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Babylon
- Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
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All Against All
- The Long Winter of 1933 and the Origins of the Second World War
- Written by: Paul Jankowski
- Narrated by: Dean Gallagher
- Length: 16 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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All Against All is the story of the season our world changed from postwar to prewar again. It is about the power of bad ideas - exploring why, during a single winter, between November 1932 and April 1933, so much went so wrong. Historian Paul Jankowski reveals that it was collective mentalities and popular beliefs that drove this crucial period that sent nations on the path to war, as much as any rational calculus called "national interest".
Written by: Paul Jankowski
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Comet
- Written by: Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan
- Narrated by: Seth MacFarlane, Bahni Turpin
- Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Comet begins with a breathtaking journey through space astride a comet. Pulitzer Prize-winning astronomer Carl Sagan, author of Cosmos and Contact, and writer Ann Druyan explore the origin, nature, and future of comets, and the exotic myths and portents attached to them. The authors show how comets have spurred some of the great discoveries in the history of science and raise intriguing questions about these brilliant visitors from the interstellar dark.
Were the fates of the dinosaurs and the origins of humans tied to the wanderings of a comet?
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An elegant and insightful classic
- By Jeff Allan on 2022-08-27
Written by: Carl Sagan, and others
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A Brief History of Japan
- Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun
- Written by: Jonathan Clements
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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With intelligence and wit, author Jonathan Clements blends documentary and storytelling styles to connect the past, present, and future of Japan, and in broad yet detailed strokes reveals a country of paradoxes: a modern nation steeped in ancient traditions; a democracy with an emperor as head of state; a famously safe society built on 108 volcanoes resting on the world's most active earthquake zone; a fast-paced urban and technologically advanced country whose land consists predominantly of mountains and forests.
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History need not be dry.
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-04-03
Written by: Jonathan Clements
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The Crusades
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- Written by: Thomas Asbridge
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 25 hrs and 32 mins
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The Crusades is an authoritative, accessible single-volume history of the brutal struggle for the Holy Land in the Middle Ages. Thomas Asbridge - a renowned historian who writes with "maximum vividness" (Joan Acocella, The New Yorker) - covers the years 1095 to 1291 in this big, ambitious, listenable account of one of the most fascinating periods in history.
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Fantastic Book
- By braden on 2018-11-18
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The Plantagenets
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- Written by: Dan Jones
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- Length: 22 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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England’s greatest royal dynasty, the Plantagenets, ruled over England through eight generations of kings. Their remarkable reign saw England emerge from the Dark Ages to become a highly organised kingdom that spanned a vast expanse of Europe. Plantagenet rule saw the establishment of laws and creation of artworks, monuments and tombs which survive to this day, and continue to speak of their sophistication, brutality and secrets. Dan Jones brings you a new vision of this battle-scarred history.
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Very good overall book
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SPQR
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- Written by: Mary Beard
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In SPQR, world-renowned classicist Mary Beard narrates the unprecedented rise of a civilization that even 2,000 years later still shapes many of our most fundamental assumptions about power, citizenship, responsibility, political violence, empire, luxury, and beauty.
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watch her on tv
- By Mackenzie on 2019-07-12
Written by: Mary Beard
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All Against All
- The Long Winter of 1933 and the Origins of the Second World War
- Written by: Paul Jankowski
- Narrated by: Dean Gallagher
- Length: 16 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
All Against All is the story of the season our world changed from postwar to prewar again. It is about the power of bad ideas - exploring why, during a single winter, between November 1932 and April 1933, so much went so wrong. Historian Paul Jankowski reveals that it was collective mentalities and popular beliefs that drove this crucial period that sent nations on the path to war, as much as any rational calculus called "national interest".
Written by: Paul Jankowski
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Comet
- Written by: Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan
- Narrated by: Seth MacFarlane, Bahni Turpin
- Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Comet begins with a breathtaking journey through space astride a comet. Pulitzer Prize-winning astronomer Carl Sagan, author of Cosmos and Contact, and writer Ann Druyan explore the origin, nature, and future of comets, and the exotic myths and portents attached to them. The authors show how comets have spurred some of the great discoveries in the history of science and raise intriguing questions about these brilliant visitors from the interstellar dark.
