Listen free for 30 days
-
Our Oriental Heritage
- The Story of Civilization, Volume 1
- Narrated by: Robin Field
- Length: 50 hrs and 17 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $50.07
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Buy it with
-
Peter the Great
- His Life and World
- Written by: Robert K. Massie
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 43 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This superbly told story brings to life one of the most remarkable rulers––and men––in all of history and conveys the drama of his life and world. The Russia of Peter's birth was very different from the Russia his energy, genius, and ruthlessness shaped. Crowned co-Tsar as a child of ten, after witnessing bloody uprisings in the streets of Moscow, he would grow up propelled by an unquenchable curiosity, everywhere looking, asking, tinkering, and learning, fired by Western ideas.
-
-
Well Done
- By Tim on 2023-07-12
Written by: Robert K. Massie
-
A New World Begins
- The History of the French Revolution
- Written by: Jeremy D. Popkin
- Narrated by: Pete Cross, Jeremy D. Popkin
- Length: 21 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The principles of the French Revolution remain the only possible basis for a just society - even if, after more than 200 years, they are more contested than ever before. In A New World Begins, Jeremy D. Popkin offers a riveting account of the revolution that puts the listener in the thick of the debates and the violence that led to the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of a new society.
-
-
Learned a lot
- By Kathryn Smith on 2023-08-17
Written by: Jeremy D. Popkin
-
The Search for Modern China
- Written by: Jonathan D. Spence
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 36 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The history of China is as rich and strange as that of any country on earth. Yet for many, China’s history remains unknown, or known only through the stylized images that generations in the West have cherished or reviled as truth. With his command of character and event - the product of 30 years of research and reflection in the field - Spence dispels those myths in a powerful narrative. Over four centuries of Chinese history, Spence fashions the astonishing story of the effort to achieve a modern China.
-
-
Takes some getting used to, but great work.
- By Alexandre Lariviere on 2021-10-28
Written by: Jonathan D. Spence
-
Empire
- Written by: Niall Ferguson
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 15 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The British Empire was the largest in all history: the nearest thing to global domination ever achieved. The world we know today is in large measure the product of Britain's age of empire. The global spread of capitalism, telecommunications, the English language, and the institutions of representative government - all these can be traced back to the extraordinary expansion of Britain's economy, population, and culture from the 17th century until the mid-20th. On a vast and vividly colored canvas, Empire shows how the British Empire acted as midwife to modernity.
-
-
great education on British colonialism
- By daniel Froese on 2023-02-03
Written by: Niall Ferguson
-
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
- Written by: Julian Jaynes
- Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
- Length: 16 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the heart of this classic, seminal book is Julian Jaynes' still-controversial thesis that human consciousness did not begin far back in animal evolution but instead is a learned process that came about only 3,000 years ago and is still developing. The implications of this revolutionary scientific paradigm extend into virtually every aspect of our psychology, our history and culture, our religion - and indeed our future.
-
-
An beautifully crafted theory from a genius
- By Anonymous User on 2018-09-18
Written by: Julian Jaynes
-
Six Days of War
- June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East
- Written by: Michael B. Oren
- Narrated by: Robert Whitfield
- Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Israel and the West, it is called the Six Day War. In the Arab world, it is known as the June War or, simply, as "the Setback". Never has a conflict so short, unforeseen, and largely unwanted by both sides so transformed the world. The Yom Kippur War, the war in Lebanon, the Camp David accords, the controversy over Jerusalem and Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the intifada, and the rise of Palestinian terror are all part of the outcome of those six days.
-
-
Good non-partisan narrative
- By Wade Robertson on 2023-04-29
Written by: Michael B. Oren
-
Peter the Great
- His Life and World
- Written by: Robert K. Massie
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 43 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This superbly told story brings to life one of the most remarkable rulers––and men––in all of history and conveys the drama of his life and world. The Russia of Peter's birth was very different from the Russia his energy, genius, and ruthlessness shaped. Crowned co-Tsar as a child of ten, after witnessing bloody uprisings in the streets of Moscow, he would grow up propelled by an unquenchable curiosity, everywhere looking, asking, tinkering, and learning, fired by Western ideas.
-
-
Well Done
- By Tim on 2023-07-12
Written by: Robert K. Massie
-
A New World Begins
- The History of the French Revolution
- Written by: Jeremy D. Popkin
- Narrated by: Pete Cross, Jeremy D. Popkin
- Length: 21 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The principles of the French Revolution remain the only possible basis for a just society - even if, after more than 200 years, they are more contested than ever before. In A New World Begins, Jeremy D. Popkin offers a riveting account of the revolution that puts the listener in the thick of the debates and the violence that led to the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of a new society.
