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The Early Middle Ages
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The High Middle Ages
- Written by: Philip Daileader, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Philip Daileader
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 10
At the dawn of the last millennium in the year 1000, Europe was one of the world's more stagnant regions-an economically undeveloped, intellectually derivative, and geopolitically passive backwater, with illiteracy, starvation, and disease the norm for almost everyone. Yet only three centuries later, all of this had changed.
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The Late Middle Ages
- Written by: Philip Daileader, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Philip Daileader
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6
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The Late Middle Ages-the two centuries from c. 1300 to c. 1500 - might seem like a distant era, but students of history are still trying to reach a consensus about how it should be interpreted. Was it an era of calamity or rebirth? Was it still clearly medieval or the period in which humanity took its first decisive steps into modernity? These 24 provocative lectures introduce you to the age's major events, personalities, and developments, and arms you with the essentials you need to form your own ideas about this age of extremes.
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The Medieval World
- Written by: Dorsey Armstrong, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Dorsey Armstrong
- Length: 18 hrs and 16 mins
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Far from being a time of darkness, the Middle Ages was an essential period in the grand narrative of Western history. But what was it like to actually live in those extraordinary times? Now you can find out.These 36 lectures provide a different perspective on the society and culture of the Middle Ages: one that entrenches you in the daily human experience of living during this underappreciated era.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent!
- By Justin Harris on 2018-10-30
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The World of Byzantium
- Written by: Kenneth W. Harl, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Kenneth W. Harl
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 7
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7
Byzantium is too-often considered merely the "eastern rump" of the old Roman Empire, a curious and even unsettling mix of the classical and medieval. Yet it was, according to Professor Harl, "without a doubt the greatest state in Christendom through much of the Middle Ages," and well worth our attention as a way to widen our perspective on everything from the decline of imperial Rome to the rise of the Renaissance.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Truly a "Great course"
- By Victor on 2018-07-01
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The Story of Medieval England: From King Arthur to the Tudor Conquest
- Written by: Jennifer Paxton, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer Paxton
- Length: 19 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 17
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 16
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 16
These 36 lectures tell the remarkable story of a tumultuous thousand-year period in the history of England. Dominated by war, conquest, and the struggle to balance the stability brought by royal power with the rights of the governed, it was a period that put into place the foundation of much of the world we know today. As you journey through this largely chronological narrative you'll see key themes emerge, including the assimilation of successive waves of invaders, the tense relationship between kings and the nobility, and the constant battles over money and taxation.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Professor has a great speaking voice and style.
- By Amazon Customer on 2017-10-05
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The Italian Renaissance
- Written by: Kenneth R. Bartlett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Kenneth R. Bartlett
- Length: 18 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 5
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 5
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Story5 out of 5 stars 4
The effects of the Italian Renaissance are still with us today, from the incomparable paintings of Leonardo da Vinci to the immortal writings of Petrarch and Machiavelli. But why was there such an artistic, cultural, and intellectual explosion in Italy at the start of the 14th century? Why did it occur in Italy? And why in certain Italian city-states such as Florence? Professor Bartlett probes these questions and more in 36 dynamic lectures.
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The High Middle Ages
- Written by: Philip Daileader, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Philip Daileader
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 10
At the dawn of the last millennium in the year 1000, Europe was one of the world's more stagnant regions-an economically undeveloped, intellectually derivative, and geopolitically passive backwater, with illiteracy, starvation, and disease the norm for almost everyone. Yet only three centuries later, all of this had changed.
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The Late Middle Ages
- Written by: Philip Daileader, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Philip Daileader
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6
The Late Middle Ages-the two centuries from c. 1300 to c. 1500 - might seem like a distant era, but students of history are still trying to reach a consensus about how it should be interpreted. Was it an era of calamity or rebirth? Was it still clearly medieval or the period in which humanity took its first decisive steps into modernity? These 24 provocative lectures introduce you to the age's major events, personalities, and developments, and arms you with the essentials you need to form your own ideas about this age of extremes.