Were the fates of the dinosaurs and the origins of humans tied to the wanderings of a comet?
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An elegant and insightful classic
- By Jeff Allan on 2022-08-27
Written by: Carl Sagan, and others
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A Brief History of Japan
- Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun
- Written by: Jonathan Clements
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
With intelligence and wit, author Jonathan Clements blends documentary and storytelling styles to connect the past, present, and future of Japan, and in broad yet detailed strokes reveals a country of paradoxes: a modern nation steeped in ancient traditions; a democracy with an emperor as head of state; a famously safe society built on 108 volcanoes resting on the world's most active earthquake zone; a fast-paced urban and technologically advanced country whose land consists predominantly of mountains and forests.
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History need not be dry.
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-04-03
Written by: Jonathan Clements
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The Crusades
- The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land
- Written by: Thomas Asbridge
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 25 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Crusades is an authoritative, accessible single-volume history of the brutal struggle for the Holy Land in the Middle Ages. Thomas Asbridge - a renowned historian who writes with "maximum vividness" (Joan Acocella, The New Yorker) - covers the years 1095 to 1291 in this big, ambitious, listenable account of one of the most fascinating periods in history.
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Fantastic Book
- By braden on 2018-11-18
Written by: Thomas Asbridge
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The Plantagenets
- The Kings Who Made England
- Written by: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: Dan Jones
- Length: 22 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
England’s greatest royal dynasty, the Plantagenets, ruled over England through eight generations of kings. Their remarkable reign saw England emerge from the Dark Ages to become a highly organised kingdom that spanned a vast expanse of Europe. Plantagenet rule saw the establishment of laws and creation of artworks, monuments and tombs which survive to this day, and continue to speak of their sophistication, brutality and secrets. Dan Jones brings you a new vision of this battle-scarred history.
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Very good overall book
- By Jason Gacek on 2023-02-06
Written by: Dan Jones
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SPQR
- A History of Ancient Rome
- Written by: Mary Beard
- Narrated by: Phyllida Nash
- Length: 18 hrs and 30 mins
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In SPQR, world-renowned classicist Mary Beard narrates the unprecedented rise of a civilization that even 2,000 years later still shapes many of our most fundamental assumptions about power, citizenship, responsibility, political violence, empire, luxury, and beauty.
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watch her on tv
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Written by: Mary Beard
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Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
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The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in 25 years than the Romans did in 400. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization.
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Great story, annoying music
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A Brief History of China
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In his retelling of a Chinese history stretching back 5,000 years, author and China-expert Jonathan Clements focuses on the human stories which led to the powerful transformations in Chinese society - from the unification of China under its first emperor, Qinshi Huangdi, to the Mongol invasion under Genghis Khan and the consolidation of Communist rule under Mao Zedong. Clements even brings listeners through to the present day, outlining China's economic renaissance under Deng Xiaoping and Xi Jinping.
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Excellent introduction to to Chinese history
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The life of Emperor Charles V (1500-1558), ruler of Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and much of Italy and Central and South America, has long intrigued biographers. But the elusive nature of the man (despite an abundance of documentation), his relentless travel and the control of his own image, together with the complexity of governing the world's first transatlantic empire, complicate the task.
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Ancient Civilizations of North America
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- Original Recording
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For the past few hundred years, most of what we’ve been taught about the native cultures of North America came from reports authored by the conquerors and colonizers who destroyed them. Now - with the technological advances of modern archaeology and a new perspective on world history - we are finally able to piece together their compelling true stories. In Ancient Civilizations of North America, Professor Edwin Barnhart, Director of the Maya Exploration Center, will open your eyes to a fascinating world you never knew existed - even though you’ve been living right next to it, or even on top of it.
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Most of Canada is left out, as usual
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The Rise and Reign of the Mammals
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The Rise and Fall of the Mammals has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.
