectly than all others the mystery of the religion of the Gospel." Jerome (c. 342–420) also lauds the ...

Until recently, this work has been considered the "go-to" bio of Mark Twain. Albert Bigelow Paine (July 10, 1861 – April 9, 1937) was an American author and biographer best known for his work with Mark Twain. This recording of Paine's exhaustive biography covers Twain's personal and literary life in detail, heretofore unapproached. - Summary by John Greenman and Wikipedia

Among all the numerous life stories written by Ferdinand Schmidt for the delectation and education of German youth, none surpasses that of Washington. The author has condensed his material, drawn from the most authoritative sources, in a masterly manner, and presents it in a very attractive form. He has accompanied it by moralization which is pertinent, but never becomes tedious. It is questionable, indeed, whether any story of Washington’s life written for young people excels Schmidt’s in accuracy, conciseness, and general interest. As such this sketch of the Father of his Country from a ...

This is the fourth volume of Alexandre Dumas' studies of celebrated crimes and their perpetrators. This volume is concerned with the story of Karl Ludwig Sand, who stabbed August von Kotzebue to death in 1819. August von Kotzebue had been a prominent dramatist, a student of Musäus, whose royalist and conservative writings ultimately led to his assassination by a member of a revolutionary liberal Burschenschaft. - Summary by Carolin

The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, commonly referred to as the Jefferson Bible, was a book constructed by Thomas Jefferson in the later years of his life by cutting and pasting with a razor and glue numerous sections from the New Testament as extractions of the doctrine of Jesus. Jefferson's condensed composition is especially notable for its exclusion of all miracles by Jesus and most mentions of the supernatural, including sections of the four gospels that contain the Resurrection and most other miracles, and passages that portray Jesus as divine. - Summary by Wikipedia

"Great Captains Unveiled" by the eminent military historian Sir Basil Liddell Hart comprises the biographies of six commanders who shaped the development of strategy and tactics. Of the 13th century Mongols, Genghis Khan and his successor-general, Sabutai, the author writes: "Quality rather than quantity was the secret of their amazingly rapid sequence of successes." Careful planning, promotion by merit, tactical precision in battle, good military intelligence, and a highly mobile cavalry were integral to the establishment of the world's largest empire. Liddell Hart then traces the careers of ...

Galatians is a letter from Paul of Tarsus to a number of Early Christian communities in the Roman province of Galatia in central Anatolia. Paul is principally concerned with the controversy surrounding Gentile Christians and the Mosaic Law within Early Christianity. The main theme of Ephesians is “the Church, the Body of Christ.” The Church is to maintain the unity in practice which Christ has brought about positionally. Another major theme in Ephesians is the keeping of Christ's body (that is, the Church) pure and holy. Philippians was written by the Apostle Paul circa 62 while Paul was ...

The diary of an upper middle class Austrian girl, this book describes her life between the ages of eleven and fourteen. It's a coming of age story full of angst, boys, and questions. (Summary by KHand)

Four American Indians by Edson L. Whitney and Frances M. Perry, gives a short history of King Philip, Sachem of the Wampanoags; Pontiac, an Ottawan chief; Tecumseh, a Shawnee chief; and Osceola, a Seminole chief. Along with the history of each leader, insights on daily living among these different tribes is given. (Summary by Laura Victoria)

The Book of Jeremiah is the second of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the book of Isaiah and preceding Ezekiel and the Book of the Twelve. (The order is somewhat different in the Christian Old Testament). It derives its name from, and records the visions of, Jeremiah, who lived in Jerusalem in the late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE during the time of king Josiah and the fall of the Kingdom of Judah to the Babylonians. The book can be divided into roughly 6 sections and uses poetic, narrative, and biographical genres that are interspersed throughout the book. The breakdown ...

A biography of Saint Joan of Arc, geared towards children, but also can easily be enjoyed by adults.

Friends and book connoisseurs Cassandra Berger and Liza Hamm comb through suggestions for the best hidden gem books that more people should know about.

In the Orthodox Church, during the Great Vespers of celebrated Saints, such as Saint Nicholas the Wonder-worker and the Holy Great Martyr Euphemia, selected passages are read from The Wisdom of Solomon, from the deuterocanonical books of the Holy Bible. While the translations used may be simpler, the power of the poetic verses asserts itself in the King James Version. [Please forgive my errors and stumblings. The Reader.]

Following the chaos of the Wars of the Roses, the reigns of Henry VII and VIII were autocratic and centralized to an unprecedented degree. This slim volume by the British historian and educator, Charles Moberly, provides many interesting details about the reigns of these two monarchs. But the author also offers a clear picture of the European context in which they acted: the Reformation struggle, the rivalry between the King Francis I and Emperor Charles V, the influence of the Popes, and the struggle for Italy. (Summary by Pamela Nagami, M.D.)

An English translation made as closely to the original languages and idioms as possible - Summary by KevinS

This is a 1905 memoir of one great litterateur’s latter days written by another great litterateur. This recording omits the numerous footnotes and two letters in French untranslated by the translator. -Summary by david wales

The first of three volumes of the first scholarly biography of Ludwig van Beethoven. Covers the years 1770-1802. - Summary by Zain Solinski