-
The Medieval World
- Written by: Dorsey Armstrong, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Dorsey Armstrong
- Length: 18 hrs and 16 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 23
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 20
Far from being a time of darkness, the Middle Ages was an essential period in the grand narrative of Western history. But what was it like to actually live in those extraordinary times? Now you can find out.These 36 lectures provide a different perspective on the society and culture of the Middle Ages: one that entrenches you in the daily human experience of living during this underappreciated era.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent!
- By Justin Harris on 2018-10-30
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The World of Byzantium
- Written by: Kenneth W. Harl, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Kenneth W. Harl
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7
Byzantium is too-often considered merely the "eastern rump" of the old Roman Empire, a curious and even unsettling mix of the classical and medieval. Yet it was, according to Professor Harl, "without a doubt the greatest state in Christendom through much of the Middle Ages," and well worth our attention as a way to widen our perspective on everything from the decline of imperial Rome to the rise of the Renaissance.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Truly a "Great course"
- By Victor on 2018-07-01
-
The Story of Medieval England: From King Arthur to the Tudor Conquest
- Written by: Jennifer Paxton, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer Paxton
- Length: 19 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 17
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 16
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 16
These 36 lectures tell the remarkable story of a tumultuous thousand-year period in the history of England. Dominated by war, conquest, and the struggle to balance the stability brought by royal power with the rights of the governed, it was a period that put into place the foundation of much of the world we know today. As you journey through this largely chronological narrative you'll see key themes emerge, including the assimilation of successive waves of invaders, the tense relationship between kings and the nobility, and the constant battles over money and taxation.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Professor has a great speaking voice and style.
- By Amazon Customer on 2017-10-05
-
The Italian Renaissance
- Written by: Kenneth R. Bartlett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Kenneth R. Bartlett
- Length: 18 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 5
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 5
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 4
The effects of the Italian Renaissance are still with us today, from the incomparable paintings of Leonardo da Vinci to the immortal writings of Petrarch and Machiavelli. But why was there such an artistic, cultural, and intellectual explosion in Italy at the start of the 14th century? Why did it occur in Italy? And why in certain Italian city-states such as Florence? Professor Bartlett probes these questions and more in 36 dynamic lectures.
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Rome and the Barbarians
- Written by: Kenneth W. Harl, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Kenneth W. Harl
- Length: 18 hrs and 24 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 4
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4
The history of the Romans as they advanced the frontiers of Classical civilization is often told as a story of warfare and conquest-the mighty legions encountering the "barbarians." But this only tells one side of the story.Who were the Celts, Goths, Huns, and Persians met by the Romans as they marched north and east? What were the political, military, and social institutions that made Rome so stable, allowing its power to be wielded against these different cultures for nearly three centuries?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Incredibly informative
- By Jeff on 2018-09-06
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Ancient Mesopotamia
- Life in the Cradle of Civilization
- Written by: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Amanda H. Podany PhD
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 13
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 12
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 12
Mesopotamia is the ancient name for the region that is now Iraq, a remarkably advanced civilization that flourished for two-thirds of the time that civilization has existed on Earth. Mesopotamians mastered irrigation agriculture; built the first complex urban societies; developed writing, literature, and law; and united vast regions through warfare and diplomacy. While civilizations like Greece and Rome have an unbroken tradition of written histories, the rich history of Mesopotamia has only been recently rediscovered, thanks to the decipherment of Mesopotamia's cuneiform writing less than 200 years ago.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Marvelous style of history telling
- By Yehuda Mansell on 2019-01-07
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The Era of the Crusades
- Written by: Kenneth W. Harl, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Kenneth W. Harl
- Length: 18 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3
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Story5 out of 5 stars 1
What were the forces that led to one of history's most protracted and legendary periods of conflict? How did they affect the three great civilizations that participated in them? And, ultimately, why did they end and what did they accomplish? In these 36 lectures, you'll look at the "big picture" of the Crusades as an ongoing period of conflict involving Western Christendom (we would now call it Western Europe), the Byzantine Empire, and the Muslim world.
