Great Presentation and a Wonderful Narrator

Where does Maya to Aztec: Ancient Mesoamerica Revealed rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would say this book ranks among my top 3 for non-fiction content. It's possibly ranked 1st in regards to presentation and narration by Professor Edwin Barnhart. I would have to say that Dr. Barnhart's narration has been the most enjoyable I've heard yet among the Great Courses. The only other narrator I've enjoyed listening to on this level has been Will Patton. The lack of slurps, burps, "ah's and uh's", hard mouth candy, vocal fry, and "sing song" speaking has been refreshing.

Who was your favorite character and why?

There's no particular favorite. I've enjoyed the entire presentation.

Which scene was your favorite?

I've enjoyed all of the chapters. Having traveled Central America and visiting several of the sites mentioned in his lecture, I've been inspired to plan another trip to the area after gaining another level of appreciation for the Mayan artifact's that we can so easily stroll through today thanks to the efforts of men and women such as Professor Barnhart.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I can't say enough how pleased I've been with the overall presentation and content of this lecture. I look forward to purchasing the other lecture that is available here on Audible from Professor Edwin Barnhart.

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WOW! I learned SO MUCH!

Where does Maya to Aztec: Ancient Mesoamerica Revealed rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This course is tops for how much I learned, right after the course on Ancient Egypt which is also excellent.

What did you like best about this story?

Between kindergarten, grade school, high school, and college I have 17 years of schooling plus lots of post-graduate learning. And during all those years, I learned NOTHING about the ancient America's. So little, in fact, that I was really interested in learning about the Inca. I saw the title and thought this would include information about the Inca. Nope.

I had to laugh at my own naivete. The very fact that I made that mistake meant that I very much needed this course. I knew NOTHING about Mesoamerica. All that schooling, and even though I live in the America's, we never once in all those years discussed anything substantive about ancient America. It's a travesty of our educational system.

But this course set things right.

Any additional comments?

This is a fun and enjoyable course. But it is not an easy course. I found it very difficult to keep track of the names of places and people because they were so strange to me. So just be forewarned that you will really need to pay attention to names. It helps to have a map so you can find these places and have a better idea of how everything fits together.

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Fantastic, Engrossing & Informative

This is a beautifully written book; I learned a great deal from it. Be aware that it's not for beginners; I was grateful for my background in Mesoamerican studies.

The narrator was superb; he helped me a great deal with my pronunciation.

If this type of history sings to you, definitely try this book

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Everything you would ever want and more

What did you love best about Maya to Aztec: Ancient Mesoamerica Revealed?

Professor Barnhart in an expert and the research is up to date as of the spring of 2015. As with any Audible purchase of Great Courses material, you suffer from not having a study guide.

Professor Barnhart is engaging and easy to listen to. His personal stories and background in the field add color to his presentation. I did find myself fading away at times because he does take you deep into the weeds of every topic. His enthusiasm for the topic is infectious and brings to mind Bob Brier’s amazing “History of Ancient Egypt.”

These lectures are not designed for people with only a passing interest in the topic, but if your study of the word has neglected Mesoamerica, this is the definitive listening experience.

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Fascinating and Anything But Dry

The course is roughly chronological, with deeper forays into topics such as Maya mathematics or Aztec art. I learned a TON, even though I know there's far more to learn. I have always been confused about the relationship between various Mesa-American groups, and that's a lot clearer to me now. The presenter takes many side trips into interesting theories and discoveries and is very entertaining.

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Walk With the Ancient Mayans with Prof. Barnhart

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I listened to these lectures in preparation for a vacation to the Yucatan. Professor Barnhart transmits his own wonder over the Mayas to the listener. He relates the history with proper reference to the primary historical record, discusses where there is some uncertainty, and inviting the listener to join in the academic exploration. By the end of the series, you might be tempted to pick up a shovel and join him on an archaeological dig.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Maya to Aztec: Ancient Mesoamerica Revealed?

The discussion of Mayan mathematics and calendar revealed how incredibly advanced the Mayans were in these areas. It demonstrated how knowledge burgeoned in the New World, in parallel with the Eastern world.

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Excellent Treatment of Panorama of Mesoamerica

I have listened several times, as preparation make a trip more meaningful.

Couldn't recommend it more enthusiastically.

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A thorough time travel with an enthusiastic guide

This is, no doubt, a great listen. It's clear that Prof. Barnhart knows, feels and loves Mesoamerica, a subject that has always fascinated me.
I feel some more storytelling would be welcome, though... May be I'll listen to it again...
I would suggest to attach some pdf maps. There are so many names, so many different places and connections that sometimes it becomes a bit hard to follow.
Anyway, it is inspiring to know that there's so much yet to be found... and it makes me want to go to Mexico again.

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the professor sounds like Bill Gates

Is there anything you would change about this book?

it is just too scientifically speculative and the professor sounds like he is giving too much scientific speculation that he assumes as fact. and is technology/ scienc interested more than historically , culturally interested

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Boring

I really wanted to enjoy this. I love history. I am fascinated by the people this lecture is about.

But nothing could overcome the sheer boring-ness of this course.

This is just a list of data points. Here is a list of buildings in a city. Here's a list of all the ways this particular city is aligned to the stars. Here's a list of cool art. Next city. Rinse and repeat.

There's no connection, no story telling about the Maya and the Aztecs or anybody. For a series about humans, there's remarkably little human connection. And most of the human anecdotes are about the archeologists who discovered the things.

I made it half way through before the sheer weight of data squelched my curiosity. And I had to force myself to make it that far.

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