-
-
Learned a lot
- By Kathryn Smith on 2023-08-17
Written by: Jeremy D. Popkin
-
The Search for Modern China
- Written by: Jonathan D. Spence
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 36 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The history of China is as rich and strange as that of any country on earth. Yet for many, China’s history remains unknown, or known only through the stylized images that generations in the West have cherished or reviled as truth. With his command of character and event - the product of 30 years of research and reflection in the field - Spence dispels those myths in a powerful narrative. Over four centuries of Chinese history, Spence fashions the astonishing story of the effort to achieve a modern China.
-
-
Takes some getting used to, but great work.
- By Alexandre Lariviere on 2021-10-28
Written by: Jonathan D. Spence
-
Empire
- Written by: Niall Ferguson
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 15 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The British Empire was the largest in all history: the nearest thing to global domination ever achieved. The world we know today is in large measure the product of Britain's age of empire. The global spread of capitalism, telecommunications, the English language, and the institutions of representative government - all these can be traced back to the extraordinary expansion of Britain's economy, population, and culture from the 17th century until the mid-20th. On a vast and vividly colored canvas, Empire shows how the British Empire acted as midwife to modernity.
-
-
great education on British colonialism
- By daniel Froese on 2023-02-03
Written by: Niall Ferguson
-
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
- Written by: Julian Jaynes
- Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
- Length: 16 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the heart of this classic, seminal book is Julian Jaynes' still-controversial thesis that human consciousness did not begin far back in animal evolution but instead is a learned process that came about only 3,000 years ago and is still developing. The implications of this revolutionary scientific paradigm extend into virtually every aspect of our psychology, our history and culture, our religion - and indeed our future.
-
-
An beautifully crafted theory from a genius
- By Anonymous User on 2018-09-18
Written by: Julian Jaynes
-
Six Days of War
- June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East
- Written by: Michael B. Oren
- Narrated by: Robert Whitfield
- Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Israel and the West, it is called the Six Day War. In the Arab world, it is known as the June War or, simply, as "the Setback". Never has a conflict so short, unforeseen, and largely unwanted by both sides so transformed the world. The Yom Kippur War, the war in Lebanon, the Camp David accords, the controversy over Jerusalem and Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the intifada, and the rise of Palestinian terror are all part of the outcome of those six days.
-
-
Good non-partisan narrative
- By Wade Robertson on 2023-04-29
Written by: Michael B. Oren
-
Foundation
- The History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors: The History of England, Book 1
- Written by: Peter Ackroyd
- Narrated by: Clive Chafer
- Length: 18 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Foundation the chronicler of London and of its river, the Thames, takes us from the primeval forests of England's prehistory to the death of the first Tudor king, Henry VII, in 1509. He guides us from the building of Stonehenge to the founding of the two great glories of medieval England: common law and the cathedrals. He shows us glimpses of the country's most distant past - a Neolithic stirrup found in a grave, a Roman fort, a Saxon tomb, a medieval manor house.
Written by: Peter Ackroyd
-
The Great Game
- The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia
- Written by: Peter Hopkirk
- Narrated by: Alex Wyndham
- Length: 17 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Great Game between Victorian Britain and Tsarist Russia was fought across desolate terrain from the Caucasus to China, over the lonely passes of the Parmirs and Karakorams, in the blazing Kerman and Helmund deserts, and through the caravan towns of the old Silk Road - both powers scrambling to control access to the riches of India and the East. When play first began, the frontiers of Russia and British India lay 2000 miles apart; by the end, this distance had shrunk to 20 miles at some points.
-
-
if only history is taught like this in school
- By hsia pai wu on 2023-06-27
Written by: Peter Hopkirk
-
Joan of Arc
- Written by: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Michael Anthony
- Length: 15 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Very few people know that Mark Twain wrote a major work on Joan of Arc. Still fewer know that he considered it not only his most important, but also his best work. He spent 12 years in research and many months in France doing archival work, and then made several attempts until he felt he finally had the story he wanted to tell.
-
-
A TRULY AMAZING SOUL!