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The Fall of the Pagans and the Origins of Medieval Christianity
- Written by: Kenneth W. Harl, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Kenneth W. Harl
- Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5
Explore the dramatic interaction between Judaism, Christianity, and paganism in Rome from the 1st to the 6th centuries. Why did pagan Rome clash with the early Christians? What was it like to be a Jew or a Christian under Roman law? And how did Christianity ultimately achieve dominance in the Roman Empire?Over the course or 24 lectures, Professor Harl enables you to grasp the full historical sweep of this critically important era and its key figures.
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Late Antiquity: Crisis and Transformation
- Written by: Thomas F. X. Noble, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Thomas F. X. Noble
- Length: 18 hrs and 22 mins
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3
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Story5 out of 5 stars 3
Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire painted a portrait of the Roman Empire in a long, debilitating slide to oblivion, but now historians have reevaluated this picture to create a radically different understanding of the period now known as "late antiquity." Far from being a period of decline and fall, late antiquity marked one of history's great turning points.
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The Vikings
- Written by: Kenneth W. Harl, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Kenneth W. Harl
- Length: 17 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 36
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36
As raiders and explorers, the Vikings played a decisive role in the formation of Latin Christendom, and particularly of western Europe. Now, in a series of 36 vivid lectures by an honored teacher and classical scholar, you have the opportunity to understand this remarkable race as never before, studying the Vikings not only as warriors, but in all of the other roles in which they were equally extraordinary - merchants, artists, kings, raiders, seafarers, shipbuilders, and creators of a remarkable literature of myths and sagas.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Very thorough.
- By Jamie Andersen on 2018-09-19
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The Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Rise of Nations
- Written by: Andrew C. Fix, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Andrew C. Fix
- Length: 24 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2
Between 1348 and 1715, western Europe was fraught with turmoil, beset by the Black Plague, numerous and bitter religious wars, and frequent political revolutions and upheavals. Yet the Europe that emerged from this was vastly different from the Europe that entered it. By the start of the 18th century, Europe had been revitalized and reborn in a radical break with the past that would have untold ramifications for human civilization.
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The Long Shadow of the Ancient Greek World
- Written by: The Great Courses, Ian Worthington
- Narrated by: Ian Worthington
- Length: 25 hrs
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7
Immerse yourself in this comprehensive survey of ancient Greece from 750 to 323 B.C.-from the emergence of Greece at the end of the Dark Ages to the final disintegration of Greek autonomy through the Macedonian kings Philip II and Alexander the Great.
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The Long 19th Century: European History from 1789 to 1917
- Written by: Robert I. Weiner, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert I. Weiner
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 9
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 9
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Story5 out of 5 stars 9
Few periods of history offer such captivating complexity as Europe in the long 19th century between 1789 and 1914. From the idealism of the French Revolution to the power of the Industrial Revolution to the chaos of World War I, this fascinating whirl of events, personalities, and forces formed the foundation for the modern world.
