Listen to and read a brief kids’ version of Saint George and the Dragon here.
Click here for a companion story to St. George and the Dragon.
Wulf the Saxon by G. A. Henty
Summary: Wulf the Saxon is a classic George Henty tale of nobility, loyalty and courage set in 11th century Britain. It relates the adventures of Wulf, a young, but extremely capable Saxon Thane. Wulf with his friends and servitors devote their lives to the service of Harold Godwinson, both before and after he becomes king of England. They are directly involved in capturing castles, rescuing shipwreck survivors, foiling assassination attempts and entering the terrible battles at Stamford Bridge and Senlac field by Hastings. The background of the novel is set in the stormy period prior to the Norman conquest of Britain and the story centers around real people and events, even offering a historically correct and lucid insight to the intrigues surrounding the religious and political alliances which led to the events of 1066; an absolute turning point in England’s history. (courtesy of Librivox)
Running time: 12:12
King Arthur’s Knights: The Tales Retold for Boys and Girls by Henry Gilbert
Summary: ?This book is an attempt to tell some of the stories of King Arthur and his Knights in a way which will be interesting to every boy and girl who loves adventures. (Introduction by Henry Gilbert)
Read this book online or on your Kindle (with images)
Total running time: 10 hours, 9 minutes
1: Preface and How Arthur Was Made King and Won His Kingdom
2: Sir Balin and the Stroke Dolorous
3: How Lancelot was Made a Knight, The Four Witch Queens, and the Adventures at the Chapel Perilous
5: How Sir Tristram Kept His Word
7: How Sir Percevel Was Taught Chivalry, and Ended the Evil Wrought by Sir Balin’s Dolorous Stroke
8: How Sir Owen won the Earldom of the Fountain
9: Of Sir Lancelot and the Fair Maid of Astolat
10: How the Three Good Knights Achieved the Holy Graal
11: Of the Plots of Sir Mordred; and How Sir Lancelot Saved the Queen
12: Of Sir Gawaine’s Hatred, and the War with Sir Lancelot
13: Of the Rebellion of Mordred and the Death of King Arthur
Utopia by Sir Thomas More
Summary: This book is all about the fictional country called Utopia. It is a country with an ‘ideal’ form of communism, in which everything really does belong to everybody, everyone does the work they want to, and everyone is alright with that. This country uses gold for chamber pots and prison chains, pearls and diamonds for children’s playthings, and requires that a man and a woman see each other exactly as they are, naked, before getting married. This book gave the word ‘utopia’ the meaning of a perfect society, while the Greek word actually means ‘no place’. Enjoy listening to this story about a country that really is too good to be true. (Summary by Jenilee for Librivox)
Total running time: 3 hours, 54 minutes
# 01 – Discourses of Raphael Hythloday, Part 1
# 02 – Discourses of Raphael Hythloday, Part 2
# 03 – Discourses of Raphael Hythloday, Part 3
# 04 – Of Their Towns, Particularly of Amaurot
# 06 – Of Their Trades, and Manner of Life
# 08 – Of the Travelling of the Utopians
# 09 – Of Their Slaves and of Their Marriages
In Freedom’s Cause by G. A. Henty
Another stirring tale from the master of historical fiction set in the time of Robert Bruce and William Wallace and their struggle for Scotland’s independence. (Summary by Annise)
Total running time: 10 hours, 16 minutes
Viking Tales by Jennie Hall
Summary: Viking tales are tales from Iceland, featuring the king Halfdan and his son Harald. (Summary by Nadine)
Read this book online or on your Kindle or other e-reader.
Total running time:? 3 hours, 30 minutes
To hear this book, click play in the box below or click on the chapter links.
04 – Part I, Olaf’s fight with Havard
08 – Part I, Gyda’s Saucy Message
10 – Part I, King Harald’s Wedding
11 – Part I, King Harald Goes West-Over-Seas
12 – Part II, Homes in Iceland
14 – Part II, Leif and His New Land
15 – Part II, Wineland the Good
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, unknown author, translated by W. A. Neilson
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Total running time: 1 hour, 18 minutes
Published in 1903, Gawayne and the Green Knight is a modern-language retelling of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a 14th-century verse romance following a young knight of the Round Table. During Christmas celebrations, a mysterious, entirely green knight presents a challenge to King Arthur’s court: that any may strike the stranger a single blow with his green axe, provided he assent to receiving the same a year later. Gawayne accepts the challenge, and its unexpected outcome leads to a great test of his courage and knighthood. A significant addition to this version is the Lady Elfinhart, whose back-story and romance with Gawayne are tightly interwoven with the plot. (Summary by Jerome Lawsen for Librivox)
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
Summary: This book follows the fortunes of the son of a noble Saxon family in Norman England as he woos his lady, disobeys his father, and is loved by another. Set in late 12C England and in Palestine with Richard Cœur-de-Lion at the Crusades, it’s another ripping historical yarn by Scott (summary by annise for Librivox)
To hear this book, click play in the box below or click on the chapter links.
