検索キーワード： ナレーター "Matthew J Chandler-Smith" すべてのカテゴリー

Prince was, according to many, one of the greatest musicians ever to have lived. At first glance, one might think that such words are an exaggeration. But if one were to truly look at the life behind this legend, they would quickly understand just how great he really was. Prince showed an extraordinary talent from a young age. He could play just about any instrument he picked up, mastering the guitar, piano, drums, and more. His technical skill was matched only by his creativity, as he blended genres like rock, funk, pop, and jazz into a sound uniquely his own.

In the nineteenth century, historians began to classify the periods of human prehistory into three ages: Stone, Bronze, and Iron. Of these three, the period known as the Bronze Age (lasting approximately from 3300 to 1200 BCE) was the most significant, not just because people began to work metal on a large scale for the first time but because of other changes taking place. People started to live in large, permanent sites that became the first cities. Agriculture replaced hunting and gathering as the principal means of producing food.

Nancy Wake was a brave woman. She risked her life behind enemy lines during the Nazi occupation of France in the Second World War. The Gestapo dubbed her “The White Mouse” for her uncanny ability to evade their traps. When it became too dangerous, she left France—not to flee—but to join the resistance. Before the war, Nancy lived a life of luxury with her husband, a wealthy French industrialist.

The politics and recent history of the Middle East can seem baffling to outsiders. Nowhere was that more evident than during the Lebanon War that raged in 1982. Even contemporary reporting often made fundamental mistakes, and there was little general understanding of what was happening and why. This conflict involved a bewildering number of groups and influences from different parts of the world. The precipitating event was the attempted assassination of the Israeli ambassador in London, carried out by members of a Palestinian terrorist group.

Kofi Annan stands out as one of the most pivotal figures of the early twenty-first century. As the secretary-general of the United Nations, he became an enduring icon and a voice for peace and freedom all over the world.

Tina Turner had a powerful voice, but perhaps more importantly, she led a powerful life. Born into challenging circumstances, her early years in rural Tennessee were marked by adversity and struggle. Tina would soon prove that she could rise above it all, even though her path to stardom was far from straightforward. Her tumultuous and often violent relationship with Ike Turner became a highly publicized chapter in her life, yet she refused to be defined solely by her trials and tribulations.

Kosovo is a tiny land-locked nation located in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula in Eastern Europe. Before the 1990s, few people outside the immediate area had ever even heard of Kosovo. Then, in 1998, war began, and Kosovo moved to the center of the international stage.

In this book, we explore the life of Tupac Shakur in full—from his humble beginnings in East Harlem to his meteoric rise to stardom. Tupac lived a life of contradictions. Learn about his years spent in art school acting in plays and writing poetry, his later run-ins with the law, as well as the drive-by shooting that ended his life prematurely. This is the story of Tupac Shakur.

Albert Speer was the man in charge of designing Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. Yet he was more than just an architect—he was one of Hitler’s closest confidants and a key player in the Nazi war machine. Born into a wealthy German family, Speer’s life was shaped by privilege and ambition. He rose quickly through the ranks of the Nazi Party after impressing Hitler with his grand architectural visions and sharp organizational skills. Before long, he found himself at the heart of the Third Reich, helping to fuel its war effort and shape its image.

Millard Fillmore’s journey to the presidency was anything but conventional. Born into poverty in a log cabin in western New York state, he rose from humble beginnings through sheer determination and hard work. He reached all the way to the position of vice president when President Zachary Taylor suddenly perished in office. Fillmore may not have expected his sudden elevation to the presidency, but he rose to the challenge all the same, ready to tackle some of the most pressing matters of state from day one.

The Navajo, or Diné (“the people”), are the single largest group of Native American people in North America. Their traditional homeland, the Diné Bikéyah, stretched across the vast landscapes of present-day Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, defined by four sacred mountains that symbolized their spiritual and physical world. Yet their language and culture suggest that the Navajo actually originated in present-day Canada before migrating south toward New Mexico.

Zachary Taylor might not be the first name that comes to mind when you think about US presidents. Known as “Old Rough and Ready” for his no-nonsense style and countless military victories, Taylor was a war hero long before he reluctantly stepped into politics. He didn’t seek fame or power, but his victories in the Mexican-American War made him one of the most popular people in America and ultimately propelled him to the presidency.

John Denver was a musician with a roving free spirit. He left on a jet plane and promised to be back again. Just like the seasons, he went through plenty of changes, but he always returned to the source of his inspiration. John Denver was inspired by nature and the love of life in general. He wrote songs about how sunshine made him happy, and how the natural disposition of Mother Earth made him high.

The Comanche were once the most dominant Native American tribe in the Great Plains of North America. From their homelands on the prairies, they ranged across the American West and South into Mexico. They were also one of the most feared of all Native American people, fighting virtually every other Native American tribe they had contact with and waging successful guerilla wars against invaders from Spain, Mexico, and the Eastern United States.

Bass Reeves was a man who forged his own destiny and wrote his own life story as he went along. Born into slavery, Reeves rose above all challenges to become one of the most legendary lawmen of the American West. As a deputy US marshal, he held himself to a personal code of conduct that went beyond the badge he wore. For Bass, the line between right and wrong was clear, and he never hesitated to enforce the law—even when it meant pursuing his own friends or family. Justice wasn’t just his duty; it was his calling.

Whether advocating for the peaceful use of nuclear energy or mentoring the next generation of scientists, Bohr’s influence extended far beyond his laboratory. Here in this book, we explore both his life and his life’s work in full.

In the 1850s, the United States was a nation divided. In the North, industrialization and urbanization were both significant drivers of change. In the South, a largely agrarian economy was supported by the institution of slavery. The East and West of the country were also divided, not by social or political differences but by a vast tract of largely untouched, rugged, and often hostile territory. There were just two ways to travel from the East Coast to the Pacific Coast or vice versa.

There are moments in history when two different people who have two completely different visions of the future rise to prominence at the same time and in the same exact place. The Chinese Civil War, which saw Chiang Kai-shek and his rival Mao Zedong fighting for the future of China, is a great case in point. Chiang believed that China should modernize and embrace capitalism. Mao, however, believed that communist doctrine would be the true salvation for the Chinese masses.

Wernher von Braun was a rare and complex figure. He went on to become one of the most prominent figures not just in one country but in two. Although the first half of his life and his contributions to Nazi Germany remain extremely controversial, it can’t be denied that he was a pioneer. He oversaw the development of the first long-range guided ballistic missile, the V-2, which became a terrifying weapon in Nazi Germany’s arsenal. After the war, von Braun and many of his colleagues were brought to the United States as part of Operation Paperclip.

Among the legendary heroes and outlaws of the Wild West, few names echo louder than that of Wild Bill Hickok. Wild Bill wasn’t just a name whispered in saloons or shouted on the stage of Buffalo Bill’s world-famous Wild West shows. Long before he stepped onto any stage, Wild Bill had carved his path in blood, sweat, and gunpowder. He was a Civil War scout who could read the vast plains like a map, a fearless marshal who faced down lawlessness, and a frontier sheriff whose very name sent ripples through the towns he protected.