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The Celtic World
- Written by: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Jennifer Paxton PhD
- Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 22
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 20
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 20
Following the surge of interest and pride in Celtic identity since the 19th century, much of what we thought we knew about the Celts has been radically transformed. In The Celtic World, discover the incredible story of the Celtic-speaking peoples, whose art, language, and culture once spread from Ireland to Austria. This series of 24 enlightening lectures explains the traditional historical view of who the Celts were, then contrasts it with brand-new evidence from DNA analysis and archeology that totally changes our perspective on where the Celts came from.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good, but a little too much for one course
- By David Macfarlane on 2019-04-04
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The History of Ancient Rome
- Written by: Garrett G. Fagan, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Garrett G. Fagan
- Length: 22 hrs and 40 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 23
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 23
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Story5 out of 5 stars 23
Even today, the influence of Ancient Rome is indelible, with Europe and the world owing this extraordinary empire a huge cultural debt in almost every important category of human endeavor, including art, architecture, engineering, language, literature, law, and religion. At the peak of its power, Rome's span was vast. In the regional, restless, and shifting history of continental Europe, the Roman Empire stands as a towering monument to scale and stability, unified in politics and law, stretching from the sands of Syria to the moors of Scotland. And it stood for almost 700 years.In this series of 48 spirited lectures, you'll see how a small village of shepherds and farmers rose to tower over the civilized world of its day and left a permanent mark on history. In telling Rome's riveting story, Professor Fagan draws on a wealth of primary and secondary sources, including recent historical and archaeological scholarship, to introduce the fascinating tale of Rome's rise and decline, including the famous events and personalities that have become so familiar: . Horatius at the bridge . Hannibal crossing the Alps during Rome's life-or-death war with Carthage . Caesar assassinated before a statue of his archrival Pompey . The doomed lovers Antony and Cleopatra . The mad and venal emperors Nero and Caligula . The conversion of Constantine The course also addresses one of history's greatest questions: Why did the Roman Empire fall? And you'll learn why most modern scholars believe that the empire did not "fall" at all, but, rather, changed into something very different-the less urbanized, more rural, early medieval world.
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4 out of 5 stars
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very well rounded survey
- By Mark Harcourt on 2018-12-03
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The Foundations of Western Civilization
- Written by: Thomas F. X. Noble, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Thomas F. X. Noble
- Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 8
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 7
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7
What is Western Civilization? According to Professor Noble, it is "much more than human and political geography," encompassing myriad forms of political and institutional structures - from monarchies to participatory republics - and its own traditions of political discourse. It involves choices about who gets to participate in any given society and the ways in which societies have resolved the tension between individual self-interest and the common good.
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1 out of 5 stars
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very protestant and narrow
- By Carole Oleniuk on 2018-12-12
Publisher's Summary
The Early Middle Ages - the years from A.D. 650 to 1000 - were crucial to Europe's future social and political development. These 24 lectures trace a journey from Scandinavia across northern and central Europe to the farthest reaches of the Byzantine and Islamic empires, providing an exciting new look an era often simply called the "Dark Ages."
Given the period's dismal reputation and its temporal remoteness from the 21st century, you'll be surprised to learn about some of the most challenging questions historians have ever had to tackle: Why did the Roman Empire fall? Why did the ancient world give way to the medieval world? Why did Christian monotheism become the dominant religion in Europe? You'll meet some of the era's exciting figures, such as St. Augustine and Justinian, and you'll consider the extent to which the historical realities of King Arthur and Charlemagne match up to the legends that have become attached to their names. You'll also look at the era's effect on the Vikings, the rise of the Carolingians, and the golden age of Islamic rule in Spain.
Professor Daileader also explores the contrasting historical theories offered by two extremely influential historians: Edward Gibbon, the English author of the monumental The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, whose explanations closely followed those of the Roman moralists of the 4th and 5th centuries; and Henri Pirenne, the Belgian thinker who injected a newfound emphasis on social and especially economic factors into the analysis of history.
You'll see why the era belies its reputation as dark and dismal, but you'll come away with a new appreciation for this once-lost era.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Mathieu Forget
- 2019-04-05
A fascinating lecture
The professor managed to weave an interesting history together about disparate parts of the Roman Empire, and how this civilization evolved and changed from the late antiquity to the early middle ages. Turns out that 476 AD was kind of a meaningless year, overall.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- PaladinPhil
- 2019-02-02
Great Background
learning the history of the early medieval era and the end of the Roman Empire is really important I think. A good lecture on the facts and good discussion of theories about the fall of the Roman Empire and rise of Europe.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jeff Longon
- 2019-01-23
Interesting course.
I found the course very interesting as it covered a period that I am not familiar with. The material was well presented and paced perfectly.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nicolas Cobelo
- 2017-11-16
Great professor!