Total running time: 19 hours and 25 minutes
The Legends of Charlemagne by Thomas Bulfinch
To hear this book, click play in the box below or click on the chapter links.
Total running time: 9 hours, 11 minutes
# 03 – The Siege of Albracca pt 1
# 04 – The Siege of Albracca pt 2
# 05 – Adventures of Rinaldo and Orlando
# 06 – The Invasion of France pt 1
# 07 – The Invasion of France pt 2
# 09 – Astolpho and the Enchantress
# 11 – Astolpho’s Adventures continued, and Isabella’s begun
# 18 – Rogero and Bradamante pt 1
# 19 – Rogero and Bradamante pt 2
# 20 – The Battle of Roncesvalles
# 21 – The Battle of Roncesvalles
The Life of Alfred the Great, written by Asser, Bishop of Sherbourne, translated by J. A. Giles
A life of King Alfred of England originally composed in Latin, possibly sometime around 888 A.D. by the Monk and Bishop Asser, although some scholars contend that the work was actually composed much later by an unknown hand. (Summary by Douglas B. Killings for Librivox)
To hear this book, click play in the box below or click on the chapter links.
Running time: 2 hours, 18 minutes
05 Part II, Section 1 00:22:15
Three Swords radio drama
General Mills Radio Adventure Theater: Three Swords
This old time radio drama tells the story of King Arthur when he pulls the sword from the stone.
St. George for England by G. A. Henty
To hear this book, click play in the box below or click on the chapter titles.
Summary: This book tells of a child of noble birth whose parents have fallen foul of the current royalty. He is placed in hiding and grows up with a bowyer and then he is apprenticed to an armourer just outside the gates of the City of London.
He becomes accomplished in arms and joins the campaign in France where we see the battles of Crecy and Poitiers through his eyes.
A tale of heroism and 14th century viciousness.
Great fun.(summary by jimmowatt for Librivox)
# 02 – The Hut in the Marshes – 00:26:38
# 03 – A Thwarted Plot – 00:25:58
# 04 – A Knight’s Chain – 00:26:04
# 05 – The City Games – 00:25:18
# 07 – The Young Esquire – 00:27:57
# 08 – Off to the Wars – 00:26:05
# 09 – The Siege of Hennebon – 00:28:16
# 10 – A Place of Refuge – 00:25:34
# 11 – A Stormy Interview – 00:25:23
# 12 – Jacob Van Artevelde – 00:23:36
# 13 – The White Ford – 00:24:31
# 15 – The Siege of a Fortalice – 00:21:43
# 17 – The Capture of Calais – 00:29:52
# 18 – The Black Death – 00:21:23
# 19 – By Land and Sea – 00:21:32
The Arabian Nights Entertainments by Andrew Lang
To listen, click play in the box below or click on the chapter titles.
Running time: 10 hours, 30 minutes
Note to parent: I have not read this version of The Arabian Nights yet, however it has been reviewed on Amazon, where multiple parental reviewers note that this version is not completely sanitized (dead body counts and some violence remain) but much of the book has been heavily abridged to make it appropriate for children, with inappropriate content removed. This is a book of middle-eastern myths, and there are references to Allah in some of the stories.
