Showing results by narrator "Katie Haigh" in All Categories

Louis-Charles Bourbon, or the Dauphin, never actually reigned, but became either a symbol of martyrdom or the object of one of the most successful acts of substitution ever performed. He enjoyed a charmed early childhood in the palace of Versailles, as the heir of the most powerful throne in Europe; when the French Revolution unfolded in all its horror, his family was incarcerated, and the orphaned boy-King had to endure the hostility and abuse of a nation.

"The Legend of Saint Julian the Hospitalier" is a short story by French writer Gustave Flaubert, one of the great masters of literary style and aesthetics. Saint Julian is predicted at birth to do great things, but a growing hatred takes root in him, leading him to seek a way to escape a destiny which seems more and more likely to be terrible. "The Legend of Saint Julian the Hospitalier" is an inspiring tale of perseverance and humility, one of Flaubert's most touching short stories with a religious theme.

"Herodias", "Dance of death" and "The Legend of Saint Julian The Hospitalier" : 3 French short stories by Gustave Flaubert. "Herodias" is a reworking of the tale of Salomé and John the Baptist. "Dance of Death" is a prose poem in which Death laments over the cruel task God has given him. "The Legend of Saint Julian the Hospitalier" is an inspiring tale of perseverance and humility, one of Flaubert's most touching short stories.

"The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark" is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play and among the most powerful and influential tragedies in English literature, with a story capable of "seemingly endless retelling and adaptation by others." The play seems to have been one of Shakespeare's most popular works during his lifetime and still ranks among his most-performed. It has inspired writers from Goethe and Dickens to Joyce and Murdoch, and has been described as "the world's most-filmed story after Cinderella".

Young children live in an information-packed environment, and have yet to master their emotions and resist stress. Relaxation and simple meditation techniques have been proven to help them manage pressure, increase focus and concentrate. 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. Regular practice will improve their concentration skills, help them build self-esteem and fall asleep quickly and peacefully: a great help for everyday living at home and in the classroom.

"Just So Stories" is a classic of children's literature, and one of Rudyard Kipling's best known books. It was published in 1902, as a collection of the stories he told his daughter Josephine at bedtime; the little girl insisted that the stories be told "just so" or she would wake up and add the missing sentence, eventually making all these stories like charms, effective if untouched.

Discover the essentials of political philosophy with selected quotes from the greatest thinkers: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Niccolò Machiavelli, and the Chinese general Sun Tzu, author of "The Art of War". This careful compilation summarizes the great masters' fundamental ideas and provides you with a concise understanding of their thought and inspiring new ideas to make up your own thinking and build more precise arguments.

Idealism is the part of philosophy that focuses on the mind and its creations, which implies the problematic notion that everything we ever experience can only be shaped by our senses and the way our mind functions. It has its roots in German philosophy, of which Immanuel Kant is one of the most important figures. He is said to have affected a Copernican revolution in philosophy, akin to Copernicus' reversal of the age-old belief that the sun revolved around the earth.

Sun Tzu was a revered Chinese general, strategist, and philosopher. He is credited with one of the most influent military treatises ever written, the "Art of War". Countless leaders have drawn inspiration from this work, from Mao Zedong to General Douglas MacArthur. It is so powerful and straightforward that it is still influencing many domains other than military thinking, like business tactics, legal strategy, entrepreneurship, and beyond.

Voltaire was a French writer famous for his wit and irony. They were his tools for launching vitriolic attacks on the established Catholic church, the adversaries of freedom of religion and expression, and on separation of church and state. His prolific writing took almost every possible literary form: plays, novels, essays, but also poems, historical and scientific works.

Alfred North Whitehead once noted: "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato." Plato is indeed considered the most pivotal figure in the development of philosophy, along with his teacher, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle. But his writings are often light, fresh and funny; it was Plato who invented the dialogue in philosophy, which makes a point very easy to follow and the occasion of various scenic arrangements.

"Herodias" is a short story by Gustave Flaubert, one of the great masters of French literature. It is a reworking of the tale of Salomé and John the Baptist, in which faith and cruelty are blended in a deadly dance culminating in tragedy. A stylistic masterpiece, with orientalist sensuality and an inspired dive into religious fervor, this short story brings the ancient era to the most colorful possible life.

Sigmund Freud is the father of psychoanalysis, a clinical method of treatment through dialogue. Modern thought owes him his theoretical description of the structure and functioning of the unconscious, through the discovery of the essential role of transference in the analytic process, the redefinition of sexuality including its infantile forms, the analysis of dreams, symptom formation and the mechanisms of repression. His ideas are still controversed, but his work has suffused the whole of Western thought. The idea of an ego who is not master in its own house shattered intellectual fundations, and its legacy are everywhere in our everyday life.

Lao-Tzu was a philosopher and poet of ancient China. He is known as the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching and the founder of philosophical Taoism, and as a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions. As a central figure in Chinese culture, the emperors of the Tang dynasty and modern people both claim Lao Tzu. Some of his great quotes are "When goodness is lost, it is replaced by morality." "Without Darkness, there can be no Light." "The usefulness of a pot comes from its emptiness."

Discover fundamentals of French culture with the best fairy tales by Charles Perrault and a selection of fables by Jean de la Fontaine. Perrault is credited with some of the most famous fairy tales ever written: "Beauty and the Beast", "Cinderella", "Little Red Riding Hood", "The Fairies", "The Master Cat or Puss in Boots", "The Ridiculous Wishes", "Sleeping Beauty in the Woods", and "Blue Beard".

"The Tragedy of Macbeth" is a play written by William Shakespeare. Set mainly in Scotland, the play illustrates the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own sake. The play was most likely written during the reign of James I, who had been James VI of Scotland before he succeeded to the English throne in 1603. James was a patron of Shakespeare's acting company and of all the plays Shakespeare wrote during James's reign, "Macbeth" most clearly reflects the playwright's relationship with the sovereign.

Tsar Alexander I was the grandson of Catherine the Great. He became Tsar after his father Paul I was murdered and ruled Russia during chaotic period of the Napoleonic Wars. In Russian history, he is known as “Alexander the Blessed”. A legendary ruler, he led his country to one of her greatest triumphs, against Napoleon, although he was often viewed as an enigma by his contemporaries. Discover the life and struggles of one of the most influential rulers through this precise, clear and thorough presentation.

Aladdin is a young lad dwelling in ancient China; his parents are in despair, as he is a never-do-well and won't ever do anything. A sorcerer from the Maghreb persuades him to retrieve a wonderful oil lamp from a magic cave. But then, the socerer attempts to double-cross Aladdin, who resists only to find himself trapped in the cave. Luckily, he has kept the magical object and a world of adventures opens before him.

"Rapunzel" is a well-known fairy tale of German origin, recorded by the Brothers Grimm. A lonely couple, who want a child, lived next to a walled garden belonging to an evil witch named Dame Gothel. The wife, experiencing the cravings associated with the arrival of her long-awaited pregnancy, notices a rapunzel plant, growing in the garden and longs for it, desperate to the point of death. One night, her husband breaks into the garden to get some for her. She makes a salad out of it and greedily eats it.

King Edward I "Longshanks", or the "Hammer of the Scots", was a major figure of Medieval England. Arguably one of the most controversial British monarchs, he was portrayed as an ignominious villain in Mel Gibsons' Braveheart; but the reality was different. Indeed, his reign stands among the most dramatic and important of the entire Middle Ages, as Edward I brought war and conquest on an unprecedented scale; but he is also credited for bringing together the largest parliaments ever, for his competent rulership, and for the magnificent chain of castles he had built.