LECTURE 1
Long Shadows and the Dark Ages
LECTURE 2
Diocletian and the Crises of the Third Century
LECTURE 3
Constantine the Great—Christian Emperor
LECTURE 4
Pagans and Christians in the Fourth Century
LECTURE 5
Athletes of God
LECTURE 6
Augustine, Part One
LECTURE 7
Augustine, Part Two
LECTURE 8
Barbarians at the Gate
LECTURE 9
Franks and Goths
LECTURE 10
Arthur’s England
LECTURE 11
Justinian and the Byzantine Empire
LECTURE 12
The House of Islam
LECTURE 13
Rise of the Carolingians
LECTURE 14
Charlemagne
LECTURE 15
Carolingian Christianity
LECTURE 16
The Carolingian Renaissance
LECTURE 17
Fury of the Northmen
LECTURE 18
Collapse of the Carolingian Empire
LECTURE 19
The Birth of France and Germany
LECTURE 20
England in the Age of Alfred
LECTURE 21
Al-Andalus—Islamic Spain
LECTURE 22
Carolingian Europe—Gateway to the Middle Ages
LECTURE 23
Family Life—How Then Became Now
LECTURE 24
Long Shadows and the Dark Ages Revisited
16 of 16 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mike
- 2014-07-03
Amazing Look at the Transition to the Middle Ages!
Any additional comments?
This was an excellent read! Professor Philip Daileader is an excellent lecturer and scholar and you probably won't be disappointed by anything you get from him.
This lecture series takes you from the late Roman Empire around the time of Constantine and traces the transition of Europe from late antiquity to the middle ages. You will learn about the collapse of Roman rule in the West, the continuation of the Roman empire in the East through the Byzantine rulers, the Barbarian invasions of Western Europe, the rise of Islam, the emergence of the Carolingian Holy Roman Empire, and the eventual splitting off of that empire into what would become the modern states of France and Germany. He covers all major historical events to about 1000AD.
If you would like to learn more about how Europe went from a unified Roman empire to the divided and complicated state it is in now, I cannot recommend another resource more highly. You will learn about the foundations of all the modern nation states, including England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. This was an invaluable read for me as it helped me connect all of those dots!
Also, the professor tries to highlight not just political history, but also cultural, economic, religious, and social aspects of history in his overview.
This is part one of a three part series offered by the Great Courses that will take you through the entire middle ages up to the year 1500. I highly recommend the whole series.
If you are at all interested in the topic, and enjoy a good read about history, you will not be disappointed! Enjoy!!!
16 of 16 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mary Elizabeth Reynolds
- 2014-03-16
Early Middles
I enjoy everything that this professor does, but I do enjoy this time period this best. He has such a good sense of humor and relevance.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- JC
- 2016-10-10
Aaaaaaaaaaaand
It is a good course. Be warned, the prof has a nervous habit of drawing out and, as, and other conjunctions. He seems to tone it down as the course goes on, but at first it's like nails on a chalk board.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andy
- 2015-08-20
Awesome history lesson
This is a great series of lecture about a fascinating period of history. The professor does a particularly great job at explaining the historiography of this topic, and weaving that into our understanding of the early middle ages. It turns out there aren't too many primary sources a historian can pull from when it comes to this topic, but what is extrapolated is fascinating nonetheless.
My only small complaint about this course is that Professor Daileader's tone sometimes takes on an air of "this is too complicated to explain, but I'll painfully try to explain it to you." It's not quite condescension, it's just a very apparent "pained" tone he sometimes takes on. I found this occasionally distracting.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Marc
- 2015-07-22
Early early Middle Ages, background and ... yawns.
Did Professor Philip Daileader do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?
This is a very typical "history course", the kind we all know from school, if we had a teacher that really knew his topic, was interested, loved the theme ... and just couldn't wake us up in time before class ended.
The pro is: Mr. Daileader knows his ways around, he presents a very stringent, logical line of historic events that "follow one another with some believable interconnections".