01 – The Arabian Nights – 00:07:06
02 – The Story of the Merchant and the Genius – 00:07:50
03 – The Story of the First Old Man and of the Hind – 00:06:09
04 – The Story of the Second Old Man and of the Two Black Dogs – 00:06:01
05 – The Story of the Fisherman – 00:06:11
06 – The Story of the Greek King and the Physician Douban – 00:04:53
07 – The Story of the Husband and the Parrot – 00:03:33
08 – The Story of the Vizir Who Was Punished – 00:16:57
09 – The Story of the Young King of the Black Isles – 00:06:04
10 – The Story of the Three Calendars, Sons of Kings and of Five Ladies of Bagdad – 00:19:49
11 – The Story of the First Calendar, Son of a King – 00:11:17
12 – The Story of the Second Calendar, Son of a King – 00:14:55
13 – The Story of the Envious Man and of Him Who Was Envied – 00:25:30
14 – The Story of the Third Calendar, Son of a King – 00:27:56
15 – The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor – 00:06:59
22 – Seventh and Last Voyage – 00:10:52
23 – The Little Hunchback – 00:15:34
24 – The Story of the Barber’s Fifth Brother – 00:19:22
25 – The Story of the Barber’s Sixth Brother – 00:11:21
26 – The Adventures of Prince Camaralzaman and the Princess Badoura (Part I) – 00:22:39
27 – The Adventures of Prince Camaralzaman and the Princess Badoura (Part II) – 00:26:39
28 – The Adventures of Prince Camaralzaman and the Princess Badoura (Part III) – 00:27:04
29 – Noureddin and the Fair Persian (Part I) – 00:24:50
30 – Noureddin and the Fair Persian (Part II) – 00:24:45
31 – Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp – 00:31:37
32 – The Adventures of Haroun-al-Raschid, the Caliph of Bagdad – 00:05:41
33 – The Story of the Blind Baba-Abdalla – 00:16:03
34 – The Story of Sidi-Nouman – 00:22:0735 – The Story of Ali-Colia, Merchant of Bagdad – 00:19:30
36 – The Enchanted Horse, Part 1 – 00:22:19
37 – The Enchanted Horse, Part 2 – 00:21:34
38 – The Story of the Two Sisters Who Were Jealous of Their Younger Sister (Part I) – 00:20:05
39 – The Story of the Two Sisters Who Were Jealous of Their Younger Sister (Part II) – 00:19:33
40 – The Story of the Two Sisters Who Were Jealous of Their Younger Sister (Part III) – 00:19:02
Le Morte d’Arthur, volume 1 by Thomas Malory
Note to parent: Le Morte d’Arthur appears on many high school reading lists. Please be aware that some chapters may contain violent and disgusting imagery, sensuality or profanity. Please consult your trusted curriculum provider about which chapters you want to assign to your child, and preview material yourself if you have concerns.
To hear this book, click play in the box below or click on the chapter links.
Running time: 15 hours, 50 minutes
02 Bk 1 Chapters 7-11 00:22:41
03 Bk 1 Chapters 12-16 00:21:17
04 Bk 1 Chapters 17-21 00:20:21
05 Bk 1 Chapters 22-27 00:19:59
07 Bk 2 Chapters 7-13 00:18:34
08 Bk 2 Chapters 14-19 00:20:45
10 Bk 3 Chapters 9-15 00:30:00
11 Bk 4 Chapters 1 – 7 00:27:15
12 Bk 4 Chapters 8-13 00:17:51
13 Bk 4 Chapters 14-18 00:25:28
14 Bk 4 Chapters 19-22 00:17:25
15 Bk 4 Chapters 23-28 00:19:54
18 Bk 5 Chapters 10-12 00:13:06
20 Bk 6 Chapters 7-10 00:20:55
21 Bk 6 Chapters 11 – 1400:21:30
22 Bk 6 Chapters 15-18 00:20:00
24 Bk 7 Chapters 7-11 00:17:27
25 Bk 7 Chapters 12-16 00:16:48
26 Bk 7 Chapters 17-21 00:16:26
27 Bk 7 Chapters 22-26 00:25:07
28 Bk 7 Chapters 27-31 00:23:50
29 Bk 7 Chapters 32-35 00:15:37
31 Bk 8 Chapters 7-11 00:19:42
32 Bk 8 Chapters 12-16 00:16:56
33 Bk 8 Chapters 17-22 00:26:02
34 Bk 8 Chapters 23-28 00:21:33
35 Bk 8 Chapters 29-33 00:23:45
36 Bk 8 Chapters 34-38 00:19:16
37 Bk 8 Chapters 39-41 00:16:18
38 Bk 9 Chapters 01-05 00:21:56
39 Bk 9 Chapter 06-11 00:21:32
40 Bk 9 Chapter 12-17 00:22:29
41 Bk 9 Chapter 18 – 22 00:21:05
42 Bk 9 Chapters 23-26 00:20:07
43 Bk 9 Chapters 27-31 00:21:20
44 Bk 9 Chapters 32-35 00:16:29
The Praise of Folly by Desiderius Erasmus
To hear this book, click play in the box below or click on the chapter links.
