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The History of the Ancient World
- From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Series: The History of the World
- Length: 26 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: History, Ancient History
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The History of the Medieval World
- From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade
- Written by: Susan Wise Bauer
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 22 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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From the schism between Rome and Constantinople to the rise of the T'ang Dynasty, from the birth of Muhammad to the crowning of Charlemagne, this erudite book tells the fascinating, often violent story of kings, generals, and the peoples they ruled.
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so disappointing
- By ELIZABETH L ROSS on 2019-06-05
Written by: Susan Wise Bauer
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The History of the Renaissance World
- From the Rediscovery of Aristotle to the Conquest of Constantinople
- Written by: Susan Wise Bauer
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 21 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Beginning in the heady days just after the First Crusade, this volume - the third in the series that began with The History of the Ancient World and The History of the Medieval World - chronicles the contradictions of a world in transition. Impressively researched and brilliantly told, The History of the Renaissance World offers not just the names, dates, and facts but the memorable characters who illuminate the years between 1100 and 1453 - years that marked a sea change in mankind's perception of the world.
Written by: Susan Wise Bauer
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History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
- Written by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
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Mutiny. Disease. Starvation. Cannibals. From the ancient wayfarers to modern astronauts, world explorers have blazed trails fraught with danger. Yet, as History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration vividly demonstrates, exploration continues to be one of humanity's deepest impulses. Across 24 lectures that unveil the process by which we came to know the far reaches of our planet, you'll witness the awe-inspiring and surprisingly interconnected tale of global exploration.
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A concise history of discovery
- By JohnS on 2021-03-19
Written by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
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The Persian Empire
- Written by: John W. Lee, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John W. Lee
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
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Over the span of 24 fascinating lectures, you'll take on the role of a history detective to discover the truth about the Persian Empire. You'll discover the key to the empire's success lay in its greatest rulers, each of whom played a critical role in shaping and strengthening a civilization we still remember today. Take this opportunity to complete your understanding of the ancient world and discover the humanity of the ancient Persians.
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Ahhh those Persians!
- By Shervin V. on 2018-05-27
Written by: John W. Lee, and others
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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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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 Story of Western Science
- From the Writings of Aristotle to the Big Bang Theory
- Written by: Susan Wise Bauer
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Far too often, public discussion of science is carried out by journalists, voters, and politicians who have received their science secondhand. The Story of Western Science shows us the joy and importance of reading groundbreaking science writing for ourselves and guides us back to the masterpieces that have changed the way we think about our world, our cosmos, and ourselves.
Written by: Susan Wise Bauer
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The History of the Medieval World
- From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade
- Written by: Susan Wise Bauer
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 22 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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From the schism between Rome and Constantinople to the rise of the T'ang Dynasty, from the birth of Muhammad to the crowning of Charlemagne, this erudite book tells the fascinating, often violent story of kings, generals, and the peoples they ruled.
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so disappointing
- By ELIZABETH L ROSS on 2019-06-05
Written by: Susan Wise Bauer
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The History of the Renaissance World
- From the Rediscovery of Aristotle to the Conquest of Constantinople
- Written by: Susan Wise Bauer
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 21 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Beginning in the heady days just after the First Crusade, this volume - the third in the series that began with The History of the Ancient World and The History of the Medieval World - chronicles the contradictions of a world in transition. Impressively researched and brilliantly told, The History of the Renaissance World offers not just the names, dates, and facts but the memorable characters who illuminate the years between 1100 and 1453 - years that marked a sea change in mankind's perception of the world.
Written by: Susan Wise Bauer
-
History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration
- Written by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Mutiny. Disease. Starvation. Cannibals. From the ancient wayfarers to modern astronauts, world explorers have blazed trails fraught with danger. Yet, as History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration vividly demonstrates, exploration continues to be one of humanity's deepest impulses. Across 24 lectures that unveil the process by which we came to know the far reaches of our planet, you'll witness the awe-inspiring and surprisingly interconnected tale of global exploration.
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A concise history of discovery
- By JohnS on 2021-03-19
Written by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
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The Persian Empire
- Written by: John W. Lee, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John W. Lee
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Over the span of 24 fascinating lectures, you'll take on the role of a history detective to discover the truth about the Persian Empire. You'll discover the key to the empire's success lay in its greatest rulers, each of whom played a critical role in shaping and strengthening a civilization we still remember today. Take this opportunity to complete your understanding of the ancient world and discover the humanity of the ancient Persians.
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Ahhh those Persians!