At first I was irritated because he started his journey way before what we usually call "middle ages" (around 300 AD), but that soon made enough sense, as he laid out the grounds for the political (and to some degree religious) developments throughout the "medieval world".
Also on the pro side: By concentrating fully on the "hero characters", by strictly following global events, Mr. Daileader manages to explain the rather complex and divided historical lines in a "graspable package".
The con is: Aside from the very unusual presentation (it sounds as if Mr. Daileader recorded the sessions after long and very hard working days, only wishing to get to bed as soon as possible and barely being able to concentrate on the notes from which he, quite audible, pun intended, reads) it's exactly the concentration on the global political view. There is nearly no "every day life" in this lecture, there is no "why did the people in the world do what the people in the world did", there is no "where do we get our information from", no "can we believe this view on history, since we clearly only have data from victorious sides", no doubt, no insight, no "if you want to know more about this, read xyz", no "As abc points out - and you can find more about this by looking at ...". It is all a giant block of "this is how it went. Period."
Sure, there are some very carefully placed "we don't know exactly" lines, but at the end of the course the audience is left alone with no clue where to go for more in depth detail, or some hints at what might have been completely different than presented.
Now, I do understand that evidence is lacking for a lot of events covered in this course. But archaeology is constantly making (slow) progress, views are getting changed, data is questioned. Mr. Daileader ignores this, strictly following his notes, not once speaking freely and "in the here and now".
This is the sad side of those cliche teachers: They seem to know so much, that any kind of doubt or careful questioning bounces off from them and the fact that we only have very shady ideas of "how it all came together" seems but a distraction to them.
Still: What you can get from this course, content-wise, is well worth the time spent listening to it. If ... you speed up playback :-)
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Someone get that gentleman a coffee. A strong one, please.
The constant (and I mean constant) yawning and stressing of every second "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnd" or "thhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaatt" (followed by another suppressed yawn) or a break, while Mr. Daileader regathered his thoughts made concentrating on the GREAT content so unnecessarily difficult ... speeding up playback a tad helped, but required even more concentration to follow the lectures.
11 of 13 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Gayle Gleichauf
- 2015-04-01
recommended
The prof had a sense of humor and way with words. Breaks the lessons into coherent building blocks that tell the whole story.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ben
- 2015-03-31
Excellent story telling.
Excellent story telling. Lecturer is engaging, funny and brings a sense of modern and approachability to an underrated time period.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- EmilyK
- 2017-08-27
Fascinating and deeper look at the early Mid. Ages
This is one of my favorite Great Courses. Having recently re-discovered my love for Ancient and Medieval history, this is exactly what I needed. There's no prior background required, but enough interesting detail that I learned a lot despite having read some other books on the period recently. I particularly liked that each lecture was self-contained and yet built on each other. Although I listened to it relatively quickly, it would work well for someone who needs a podcasting for commuting or other travel.
Daileader helpfully frames each lecture with a summary at the beginning and the end. He has a dry sense of humor and tells wry anecdotes and differing views of scholars all in a very engaging way. Because he is only focusing on one part of the Middle Ages, he was able to go a bit deeper than some courses or books on the period.
Prof. Daileader does have some verbal tics that might bother some people. I quickly got used to them, however.
Overall, he reminds me of Prof. Fagan's lectures for being witty, fascinating, and accessible to those with different levels of knowledge.
I liked Daileader so much that even though I haven't been able to buy his other lectures on discount, I will splurge and use a credit to get one!
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- serine
- 2016-02-14
Excellent lecture series
Excellent review of how religion, politics, family structure, language, etc changed as humans colonized and conquered Rome, Germany, Spain, and England. This course details the power struggles between families as the grappled for control over empires and kingdoms (did family feuds or outsiders bring them down?). I feel as if I learned more about earlier and later time periods. For me, this filled in some gaps.
The course itself is really short (12 hours on Audible). Very digestible. No prior knowledge required. Absolutely recommend.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful