R. M. Ballantyne – My Audio School

May 20, 2009August 7, 2012

The Golden Dream by R. M. Ballantyne

Summary: A thoroughly engaging, at times even harrowing, adventure tale set in the San Francisco gold rush. Detailed depiction of its time and place, complete with everything from mining techniques to societal attitudes. You’ll feel like you’re in the diggings. (Summary by Lee Elliott for Librivox)

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Running time: 9 hours, 46 minutes

Click here for a selection of downloadable curriculum resources from CurrClick about the California Gold Rush. This link will take you away from My Audio School.

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Chapter One

May 20, 2009January 3, 2011

Fighting the Whales by R. M. Ballantyne

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Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

Click here to see a selection of downloadable curriculum resources from CurrClick about whales. This link will take you away from My Audio School.

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Book Summary from Librivox.org: A fatherless boy joins the crew of a whaling ship in order to earn a living for himself and his mother. Beyond being a fascinating depiction of a now-alien time, occupation, and culture, it’s also a rousing adventure story. One is left with the impression that hunting and catching a whale in a sailing ship was akin to you or me being stalked, ambushed, and killed by a shoebox full of mice.

01 In Trouble, To Begin With.

02 At Sea.

03 Our First Battle.

04 ‘Cutting-in the Blubber’ and ‘Trying out the Oil’.

05 A Storm, a Man Overboard, and a Rescue.

06 The Whale – Fighting Bulls, Etc.

07 Tom’s Wisdom – Another Great Battle.

08 Death on the Sea.

09 News from Home – A Gam.

10 Return Home.

May 20, 2009August 7, 2012

Fast in the Ice by R. M. Ballantyne

Summary: At the age of 16 Ballantyne went to Canada and was six years in the service of the Hudson’s Bay Company. His rule in writing, being in every case, was to write as far as possible from personal knowledge of the scenes he described.

In this book he details the lives of the crew as they must overwinter in the frozen north including their meetings with Eskimos and bears and their struggles with disease. This is a realistic account of what life was like for the explorers of the Arctic. (summary by Esther for Librivox, adapted from wikipedia)

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01 – Introduction

02 – At Sea, The First Storm

03 – In the Ice, Dangers of Arctic Voyaging

04 – Difficulties, Troubles, And Dangers

05 – A Gale, Narrow Escapes, Signs Of Winter, Set Fast

06 – Preparations for Wintering, Remarkable Adventures with a Bear

07 – A Great Battle with the Walrus

08 – The Cause of Ice-Bergs, Fox-Chase, A Bear

09 – A Visit to the Eskimos, Wonderful Doings, A Mystery

10 – The Tale of a Kite, A Great Bear-Fight

11 – Christmas Time, Death, Return of Light and Hope, Disasters and Final Deliverance

May 20, 2009June 15, 2011

The Dog Crusoe and His Master by R. M. Ballantyne

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Running time: 9 hours, 3 minutes

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Summary from Librivox: This is a story of an adventure involving a young man, his dog, and 2 friends. Together they wander through the Western prairies on a mission to make peace between the “pale-faces” and the “Red men”. They face many perils and become heroes many times over. This wonderful story takes the characters (and the reader) on an action-packed journey through the Western prairies during the times when relations between the white man and the Natives were not always peaceful.