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Excellent Follow Up That Stands On It’s Own
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The Roman Republic was one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of civilization. After its founding in 509 BCE, the Romans refused to allow a single leader to seize control of the state and grab absolute power. The Roman commitment to cooperative government and peaceful transfers of power was unmatched in the history of the ancient world. But by the year 133 BCE, the republican system was unable to cope with the vast empire Rome now ruled.
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Brilliant, especially for beginners like myself
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What was Adam Smith really talking about when he mentioned the "invisible hand"? Did Karl Marx really predict the end of capitalism? Did Thomas Malthus (from whose name the word Malthusian derives) really believe that famines were desirable? In The Classical School, Callum Williams debunks popular myths about these great economists and explains the significance of their ideas in an engaging way.
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The Milky Way
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After a few billion years of bearing witness to life on Earth, of watching 100 billion humans go about their day-to-day lives, of feeling unbelievably lonely, and of hearing its own story told by others, the Milky Way would like a chance to speak for itself. All 100 billion stars and 50 undecillion tons of gas of it. It all began some 13 billion years ago, when clouds of gas scattered through the universe's primordial plasma just could not keep their metaphorical hands off each other. They succumbed to their gravitational attraction, and the galaxy we know as the Milky Way was born.
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expansive!
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Richest Man In Babylon - Original Edition
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- Length: 4 hrs
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The Richest Man in Babylon, based on Babylonian parables, has been hailed as the greatest of all inspirational works on the subject of thrift, financial planning, and personal wealth. In simple language, these fascinating and informative stories set you on a sure path to prosperity and its accompanying joys. A celebrated bestseller, it offers an understanding and a solution to your personal financial problem.
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Very insightful
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A War Like No Other
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Hanson compellingly portrays the ways Athens and Sparta fought on land and sea, in city and countryside, and details their employment of the full scope of conventional and non-conventional tactics, from sieges to targeted assassinations, torture, and terrorism. He also assesses the crucial roles played by warriors such as Pericles and Lysander, artists, among them Aristophanes, and thinkers including Sophocles and Plato.
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Getting Gamers
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Getting Gamers will show that rather than being a waste of time, video games can help us develop skills, make friends, succeed at work, form good habits, and be happy. Taking the time to learn what's happening in our heads as we play and shop allows us to approach games and gaming communities on our own terms and get more out of them. With examples from the games themselves, Jamie Madigan offers a fuller understanding of the impact of games on our psychology and the influence of psychology on our games.
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The Master and His Emissary
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This pioneering account sets out to understand the structure of the human brain - the place where mind meets matter. Until recently, the left hemisphere of our brain has been seen as the "rational" side, the superior partner to the right. But is this distinction true? Drawing on a vast body of experimental research, Iain McGilchrist argues while our left brain makes for a wonderful servant, it is a very poor master.
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I am in awe of McGilchrist's erudition.
- By Amazon Customer on 2022-09-17
Written by: Iain McGilchrist
Publisher's Summary
Civilization was born 8,000 years ago, between the floodplains of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, when migrants from the surrounding mountains and deserts began to create increasingly sophisticated urban societies. In the cities that they built, half of human history took place.
In Babylon, Paul Kriwaczek tells the story of Mesopotamia from the earliest settlements seven thousand years ago to the eclipse of Babylon in the sixth century BCE. Bringing the people of this land to life in vibrant detail, the author chronicles the rise and fall of power during this period and explores the political and social systems, as well as the technical and cultural innovations, which made this land extraordinary. At the heart of this book is the story of Babylon, which rose to prominence under the Amorite king Hammurabi from about 1800 BCE. Even as Babylon's fortunes waxed and waned, it never lost its allure as the ancient world's greatest city.
Engaging and compelling, Babylon reveals the splendor of the ancient world that laid the foundation for civilization itself.
What listeners say about Babylon
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Mauro
- 2019-09-19
A good introduction to the history of Mesopotamia
This is a good introduction to the history of Mesopotamia, from the rise of Eridu to the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus the Great.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Xyo
- 2023-05-09
Fascinating!
This was very interesting, I was a fan of the parallels drawn between ancient Mesopotamia and modern history.
The book opening about Saddam Hussein at first caught me a little off guard, but it was well done. The novel overall covers a great deal of material, so much that you find yourself wanting to take notes as you progress.
