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The Apology
by Plato
Available on:
Audio Download
One of the most famous works of western civilization, The Apology is Plato's account of the trial of Socrates.
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The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
by Benjamin Franklin
Available on:
Audio Download
One of the most widely read autobiographies of all time, Franklin's unfinished work is much more than a retelling of a life. It is a recipe for a self-made man. Franklin's pluck and ceaseless ingenuity capture the spirit of revolutionary America.
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The Boy's Life of Theodore Roosevelt
by Hermann Hagedorn
Available on:
Audio Download
Well written and admiring biography of Theodore Roosevelt. Hagedorn received the blessing and full cooperation of Roosevelt's family. The result is a richly fascinating portrait filled with charming anecdotes rarely found in presidential biographies.
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Civil Disobedience
by Henry David Thoreau
Available on:
Audio Download
Classic essay by Thoreau explaining why he went to jail rather than submit to a tax he felt unjust, Civil Disobedience served as inspiration to both Gandhi and Tolstoy and continues to be regarded as a definitive statement of the rights of the individual within the state.
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The Columbian Orator
by Caleb Bingham
Available on:
Audio Download
Written in 1797 to serve as a primer for those wishing to master oratory skills the Columbian Orator includes speeches by William Pitt, George Washington and Julius Caesar.
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The Communist Manifesto
by Karl Marx
Available on:
Audio Download
Undoubtedly one of the most influential writings of all time, the Communist Manifesto divided the globe for almost a century.
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The Cooper Union Speech
by Abraham Lincoln
Available on:
Audio Download
In this well researched speech at New York's Cooper Institute, Lincoln uses the voting records of Constitutional framers to demostrate Republican consistency with founding priciples while boosting himself to early prominence in a crowded field of presidential contenders.
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A Discourse on the Passion of Love
by Blaise Pascal
Available on:
Audio Download
A cerebral look at everyone's favorite passion, Pascal's A Discourse on the Passion of Love is an attempt to explain why we love by one of history's greatest philosophers.
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The Farewell Address
by George Washington
Available on:
Audio Download
George Washington's last and perhaps greatest missive to America, the address is best known for its warning against entangling foreign alliances and the formation of political parties.
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The Federalist #10
by James Madison
Available on:
Audio Download
James Madison's first and greatest contribution to the work that would become known as the Federalist Papers. In #10 Madison turns on its head the centuries old maxim that representative government could survive only in small republics.
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George Washington
by William Roscoe Thayer
Available on:
Audio Download
One of the finer single volume biographies of Washington, Thayer makes ample use of Washington's letters and writings yielding a rich portrait of the man behind the legend.
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The Life of Abraham Lincoln
by Henry Ketcham
Available on:
Audio Download
Light and enjoyable biography of America's 16th president, Ketcham draws heavily on personal accounts to portray a more human and accesible Lincoln.
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Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant
by Ulysses S. Grant
Available on:
Audio Download | Podcast
Although dying of throat cancer Grant refused to stop writing the memoirs that would restore his families' lost fortune.
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The Prince
by Niccolo Machiavelli
Available on:
Audio Download
Written in 1513 to the Medici family, Machiavelli's work is known primarily for its ruthless advice and shocking lack of morality.
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The Republic
by Plato
Available on:
Audio Download
Plato's most popular dialogue, The Republic, argues for social justice by subjecting the individual to complete state control.
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The Second Treatise on Government
by John Locke
Available on:
Audio Download | Podcast
One of the leading liberal thinkers in 17th century England, Locke's ideas were drawn on heavily by Thomas Jefferson when writing the Declaration of Independence.
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The Treatise on Friendship
by Marcus Tullius Cicero
Available on:
Audio Download
In this creative and entertaining dialogue, Cicero explores the roots of friendship as well as its benefits and pitfalls.
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