Showing results by narrator "Katie Haigh" in All Categories

Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's best dramatist. His plays have been translated into every major language, and are the most performed ever. His work contains stunningly modern insight, witty jokes and soaring passion; it is an endless source of amazement and inspiration. A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of Shakespeare's most popular works for the stage, widely performed across the world.

The Battle of Thermopylae is without doubt the most famous battle in European ancient history. It has inspired many poems, stories, and movies, most recently Frank Miller's 300. Vastly outnumbered Greek soldiers fought with all their might and held off the Persian army for seven days, before the rear-guard was annihilated in one of history's most famous last stands. This battle is a perfect example of tactical optimization and a stunning demonstration of the advantages of training and equipment to maximize an army's potential.

A very ancient folk tale, often copied and translated, found in Grimm's compilation of fairy tales. This is a moral tale about a poor shoemaker who receives unexpected help when he thinks he won't be able to make it: elves come into his house and shoulder his work for him.

If children's tales are sometimes a little scary, it is because children need imagery to conjure and get rid of their fears in a symbolic, healthy way. Stories are all the more pleasurable if they add an element of horror; children are fascinated, as horror stories provide a healthy way of taking into account intense emotions and making sense of them. This compilation includes folk tales, classic tales by Charles Perrault and Hans Christian Andersen, and stories from the Arabian Nights. These stories all have in common the fact that they impress children in a healthy way, igniting the imagination and bringing healing emotions into light; but still, they are suitable for the youngest children, as their teachings are always brought up in a symbolic way.

"The Emperor's New Clothes" is one of the most famous tales by Hans Christian Andersen. The story is about a situation where "no one believes, but everyone believes that everyone else believes". An emperor whose only interest in life is fashion meets two weavers. They claim to be able to make him a new suit with special fabric, invisible to those who are unfit for their positions. What follows is a tale of embarassment, and a valuable lesson about society as a whole.

Viking Tales, 10 classic children's stories. Myths & Legends from the Land of Ice and Fire : The Sea Fight, Olaf's Fight With Havard, The Tooth Thrall, The Baby, Harald is King, Harald's Battle. "King Halfdan lived in Norway long ago. One morning his queen said to him: "I had a strange dream last night. I thought that I stood in the grass before my bower. I pulled a thorn from my dress. As I held it in my fingers, it grew into a tall tree. The trunk was thick and red as blood, but the lower limbs were fair and green, and the highest ones were white.

The power of visualization is the most sought-after skill in meditation and relaxation techniques. It is key to a successful life, as a clear visualization of your goals boosts the possibility of attaining them in a quick and easy way; it enhances your active imagination, for a more colorful inner life and vastly enhanced memorization skills. It is also the most effective relaxation tool, to relieve yourself of stress and anxiety and avoid the toll they can take on your health.

Anxiety takes a heavy toll; the lack of adequate support and techniques can make recovery longer than necessary. These relaxation exercises will teach you proven and efficient methods to relieve anxiety, ward off panic attacks or alleviate chronic stress. This guided practice provides you with techniques you can come back to whenever you feel the need, so that you can achieve relief on your own in any circumstance. The guided imagery techniques will lead you to become more playful, learn to stretch and achieve deep relaxation, and improve your visualization skills for better concentration and control.

The ability to make productive choices and to discipline oneself into achieving one's goals comes down to focus and concentration. Like a muscle, concentration can be strengthened by regular exercise and using optimization techniques to increase one's will and capacity to act. This series of exercises will provide you with the necessary tools for optimizing your concentration; they will be useful at work, but also in everyday life, from clearer thoughts to more assertive behavior.

Children live in an information-packed environment. To be able to manage their emotions, their stress, and concentrate, they need to learn how to unwind and relax. These simple relaxation exercises will introduce them to breathing techniques and mindfulness; these are the same self-calming techniques adults can learn, but presented in a soothing format appealing to children.

More than two centuries after her death, Marie-Antoinette continues to fascinate historians, writers, and filmmakers. She was born into royalty, and a world of immense privilege and power. At age 14, she married the one who would become Louis XVI, King of France; when he made her a queen, she was universally adored. But afterwards, her extravagant lifestyle turned public opinion against her, eventually participating in the crumbling of the already discredited monarchy into a maelstrom of revolution, disaster and tragedy.

Marriage is a great source of humour, of inspiration for artists, intellectuals, philosophers, writers, painters, creators in general. Marriage is of course a great source of happiness, of self accomplishment, of stress, and sometimes of disappointment. Individuals may marry for several reasons, including legal, social, libidinal, emotional, financial, spiritual, and religious purposes. Whom they marry may be influenced by socially determined rules.

We have selected for you 100 great quotes about faith. Faith is a strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof. Faith can inspire great men and women in their actions, in their thoughts, in their lives. The Bible contains a clear definition of faith in Hebrews 11.1: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Simply put, the biblical definition of faith is "trusting in something you cannot explicitly prove."

Emile Faguet's "Initiation into Philosophy" is a lively introduction to the fundamentals of philosophy. It aims to excite curiosity, provide a clear and concise introduction to the groundbreaking discoveries of the major philosophers, and introduce the reader to the pleasures of philosophical thought. This audiobook focuses on the seventeenth century: the greatest philosophic century of modern times, and perhaps of any time. It began with René Descartes, whose system, premises and conclusions are clearly explained; what followed was marked by his influence.

Alexander III was Emperor of Russia from 1881 until his death in 1894. He was highly conservative and reversed some of the liberal reforms of his father, Alexander II. He was a pacifist, focused on the protection of his people; mostly seen as lacking refinement and elegance, he rather relished the idea of being of the same rough texture as some of his subjects. Discover the life and struggles of this influential ruler through this precise, clear and thorough presentation.

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) was an Italian explorer, navigator, and colonizer. Born in the Republic of Genoa under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. Those voyages and his efforts to establish settlements on the island of Hispaniola initiated the permanent European colonization of the New World. At a time when European kingdoms were beginning to establish new trade routes and colonies, motivated by imperialism and economic competition, Columbus proposed to reach the East Indies (South and Southeast Asia) by sailing westward.

Tsar Nicholas I was the younger brother of his predecessor, Alexander I. He "came to represent autocracy personified: infinitely majestic, determined and powerful, hard as stone, and relentless as fate". He inherited his brother's throne despite a revolt against him, and went on to become the most reactionary of all Russian leaders, leading an agressive policy involving many expensive wars. Discover the life and struggles of this influential ruler through this precise, clear and thorough presentation.

Meditation is a practice, a state of mind, a way of life, a means and an end. These 200 quotes selected among the sayings of great spiritual masters will inspire you on your journey and accompany you in your habit of living your life consciously.

Peter the Great ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire, leading a cultural revolution based on the Enlightenment, modernizing and rationalizing the Russian social and political system. "All his qualities, indeed, were on a colossal scale. His rage was cyclonic: his hatred rarely stopped short of extermination. His banquets were orgies, his pastimes convulsions. He lived and he loved like one of the giants of old." Discover the life and struggles of one of the most influential rulers through this precise, clear and thorough presentation.

Here is a collection of the most beloved English poems, from century-old anonymous nursery rhymes to delightful texts from Edward Lear to Lewis Carroll and Robert Stevenson. Rediscover the classics that have been passed from parents to children for generations: "The Owl and the Pussy-Cat", "Kindness to Animals", "How doth the little busy bee", "Twinkle twinkle little star", and 20 more timeless jewels, read by Katie Haigh.