The narration also caught me off guard, as it took me a few moments to realize Perkins had also narrated a novel I finished on the war in Chechnya not long ago. But just as he had done in that book, he delivered a very strong presentation here as well! He has a good way of bringing things to life and engaging your interest.
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- Mat
- 2023-04-23
Quite interesting
Liked the guys voice. Very academic grandfather. Very soothing. Great for calming down For bed. The history of the tablets has always interested meansthisbookprovided some good context and background. Thoroughly enjoyed
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- Langer MD
- 2023-02-10
Interesting and Informative
This book aspires to that ideal mix of academically accurate and accessible to a casual audience.. and falls juuuust short.
To be certain, the book is compiled nicely, well-written, and feels complete. Historian and BBC personality Paul Kriwaczek leads readers/listeners through an exhaustively-researched treatise discussing an area of the world that is commonly referred to as "The Cradle Of Civilzation".
Unfortunately, Kriwaczek presents the archeological/historical research as though it is simple established fact (no debate necessary) and presents it in a poorly organized manner: chronological but loosely delivered. If he had been forced to teach his material to a University audience (religiously adhering to an outline and addressing controversies in the literature), Kriwaczek would doubtless be outstanding - he obviously understands how to make admittedly dry (and continuously changing material) fresh & thought-provoking - but can't quite meet "authoritative" standards.
The reading from Derek Perkins is similarly far above average - but unspectacular. His praiseworthy diction, cadence, and timbre are matched with a clearly interested tone that keeps the text from being boring.
Unfortunately, Perkins reads far too slowly (setting playback speed at 1.10X restores a more "natural" listening experience) and with an occasional noticeable monotone.
Altogether, Tantor Audio did a great job casting the project, but another reader could likely have done an equally impressive job.
In toto, 'Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization' merits 7.5 stars out of 10. I was able to get the recording on sale - and the edifying book was easily worth the $5.20CDN I paid for it - but paying full price would be worth a debate.
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- Alsor2000
- 2020-07-19
Solid overview 3000 years of history
One reviewer said he could not finish because of a pretentious style. I bet he got to chapter 3 and then gave up.
Through the first 3 chapters, I could understand where he was coming from. They are basically a setup and introduction to the subject, and they *are* a little wordy and somewhat boring.
But, if you push onto chapters 4 and then 5 then you get into the meat of the history and you really get what you came for. I was hooked and listened right through to the end.
Look, the book is 12 hours. It gives you the broad strokes and includes a lot of interesting tidbits for the Bronze age novice. It was just what I was looking for. (I.e How slingers were used. The economic setup. How the first armies may have come about.)
Our Oriental Heritage by Will Durant is 50 hours and covers the same ground. I have now spent a credit on that book since this book interested me in the subject.
I recommend it but just push through the introductory chapters.
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47 people found this helpful
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- Dipam
- 2021-09-04
Mesopotamia - the birthplace of cities
Listening to this book has been a real eye-opener for me. I have always had the perception that Egypt was where civilization as we know it originated and that the Greeks took what they had gathered from the Egyptians and expanded on that to form what we know of today as our democratic societies. I was aware that somewhere around the same time as the Egyptian kingdoms were flourishing that there were societies in the area of Mesopotamia, but never really had more than a fuzzy picture of what those societies actually were. This book goes into detail of how much of what we have credited the Greeks and Egyptians with were actually from Mesopotamia. For example, Pythagoras' formula for finding the length of the third side of a triangle was known in Mesopotamia a thousand years before Pythagoras lived.
I found this book to be well researched and written so as make it easy to follow the course of events as they happened in the various areas of Mesopotamia. The author did this in a way that included important personalities but did not focus solely on that; instead, including what life was like for the typical person, how the society functioned economically and administratively, how various migrations effected the make up and direction of a particular culture, and how for 2500 years Mesopotamia was a major center of the world for the birthing processes of human civilization. This book was a pleasure to listen to. The reader did a great job with a very clear and pleasant voice. I was successfully introduced to a world that I barely knew existed, and I'm very grateful to both the author and the reader for that.