- By Amazon Customer on 2022-04-29
Written by: Mark Twain
-
The Rising Sun
- The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945
- Written by: John Toland
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 41 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This Pulitzer Prize-winning history of World War II chronicles the dramatic rise and fall of the Japanese empire, from the invasion of Manchuria and China to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Told from the Japanese perspective, The Rising Sun is, in the author’s words, "a factual saga of people caught up in the flood of the most overwhelming war of mankind, told as it happened - muddled, ennobling, disgraceful, frustrating, full of paradox."
-
-
very well done
- By Frank on 2022-06-10
Written by: John Toland
-
The Origins of Totalitarianism
- Written by: Hannah Arendt
- Narrated by: Nadia May
- Length: 23 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This classic, definitive account of totalitarianism traces the emergence of modern racism as an "ideological weapon for imperialism", beginning with the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe in the 19th century and continuing through the New Imperialism period from 1884 to World War I.
-
-
A prescient warning for the 21st Century
- By Robert Hoople on 2022-01-28
Written by: Hannah Arendt
-
Modern Times
- The World from the Twenties to the Nineties
- Written by: Paul Johnson
- Narrated by: Nadia May
- Length: 37 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beginning with May 29, 1919, when photographs of the solar eclipse confirmed the truth of Einstein's theory of relativity, Johnson goes on to describe Freudianism, the establishment of the first Marxist state, the chaos of "Old Europe", the Arcadian 20s, and the new forces in China and Japan. Also discussed are Karl Marx, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Roosevelt, Gandhi, Castro, Kennedy, Nixon, the '29 crash, the Great Depression, Roosevelt's New Deal, and the massive conflict of World War II.
-
-
Magnificent book, weak reader
- By James on 2023-05-10
Written by: Paul Johnson
-
A Distant Mirror
- The Calamitous Fourteenth Century
- Written by: Barbara W. Tuchman
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 28 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 14th century reflects two contradictory images: on the one hand, a glittering time of crusades and castles, cathedrals and chivalry, and the exquisitely decorated Books of Hours; and on the other, a time of ferocity and spiritual agony, a world of chaos and the plague.
-
-
Good but missed the mark
- By Alexandre Lariviere on 2021-07-14
Written by: Barbara W. Tuchman
-
The Secret Lives of Introverts
- Inside Our Hidden World
- Written by: Jenn Granneman
- Narrated by: Susie Berneis
- Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Is there a hidden part of you that no one else sees? Do you have a vivid inner world of thoughts and emotions that your peers and loved ones can't seem to access? Have you ever been told you're too quiet, shy, boring, or awkward? Are your habits and comfort zones questioned by a society that doesn't seem to get you? If so, you might be an introvert. On behalf of those who have long been misunderstood, rejected, or ignored, fellow introvert Jenn Granneman writes a compassionate vindication.
-
-
Very Insightful
- By Jerez Bain on 2023-03-30
Written by: Jenn Granneman
-
Process
- The Writing Lives of Great Authors
- Written by: Sarah Stodola
- Narrated by: Andi Arndt
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ernest Hemingway, Zadie Smith, Joan Didion, Franz Kafka, David Foster Wallace, and more. In Process, acclaimed journalist Sarah Stodola examines the creative methods of literature's most transformative figures. Each chapter contains a mini biography of one of the world's most lauded authors, focused solely on his or her writing process.
Written by: Sarah Stodola
-
You Talkin' to Me?
- How to Write Great Dialogue
- Written by: Linda Seger, John Rainey
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In You Talkin’ to Me?, Seger and Rainey are here to help with all your dialogue problems. In each chapter, they explore dialogue from a different angle and discuss examples of great dialogue from films and novels. To cap it all off, each chapter ends with examples of poor dialogue, which are annotated by Linda and then rewritten by John so that listeners don’t just learn how to recognize when it’s done well - they also learn how to make dialogue better. Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, for the screen or the page, this book will get your characters talking.
Written by: Linda Seger, and others
-
Mythology
- Written by: Edith Hamilton
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since its original publication by Little, Brown and Company, in 1942, Edith Hamilton's Mythology has sold millions of copies throughout the world and established itself as a perennial best-seller in its various available formats. Mythology succeeds like no other audiobook in bringing to life for the modern listener the Greek, Roman, and Norse myths and legends that are the keystone of Western culture - the stories of gods and heroes that have inspired human creativity from antiquity to the present.
Written by: Edith Hamilton
-
The Invention of Surgery
- A History of Modern Medicine: From the Renaissance to the Implant Revolution
- Written by: David Schneider MD
- Narrated by: Peter Noble
- Length: 23 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Written by an author with plenty of experience holding a scalpel, Dr. David Schneider's in-depth biography is an encompassing history of the practice that has leapt forward over the centuries from the dangerous guesswork of ancient Greek physicians through the world-changing implant revolution of the 20th century.
