It is with a heavy heart that we have come to the end of this beautiful composition on history books. Please do disburse its beauty to others.

Today's history books Article
Audio Books: An Amazing Story

It all began with the Royal National Institute for the Blind, which is located in England. During the 1920s the institute was conducting quite a bit of research on how they could create audio books for the blind. While they were doing this research, there was a huge need for help for World War 1 soldiers who had become blind during the war.

It did not take the Royal National Institute for the Blind very long to develop audio books that could be played on the record players used during that period in 1926.

The very first two audio books for the blind marked the history of listening to stories: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie and Typhoon by Joseph Conrad.

In that time, audio books usually came with a package of approximately ten records, because one record could hold a mere twenty five minutes of audio.

An unfortunate event took place in 1940 when the Royal National Institute for the Blind was destroyed by a bomb, as well as the replacement. Important materials that were needed in order to create audio books for the blind were also destroyed during the bombings.

That is when the American Foundation of the Blind began creating audio books, and sent the materials the National Royal Institute for the Blind needed to begin creating them again. In a strange occurrence, the shipment of those materials was destroyed at the London Harbor during a bombing raid. Things did not look so good for the RNIB in England. Fortunately, the second shipment of the materials from the American Foundation of the Blind made it, and the RNIB starting making audio books again.

Cassette audio books did not hit the market until the 1960s, which were known as 4 tracks. They required a special delivery system because they were large. Fortunately, regular delivery was revived when the compact cassette was invented and audio books became available on CDs.

The audio book has seen quite a history! Audio books are more popular than ever with anyone who enjoys them, and can be listened to on CD players, MP3 players and more.

The best part about an audio book is that you can be cleaning your home, driving your vehicle, or doing other tasks while listening to a book. That is something you just cannot do with a paperback. You can listen to a great story, learn another language, listen to a seminar, and even more with audio books.

Copyright: Helen Wall

Helen Wall is the author of this article. Visit http://www.AudioBooksBonanza.com to download audio books from an extensive range of titles from top publishers. Join the free newsletter now and get to know about the latest hot off the press titles, receive time limited special offers and discounts, before anyone else.

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4" H Brushed Silver Monogram Letters - Letter "O"

4" H Brushed Silver Monogram Letters - Letter "O"
All 26 English Letters (capitals only) and "&" symbol available. Monograms can be created using different letter sizes if desired. These Brushed Silver Monogram Letters can also be used to personalize other decorations. Add to centerpieces, buffet tables, guest book tables, wherever... a perfect way to create a "signature" look.

Beowulf (Unrated Director's Cut)

Beowulf (Unrated Director's Cut)
Spectacular animated action scenes turn the ancient epic poem Beowulf into a modern fantasy movie, while motion-capture technology transforms plump actor Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast) into a burly Nordic warrior. When a Danish kingdom is threatened by the monster Grendel (voiced and physicalized by Crispin Glover, River's Edge), Beowulf--lured by the promise of heroic glory--comes to rescue them. He succeeds, but falls prey to the seductive power of Grendel's mother, played by Angelina Jolie... and as Jolie's pneumatically animated form rises from an underground lagoon with demon-claw high heels, it becomes clear that we're leaving the original epic far, far behind. Regrettably, the motion-capture process has made only modest improvements since The Polar Express; while the characters' eyes no longer look so flat and zombie-like, their faces remain inexpressive and movements are still wooden. As a result, the most effective sequences feature wildly animated battles and the most vivid character is Grendel, whose grotesqueness ends up making him far more sympathetic than any of the mannequin-like human beings. The meant-to-be-titillating images of a naked Jolie resemble an inflatable doll more than a living, breathing woman (or succubus, as the case may be). But the fights--particularly Grendel's initial assault on the celebration hut--pop with lushly animated gore and violence. Also featuring the CGI-muffled talents of Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs), Robin Wright Penn (The Princess Bride), and John Malkovich (Dangerous Liaisons). --Bret Fetzer

Customer Review: Beouwulf

Have not watched it yet, so I can really pass on my take on the movie. I heard lots of good things about the movie from others and wanted to own it.

Customer Review: Flawed in the Re-telling

There are many good things in this movie: The actual characters from the Epic, the basic setting, the intense violence, Grendel, even Grendel's mother. However, and I admit that I am biased here,I just don't think you can re-write a mythic tale that has survived for 1000 years to satisfy a modern director's idea of a good plot.



This movie is not Beowulf, it is a movie based upon the Beowulf epic. As such, it changes the central theme of the actual epic: The war between heaven hell being fought on earth as a struggle between good and evil, man and monster. I suppose that modern ideas of heroism can not accept the mythic heroism of the epic, but I feel that those very ideas are what make the original epic a truly great story.



Taking those elements out make this movie a morality tale about a false hero reaching redemption at last. The movie reflects the cynicism of the modern era I suppose, but it loses the epic qualities of the original poem.

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