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Living History: Experiencing Great Events of the Ancient and Medieval Worlds cover art

Living History: Experiencing Great Events of the Ancient and Medieval Worlds

Written by: Robert Garland, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Robert Garland
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Publisher's Summary

Macedonia, 336 B.C.E. - King Philip II is murdered under mysterious circumstances amid a cloud of intrigue.

Constantinople, 532 C.E. - The Byzantine Emperor Justinian nearly abandons the city to an angry mob until his wife, Theodora, persuades him to stay.

France, 1095 C.E. - Pope Urban II gives a speech that inspires thousands of his subjects to embark on a crusade to Jerusalem.

Time and again, moments shape history. We often examine history from a distant vantage, zooming in on a few kings and battles. But history is made up of individuals who were as alive in their time as we are today. Pausing on a few key individuals and magnifying specific moments in their lives allows us to experience history in a whole new way-as a vibrant story, full of life.

Living History: Great Events of the Ancient and Medieval Worlds takes you back in time and throws a spotlight on two dozen turning points where the tide of history changes irrevocably. These 24 dramatic lectures examine key events from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome to medieval Europe and Asia. Spanning thousands of years and three continents, this course illuminates fascinating historical dramas on the individual scale.

More than covering great events that change the contours of history, Professor Garland takes you into the scene and allows you to hear what he terms the "heartbeat of history". Rather than merely reviewing the facts of events such as the Battle of Marathon, the arrest and trial of Jesus, and the coronation of Charlemagne, you'll engage with a variety of firsthand accounts and authentic primary and secondary sources to experience what it was like to live these events as they occurred. From reports by historians such as Herodotus and Livy to official scrolls and administrative records, these eyewitness sources and ancient documents take you back in time through the eyes of people who were there.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2015 The Great Courses (P)2015 The Teaching Company, LLC

What listeners say about Living History: Experiencing Great Events of the Ancient and Medieval Worlds

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Entertaining but biased and inaccurate

The episode dedicated to the battle of Poitiers between Franks and Arabs in 732 AD is full of misstatements, from the claim Jews and Christian’s had equal status in the Baghdad califate (ignoring the status of dhimmi, however well documented, for example in the Pact of Umar, 644: Christians shall wear special belts, clip the front of their head, stand up when a Muslim wishes to sit, not ride horses, not build houses overtopping Muslim houses…) to the statement the Quran never encourages war… I wonder why some « historians » feel the urge to distort the facts and embellish one specific religion or culture.

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Kept me listening and delivered

The course delivered on its promise to present historical events in such a way we could feel apart of them. I was impressed by the detail and the effort by the professor to achieve that in every lecture.

A couple of the lectures felt somewhat tedious; less interesting than others due to the event it was based on. I ended up skipping over them because they were too difficult to get through.

Overall, I was kept interested and wanted to continue listening. My only gripe was that I usually expect to take something profound after listening to an entire course; something that delivers beyond what was expected. This one didn't and simply met expectations, which is fine and made for an enjoyable experience.

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