- By Shervin V. on 2018-05-27
Written by: John W. Lee, and others
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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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
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 Story of Western Science
- From the Writings of Aristotle to the Big Bang Theory
- Written by: Susan Wise Bauer
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Far too often, public discussion of science is carried out by journalists, voters, and politicians who have received their science secondhand. The Story of Western Science shows us the joy and importance of reading groundbreaking science writing for ourselves and guides us back to the masterpieces that have changed the way we think about our world, our cosmos, and ourselves.
Written by: Susan Wise Bauer
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The History of Ancient Egypt
- Written by: Bob Brier, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Bob Brier
- Length: 24 hrs and 25 mins
- Original Recording
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Ancient Egyptian civilization is so grand our minds sometimes have difficulty adjusting to it. It lasted 3,000 years, longer than any other on the planet. Its Great Pyramid of Cheops was the tallest building in the world until well into the 19th century and remains the only Ancient Wonder still standing. And it was the most technologically advanced of the ancient civilizations, with the medical knowledge that made Egyptian physicians the most famous in the world.
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A Moderately Entertaining Dive
- By 101 on 2018-10-03
Written by: Bob Brier, and others
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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
- Original Recording
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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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Excellent
- By C. Chaffin on 2020-12-20
Written by: The Great Courses
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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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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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Great lecture
- By Shelley Barva on 2020-02-18
Written by: Philip Daileader, and others
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Ancient Civilizations of North America
- Written by: Edwin Barnhart, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Edwin Barnhart
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- 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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Required listening
- By R. G. Porter on 2019-05-07
Written by: Edwin Barnhart, and others
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Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
- Written by: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Jack Weatherford
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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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
- By Rob Smith on 2020-07-18
Written by: Jack Weatherford
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Biology: The Science of Life
- Written by: Stephen Nowicki, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Stephen Nowicki
- Length: 36 hrs and 38 mins
- Original Recording
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One of the greatest scientific feats of our era is the astonishing progress made in understanding biology-the intricate machinery of life-a progress to which the period we are living in right now has contributed the most.As you read these words, researchers are delving ever deeper into the workings of living systems, turning their discoveries into new medical treatments, improved methods of growing food, and innovative products that are already changing the world.
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Very informative, good companion for Cell Bio 1101
- By Rbrod045@uottawa.ca on 2019-05-19
Written by: Stephen Nowicki, and others
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Mind-Body Philosophy
- Written by: Patrick Grim, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Patrick Grim
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
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How is it that our brain creates all the subjective experiences of our lives every single day - the experiences we call reality? That is the mind-body problem. In Mind-Body Philosophy, Professor Patrick Grim of the State University of New York at Stony Brook leads an intellectually exhilarating tour through millennia of philosophy and science addressing one of life's greatest conundrums. But you won't just be a spectator as Dr. Grim engages and encourages each of us to come to our own conclusions.
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Excellent, as anticipated!
- By Christopher Staniforth on 2021-04-05
Written by: Patrick Grim, and others
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Great Mythologies of the World
- Written by: The Great Courses, Grant L. Voth, Julius H. Bailey, and others
- Narrated by: Grant L. Voth, Julius H. Bailey, Kathryn McClymond, and others
- Length: 31 hrs and 36 mins
- Original Recording
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The deep-seated origins and wide-reaching lessons of ancient myths built the foundation for our modern legacies. Explore the mythologies of Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Learn what makes these stories so important, distinctive, and able to withstand the test of time. Discover how, despite geographical implausibilities, many myths from across the oceans share themes, morals, and archetypes.
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Tinny Sound Made it Very Difficult to Listen To
- By Amazon Customer on 2019-06-18
Written by: The Great Courses, and others
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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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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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very protestant and narrow
- By Carole Oleniuk on 2018-12-12
Written by: Thomas F. X. Noble, and others
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The Greatest Story Ever Told - So Far
- Why Are We Here?
- Written by: Lawrence M. Krauss
- Narrated by: Lawrence Krauss
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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In this grand poetic vision of the universe, Lawrence Krauss tells the dramatic story of the discovery of the hidden world that underlies reality - and our place within it. Reality is not what you think or sense - it’s weird, wild, and counterintuitive, and its inner workings seem at least as implausible as the idea that something can come from nothing. With his trademark wit and accessible style, Krauss leads us to realms so small that they are invisible to microscopes, to the birth and rebirth of light, and into the natural forces that govern our existence.