-
-
Good until the end
- By Emily Holmes on 2022-12-17
Written by: David Schneider MD
Publisher's Summary
The first volume of Will Durant's Pulitzer Prize-winning series, Our Oriental Heritage: The Story of Civilization, Volume I chronicles the early history of Egypt, the Middle East, and Asia. In this masterful work, readers will encounter:
- Sumeria, birthplace of the first cities and written laws
- the Egyptians, who perfected monumental architecture, medicine, and mummification more than 3,500 years ago
- the Babylonians, who developed astronomy and physics, and planted the seeds of Western mythology
- the Judeans, who preserved their culture forever in the immortal books of the Old Testament
- the Persians, who ruled the largest empire in recorded history before Rome
- Indian philosophy, Chinese philosophers, and Japanese Samurais
More from the same
What listeners say about Our Oriental Heritage
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- dursim
- 2020-08-12
Came here from a Elon Musk's recommendation
completely satisfied, can't believe that such a knowledgeable book was written almost a century ago 👍
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Greg Deleersnyder
- 2018-09-14
Starts slow but picks up steam
A true classic. Depending on your interests you may find some of the chapters a little dry but overall what a great book. I wasn't crazy about the early chapters but once they got into Egypt I was hooked. Very interesting to compare perceptions from the 1930's and now 😄
I would recommend this book to those of you who already have some knowledge of ancient history.
#Audible1
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Big Gucci Kony
- 2020-07-24
Very good
The book jumps between intensely fascinating and downright boring at times, but the good vastly outweighs the bad. It starts fast, and is very dense. The parts on art I found long, but I can see why that would also be someone else’s favourite portion of the work. Super worth the read. This has inspired me to read many other books and philosophers I didn’t care for before, which is always the sign of a great work.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- patrick
- 2021-03-05
The cure for ignorance!
Amazing! Must read/listen. An enlightened pre WW2 perspective on human history. Very relevant today! 5 stars!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jason Gacek
- 2020-11-17
Very Dated and you can tell
This series alleges to cover all of Asian history to the ‘present’. Which in the case of the author is pre WW2. Very prescient predictions of another world war were creepy when you know it was written prior to the war.
The book has the benign racism and sexism of a classically educated well intentioned white man of late 30’s England or America.
My key issue is that it try’s to cover too much and in many area’s given the title, not enough. For the societies lucky enough to be singled out, he tries to cover not just political history, but art, architecture, music, literature, culture, language, finance, and more. Discussing art and architecture that’s foreign to you without pictures is unproductive. Discussing music that foreign to you without being able to hear a sample is also useless. A brief overview would have sufficed if we can’t see or hear the material in question.
The book covers India, China, and Japan, but does not cover other rich cultures much at all, like Thailand, Cambodia, Korea, and Vietnam. The book also lacks focus and doesn’t create a good ‘story’ of the people.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Michael
- 2013-11-30
Wonderful
I read this series years ago, then listened to them on cassette tape, and have begged for them on Audible for many years. Finally, the first two have appeared. No history is perfect, and history written in the forties cannot help but be dated, yet the authors’ presentation, tone, and focus seem surprisingly up to date. I really like the authors’ quirky sense of humor and matter of fact tone. This series is eleven big volumes totaling something like 500 hours. This history is very easy to listen to and it is hard for me to imagine anyone who would not find a lot of it interesting. Some people dislike the somewhat thematic instead of chronological approach, but I found it engaged me more than most histories. Persians and Chinese may be rightfully chagrined at the short shrift given their influential cultures and I agree with those who argue that the authors focus on exceptional individuals and deemphasize the importance of randomness in history. Nevertheless this is a series that I would recommend to anyone over twelve that wants to learn about western history. For me this was hundreds and hundreds of hours of fun and I did a little dance when I saw these were now available on Audible. Frankly none of the narration is perfect, but Robin Field does a good job in this volume. This volume covers pre-history and the invention of language and art up to the ancient eastern influences on western civilization. Selfishly I want to encourage people to listen to these first two so Audible will get the rest of the series.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
140 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jeff
- 2013-12-28
MASTERPIECE KILLED BY NARRATION
This 11 vol. World history is without peer- and is one of the greatest works by any measure In history - and on history. I had asked audible to get it when I saw it became available and it wasn't anywhere on their radar. I assumed they (the one who just released the first book-recorded books I think) would either use the one that was around on tape - that had already been done by the incomparable Grover Gardener or at least use someone else of his caliber and suitability for the material as well as being appropriate for such a stunningly important work. What we got was a huge disappointment. The narrator was not suited to the material-at all, and I should know seeing as( very roughly) 300 of my 900 books are history.