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23 people found this helpful
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- Fr. S.
- 2021-07-16
Wonderful and relevant history of Mesopotamia
I have studied ancient Near East culture and literature as part of my doctoral and professorial work for forty-five years. This book connected the many dkts I have acquired into a sensible picture of the whole. I enjoyed Kriwaczek's insightful connections with other periods of history. This illumined Mesopotamia with more accessible analogies from history, and offered thought provoking insigbts into modern history.
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23 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 2020-05-19
A mix of good narrative and bad history
The story follows a good narrative but is filled with lots of dubious analysis and comparison. Some of these are really poignant and meaningful while others are placed in an odd spot and bad history.
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19 people found this helpful
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- Mike Waters
- 2021-05-07
Get it!
This book was a delight! We know so much more about Mesopotamians now than when I was a kid. The author does a beautiful job of painting a lively picture of the development of pottery and metallurgy, or the life of a scribe-in-training. I can’t help imagining the cross-dressing priests of Inanna as fabulous drag queens organizing neolithic farmers into the first urban civilization! Behind every bronze age king is a bureaucracy of drag queens dedicated to the goddess (LOL)! In many ways the Mesopotamians were far more cosmopolitan than we are.
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12 people found this helpful
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- William
- 2022-01-04
An okay overview. Expect at least these two flaws:
•Doesn't address Christian-normative lens/assumptions.
•Prioritizes preserving a received conservative narrative over later discoveries, work, facts.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Dave M
- 2021-08-10
Love this book
This was my first Audible book. I drive quite a lot for work and the stories in this book have made it SO much more enjoyable. I am not a professional historian, but found the material here to be always easily understandable and as has often the case, been strongly reminded that truth can be more entertaining than fiction. The narrator's clarity and emphasis in all the right places added rather than distracted to the material. Very well done!
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7 people found this helpful
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- Zina L. Bartle
- 2021-10-23
Why use 5 words when you can use 500?
After 5 agonizing hours of listening, I am throwing in the towel...which is not something I do. The narrator is actually amazing, the way he deftly navigates lengthy apositives and clauses in what must be some of the world's longest sentences ever. But, even with his outstanding narration, I simply can't listen to any more of this. The author is extremely verbose and overly descriptive at every turn. The work gives the impression that he is far less concerned with impressing upon you any part of the factual or archaelogically known history of Mesopotamia, but instead wants to impress you with his vocabulary and "gift of prose." He gives very little context to sources he quotes (as to veracity/scholarship), and often seems to be stating his own unsubstantiated opinion as fact. Moreover, he uses the Old Testament as "fact." I am actually a Christian who has read the Bible cover to cover twice, once for scholastic reasons, once for spiritual. I've studied theology as well as investigated the historical veractiy of the Bible. That said, surely in all the academic research and archaelogical finds related to this region, something other than scripture could be given. In one example, he drones on, citing a long passage about how to grow barley. It is uninteresting minutiae to elaborate one fact that could have been stated succinctly in 8 or 10 words. If you're looking for self-important, long-winded storytelling, you may like this book. If, as I am, you're looking for a telling of HISTORY - what we do/don't know - backed up by research and credible - and duly credited - scholarship, you may want to look elsewhere. That's what I will be doing.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Scott A. Medley
- 2021-08-29
I learned about History
This book takes a very unique apporach to the field of archaeology and history. This isn't merely just a book on ancient Mesopotamia but more of an overall commentary on the progress and fall of civilizations over thousands of years. And what I learned is that some of the things that we largely see as results of modern civilization (free market economics, state planned economies, etc) were actually tried over periods of thousands of years in ancient Mesopotamia. It's almost like even in the earliest days of civilization we had many of the same profound issues that we are debating about today (plus a whole lot more that we don't have to even think about today thanks to technology and medicine). The narrator is alright if you're into narrators with concise Oxfordy sounding accents (I approve). Recommend read.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall

- Anonymous User
- 2021-07-19
Great Book
Use for my class I Ancient Near and Greece, best short
History of the Ancient Mesopotamian world.
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4 people found this helpful