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Interesting but complex
- By Maurmesa on 2020-12-23
Written by: Lawrence M. Krauss
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The Storm Before the Storm
- The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic
- Written by: Mike Duncan
- Narrated by: Mike Duncan
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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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
- By Stefan J. Knibbe on 2018-02-13
Written by: Mike Duncan
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Europe
- A History
- Written by: Norman Davies
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 61 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Norman Davies captures it all - the rise and fall of Rome, the sweeping invasions of Alaric and Atilla, the Norman Conquests, the Papal struggles for power, the Renaissance and the Reformation, the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, Europe's rise to become the powerhouse of the world, and its eclipse in our own century, following two devastating World Wars.
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Generally good...
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-02-06
Written by: Norman Davies
Publisher's Summary
A lively and engaging narrative history showing the common threads in the cultures that gave birth to our own.
This is the first volume in a bold new series that tells the stories of all peoples, connecting historical events from Europe to the Middle East to the far coast of China, while still giving weight to the characteristics of each country. Susan Wise Bauer provides both sweeping scope and vivid attention to the individual lives that give flesh to abstract assertions about human history. This narrative history employs the methods of "history from beneath" - literature, epic traditions, private letters, and accounts - to connect kings and leaders with the lives of those they ruled. The result is an engrossing tapestry of human behavior from which we may draw conclusions about the direction of world events and the causes behind them.
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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What listeners say about The History of the Ancient World
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Micah Clark
- 2020-09-07
Iffy narration, abrupt ending
This is old school history - names, dates, places. Not a lot of synthesis and so what, absolutely no cultural or material history if that's what you're looking for. Major blindspots (Aristotle isn't even mentioned I don't think), and the narration feels rather forced. Nice that it includes eastern history, but very hard to follow it.
8 people found this helpful
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- Typical student
- 2020-11-04
weirdly religious
Although it used the historical method to analyze most societies, it has a strong Judeo-Christian bias that takes away its credibility.
2 people found this helpful
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- Blair
- 2019-10-18
Interesting listen
Was nice to listen to this history in chronological order. In histories own word's. enjoy
2 people found this helpful
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- Linda
- 2020-12-04
Ancient History
Anyone wanting to learn about history through the ages should listen to this book. I am struck by the violence that litters our past as countries rose up to become their own. The privilege of hindsight is something that we could all learn from. History continues to repeat itself as violence over power, land, and religion still dominate our existence.
1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 2022-05-31
listening to it on repeat
Like how unbiased the author tries to be. And how everything is usually accompanied with dates and context when being explained. I enjoy it greatly
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- Anonymous User
- 2021-08-18
Very pleased
I enjoyed every single chapter. The presentation of the history was most exhilarating. Looking forward to the Middle Ages book!
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- Irina Zaporochshenko
- 2021-05-05
Good
In comparison to some of the other history books, this one has a bit more of an interesting in story telling/reading then some other I've listened to of the same topic.
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- Dylan Bridge
- 2021-04-17
Incredible Knowledge through Mind Numbing Delivery
Maybe it's just a personal preference, but as someone who finds this arguably "mundane" and "boring" collection of knowledge fascinating; it becomes incredibly difficult to hold interest with the way its delivered.
No sense of tonal shift, or general expression of interest by the performance. Lead me to slowing down the audio in or to comfortable digest and reflect on the information being passed using mental emotional ques to keep it interesting.
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- Bob Cains
- 2021-03-03
Nice clear timeline of ancient history
A great read for the chronology, connecting so many histories together was very well done. Lacking alot of the color and texture that more concise topics usually have but was a great primer to add context to all other ancient history books. I'll def. be continuing with this whole series.
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- Fozzy
- 2021-01-15
Excellent book
This book was very informative. Some reviews on it were not so good.Not sure what those people were looking for. I will move on to the next book in the series today!
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- serine
- 2016-01-23
Fast paced history
Fast paced history of the ancient world. Wile reading, I could not help but visualize the earlier humans marking their territory as they competed for power and resources, spread out from every corner of Earth to build the cities and civilizations we see today. It's always a good idea to remember from where and from whom we came. This book, though long, will take you on an extremely compact tour from the first kings of whom we are aware through the fall of Rome. It covers how power and land were gained, how laws were written and followed (or not followed), and how ideals were born or killed in different regions of our globe.
Since this book provides a history for such a long stretch of time, at no time does it go into great detail of any particular period or king. The book is already longer than most books. If Wise Bauer were to go into more detail, the book would simply be another book. Rather, this book gives the reader a mere glimpse into each time period as it races along. I made of note of the time periods and leaders I would like to read more about later.