Ive been after this series in audible format for 5yrs and while I sincerely thank audible for their efforts in bringing these titles on board It has been a huge let down. Its not audibles fault though.
Audible has really been great, not just for getting this(despite it being a disaster) but also other things Ive requested like the 2 missing books from Robert Caro's years of lyndon johnson biography which by the way was done marvelously by them. If you havnt read that multi-volume biography your life is incompleate!
Audible if your listening-this 11 vol masterpiece is out there on tape by grover gardiner(though he uses anouther name- Alex Alexander or something like that) Just waiting for you to pick it up re-master it and put it out there. Tongues are hanging out in anticipation of someone doing this!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
79 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Gary
- 2014-01-26
A path towards wisdom by way of history
One of the great books on Eastern Civilizations. This book is a perfect listen for those who don't like history with all of its dates since he tells the story functionally not chronologically. The book looks at history by each civilization and by function (philosophy, poetry, prose, people's language, government and so on). The author seems to excel when he's talking about a country's philosophy and uses it to describe the country's culture. The section on Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism are the best I have ever read.
It's hard to condense 2000 or more years into a digestible understandable format, but the author does it and the listener really gets to understand our place in the universe a little bit better because of it. The author magically takes random events, turns it into information, processes it into knowledge by giving it narrative and then gives the listener wisdom he didn't have before. I did smile out loud when we were told about Akbar the "illiterate intellectual". He would have the great works of his time read aloud to him. After having listened to this work, I too feel like the illiterate intellectual (since reading puts me to sleep and listening does not. Thank you Audible for making this book available!).
I will give a bit of advice to any potential listener that I know I wouldn't follow myself (my favorite kind of free advice). Don't listen to the first eight hours or so of the book on prehistoric man and early prehistory. He's just wrong and full of prejudices of the time. I did listen to it because I have a linear personality and just can't bring myself to not listen to it all, but the only value I got is that how little they knew about that period of man in 1935 and how they would extrapolate falsely and a boatload of the author's Western prejudices sneaked through.
I would be amiss to not comment on some of the incredibly absurd statements that permeate the book (meat eaters stink, "the average Japanese man today has the sensitivity and shrewdness of the Jew", Hindus are a superstitious people, and so on). I would recommend just ignore such statements and take the book as the masterpiece it is. I have yet to find any other book that covers Eastern Civilizations better and I definitely will read the other volumes in the series.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
78 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Scott
- 2013-12-01
Living, Breathing History
Two caveats. This first volume was written in the 1930’s so some of its information is inevitably dated. Secondly, this book is really more about giving the Eastern context necessary for understanding Western civilization than a comprehensive guide to Eastern civilization.
That being said, it is a beautifully written history, alive with detail, with generous amounts of quoted literature giving the testimony and mindset of the people who lived through these times. One thing I like about Durant’s approach is that while he is always lively and opinionated, he doesn’t create strawmen. He is always sure to present the best case for differing points of view. It would be nice to see more of that quality in these polarized times.
This was thoroughly enjoyable to listen to.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
34 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- jason
- 2013-12-12
excellent! I'm excited for the entire series!
This is the only book in the series I've had time to read, so listening was a review for me. That being said, I loved it as much the second time as the first. Durant is my favorite author because of the lyrical way he writes history. Some of the many highlights for me are his explanation of Japanese poetry, the gruesome and barbaric ways people have tortured and killed one another (death by boats!), the plunder of India, how civilization creates and morphs religions, and random historical mistakes that travel through time and are a part of our current speech. (jehovah) It's a joy to be able to listen to this series because I will never have the time to read it, but can listen all day long at work. If you love history, this is the gold standard.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
26 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kindle Customer
- 2014-05-20
I wish I could see this book differently
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
Primarily my problem was the book's approach to prehistory and history, as a synthesis rather than a linear timeline. Kudos for looking at things from a big picture - but for me, it didn't add anything other than supposition. Maybe if I hadn't read so much history and archeology already I would have had a different response. Maybe if this had been updated to include current findings I would have been more engaged. I found the first several chapters sounded antiquated in information. The language in several cases came across as opinionated and unbalanced to my ears.The author does strive for balance overall. I understand he is writing with the mind-set of 1935, and from that point of view, you could say his verbiage was practically liberal; instead my overall impression was 'stop with the lists already!' I needed more citations for things that sounded like guesses and loose assumptions. In essence the effect of the first 6 chapters accumulated into my stopping the book and going on to another audio book. With that in mind, I would say my review is unfair, based on incomplete information.