Run time: 3 hours, 43 minutes
The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame
Consider adding this heartwarming story to your study of Saint George and the dragon. What would have happened if the dragon did not care to fight?
Listen to The Reluctant Dragon (running time 57 minutes):
The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius
To hear this book, click play in the box below or click on the chapter links.
Running time: 5 hours, 13 minutes
Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc Volumes 1 and 2 by Mark Twain
You can stream individual chapters of this book by using the player widget located at its Librivox Internet archive page
OR
Read this book yourself online
Click here to view downloadable curriculum from CurrClick which could be used for a study of the Middle Ages. This link will take you away from My Audio School.
Running time: 15 hours, 19 minutes
Summary: Mark Twain’s work on Joan of Arc is titled in full “Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, by the Sieur Louis de Conte.” De Conte is identified as Joan’s page and secretary. For those who’ve always wanted to “get behind” the Joan of Arc story and to better understand just what happened, Twain’s narrative makes the story personal and very accessible.
The work is fictionally presented as a translation from the manuscript by Jean Francois Alden, or, in the words of the published book, “Freely Translated out of the Ancient French into Modern English from the Original Unpublished Manuscript in the National Archives of France.”
It was originally published as a serialization in Harper’s Magazine beginning in 1895 and later published in book form in 1896. However the Harper’s editors decided to cut 12 chapters that describe much of Joan’s Great Trial, saying the chapters were not suitable for serialization since, “They will not bear mutilation or interruption, but must be read as a whole, as one reads a drama.” This recording contains the complete text!
De Conte is a fictionalized version of Joan of Arc’s page Louis de Contes, and provides narrative unity to the story. He is presented as an individual who was with Joan during the three major phases of her life – as a youth in Domremy, as the commander of Charles’ army on military campaign, and as a defendant at the trial in Rouen. The book is presented as a translation by Alden of de Conte’s memoirs, written in his later years for the benefit of his descendants.
Twain based his descriptions of Joan of Arc on his daughter, Susy Clemens, as he remembered her at the age of seventeen.
Twain said, “I like Joan of Arc best of all my books; and it is the best; I know it perfectly well. And besides, it furnished me seven times the pleasure afforded me by any of the others; twelve years of preparation, and two years of writing. The others needed no preparation and got none.” (Summary by Wikipedia and John Greenman for Librivox)
The Little Duke by Charlotte Yonge
To hear this book, click play in the box below or click on the chapter links.
Running time: 3 hours, 57 minutes
The Little Duke by Charlotte M. Yonge is historical fiction based on the the life of Richard, Duke of Normandy. He assumes the title of Duke at only 8 years of age, after his father is murdered. The story first appeared in her magazine, The Monthly Packet, as a serial. (summary by Laura Caldwell on Librivox)
Running time: 3 hours 57 minutes
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Download to Mp3
Subscribe in iTunes
To hear this book, click play in the box below or click on the chapter titles.
Running time: 12 hours, 25 minutes
Note to parent: This book appears on many high school reading lists, but it contains mature themes. Please rely on your trusted curriculum provider for guidance as to which Canto’s to assign to your student.
01 Inferno: Canto I – Canto V 00:43:10
02 Inferno: Canto VI- Canto X 00:36:40
03 Inferno: Canto XI – Canto XV 00:47:04
04 Inferno: Canto XVI- Canto XX 00:30:36
05 Inferno: Canto XXI – Canto XXV 00:35:24
06 Inferno: Canto XXVI – Canto XXX 00:36:44
07 Inferno: Canto XXXI – Canto XXXIV 00:36:18
08 Purgatory: Canto I – Canto V 00:42:33
09 Purgatory: Canto VI – Canto XI 00:37:19
10 Purgatory: Canto XII – Canto XVI 00:33:15
11 Purgatory: Canto XVII – Canto XXI 00:35:31
12 Purgatory: Canto XXII -Canto XXVII 00:47:07
13 Purgatory: Canto XXVIII -Canto XXXIII 00:43:32
14 Paradise: Canto I- Canto V 00:41:08
15 Paradise: Canto VI – Canto XI 00:38:33
16 Paradise: Canto XII – Canto XVI 00:32:15
17 Paradise: Canto XVII – Canto XXI 00:39:50
18 Paradise: Canto XXII – Canto XXVII00:42:17
19 Paradise: Canto XXVIII- Canto XXXIII 00:44:09