Has Our Oriental Heritage turned you off from other books in this genre?
No.
What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?
The performance was even, but lacked energy. I've 'read' more complex books with narrators that have kept me very engaged.
What character would you cut from Our Oriental Heritage?
Not appropriate.
Any additional comments?
none.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
16 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Andrew
- 2015-07-07
From Origin to Industrial Revolution
I imagine this volume had to be the most difficult for Will Durant to produce because of its timeline. He begins his work brilliantly by explaining mankind's apparent need for familial safety and how a family grew to a tribe, from a tribe to a village, village to city, city to state, state to nation, etc. As more people join a culture, though, tasks can be distributed evenly among the citizens, giving some folks a leisurely time to create what came to be known as art or science and, since they were the possessors of such beautiful things, they came to be set at a higher standard, creating caste systems and such cultural labels that are still seen today.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the role of women and how they were the rulers of their families in ancient (or, as Durant calls them, Oriental) days but, with the evolution of castes and religion, they came to be thought of as property (especially in the last century which is a time he called Occidental.)
Robin Field is an amazing narrator with no misunderstanding of sentence structure or diction. I understood him quite clearly and his telling of quotes and notes was fantastic! I can already tell that I'm going to very much enjoy these volumes by Will Durant as well as anything else Robin Field narrates in the future! This book is a prized possession!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.
- 2016-08-29
The Eighth Wonder of the World is This Series.
If you could sum up Our Oriental Heritage in three words, what would they be?
Valuable information no person should have to live without. Ignorance when one is part of civilization, about the civilization one lives in, is an unnecessary burden. One does not have the big picture until they understand the cultures one has risen from. Your understanding of mankind just grows in leaps and bounds as you are taken through this marvelous adventure of our beginnings.
What did you like best about this story?
I read the series when it was introduced as a book club incentive in the mid 80's. It was just a great read. Magical! Not like reading a history book at all. Hugely entertaining. When they were published on cassette I had to listen again. Now on audio book, it has been just as great the third time though! The best yet!
Have you listened to any of Robin Field’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
There is humor and wit in the writing that is very subtle.
Any additional comments?
Don't deny yourself this extraordinary adventure of mankind!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- leif
- 2014-04-19
A must listen by anyone.
Any additional comments?
This book was written in the 1930's and it needs to be updated. Other than that, this book is one of the best history books ever written.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Dr. Amen-Ra
- 2014-04-06
UNIVERSAL HISTORY AT ITS HIGHEST
I am no historian, though I aspire to be a competent student of this distinguished discipline. Despite my self-declared dilettante status, I will defend my declaration that Durant’s opus is among the richest contributions to historical literature that has ever been offered to humankind. I have heard, read, and thoroughly enjoyed Thucydides, Herodotus, Gibbon, Volney, Van Sertima, Zinn, Diop, Massey, and more. Durant surpasses all these scholars in form, content, clarity of exposition, breadth and depth of knowledge, and (even more poignantly than Plutarch) his persistent emphasis on extracting from history ideas inclining us to mental edification and moral elevation. Admittedly, errors abound in the author’s exposition on ancient Egypt. However, I can claim some competence in this area and, confessedly, persons possessed of uncommon competence are often inclined to unjustly overemphasize the errors of less learned individuals. I therefore urge interested readers to overlook such minor matters, for they do not mar the magnificence of Durant’s masterpiece. Analogously, Durant’s work cannot be compared to Lord Russell’s monumental “History of Western Philosophy”. Russell’s work is an expert analysis of seminal philosophical systems and ideas emerging over the course of history and assiduously undertaken by a professional philosopher of the first rank. Durant’s opus encompasses aspects and epochs of universal history having had an indelible influence upon the ideational and material evolution of the Western World. In this respect his research stands alone. Though this review pertains particularly to “Our Oriental Heritage”, I would be surprised if the subsequent segments are not similarly superb. I look forward to finding out. Only ten more to go! (If indeed Audible can be persuaded to produce the complete corpus.)
Dr. Nun Sava-Siva Amen-Ra
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
7 people found this helpful