At times the author, like all authors before her, had to construct the story from sources that are difficult to verify or are included in religious texts that might be unreliable in providing an accurate history. In those cases, she did a great job and informing the reader about the speculative nature of the narrative. Excellent writing. Excellent timeline. Excellent history.
157 people found this helpful
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- J. Carpenter
- 2015-04-09
Overall good
This was an incredible journey through the ancient World bouncing seamlessly from one end of it to the other and everything in between. My only real suggestion for improvement would be in the delivery. The narrator failed to pause when something momentous was to happen like the death of a ruler. He just blew through it like any of the rest of the facts. It is a tone, rate of speech and emphasis thing. To be fair, maybe that is the point. With so many leaders being poisoned, hacked to death, back stabbed, suicidal, etc. maybe it is better to just plow through.
55 people found this helpful
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- Ellen S. Wilds
- 2014-04-25
An Historic Achievement
If you could sum up The History of the Ancient World in three words, what would they be?
Colourful, In-Depth, Informative
Who was your favorite character and why?
Considering this book covers a vast portion of early human history it is impossible to assign particular value to a single character.
Which scene was your favorite?
Picking just one episode is difficult, but the most memorable to me was the exchange between King Croesus of Lydia and King Cyrus of Persia on the night the Persians looted the fabled wealth of the Lydians. Noting that the defeated monarch was quiet as his city burned, Cyrus asked how he felt about losing his wealth in this manner. "It is not my wealth they are stealing," Croesus replied. "It is yours." Valuable insight into the nature of conquest even today.
Any additional comments?
Although my field is 19th century Victoriana, I have an interest in many periods of history, in particular the Aegean Bronze Age and the early Celts in Europe. This book blends ancient historical accounts, myths, legends, religious texts to weave a tapestry of early human history, including civilizations as diverse as Mesopotamia, India, China and Europe. It is a massive undertaking.
I accept that accuracy is not always possible when the only texts available are those that have been translated, interpreted, and even deified. While experts may disagree on the finer points, the overall effort is worthy of credit. To keep all these many threads separate and clear is a mighty undertaking and I applaud the author for the attempt.
No historical account can be perfect as new discoveries come to light all the time, from archeological digs and manuscript finds to revisions of classic literature. If we waited for historians to agree on the details, no history would ever be written. And that would be a great loss. This is a fine historical overview and what it lacks in depth is more than made up for in breadth.
213 people found this helpful
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- Zombie Reader
- 2016-08-22
A Sermon on World History
Any additional comments?
I wanted to like this book. I really tried. I love history. If you want a lot of history; Bauer has provided it herein. Starting with the beginning of the recorded events of humanity much like your High School and College courses likely did. Unfortunately, it drags. It really, really drags. Not a single character stands out as interesting. In the preface it is pointed out that historians, unlike archaeologists, need to hitch their version of events to the stories of the people who did interesting things and not just lists of facts and dates. Then the book goes on to be lists of names, dates & facts for thousands of years. Lists of Kings and their offspring are batched with tiny banal factoids about their reigns are followed by more lists of Kings and factoids. Narrator John Lee has an amazing voice but unfortunately it does not fit well with this material. He sounds like a Minister delivering a veeery loong Sermon and it begins to grate on the nerves. He would do better narrating Epics & Biblical novels. Bauer knows a lot of history and Lee has a booming voice and clearly a lot of work went into the material but in this format it just doesn't play well.
76 people found this helpful
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- S. Seccombe
- 2016-01-10
Entertaining history lesson with dry telling.
I enjoyed this brief history. My only complaint is that the voice of the author is completely lost with the choice of narrator. I can hear the levity in the words, but the dry presentation of this material causes a loss of the authors attempt to make the story engaging. In fact some of her hilarious editorial comments are completely lost.
51 people found this helpful
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- dan
- 2015-06-21
Great review of Ancient World History needs maps
An Excellent Ancient History Review but would be better with Outline. maps and illustrations in PDF to accompany the great lecture and make it easier to follow and understand.
152 people found this helpful
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- Troy
- 2014-04-28
A Fantastic Overview!
I find that in my studies of history, comprehensive and sweeping overviews are invaluable, both to help keep people and events in perspective, and to give me an idea of where I might want to dig deeper later on. I've gone through a number of such overviews over the years, though not one as ambitious as this one. From the mists of legend through to the fall of Rome as the title suggests, Bauer weaves together all of the broad strokes of human history in this time period. For the earlier accounts, history is extrapolated from mythology and archaeology, translating symbolism into human events. Another high point of praise is that most overviews like this will pick a single nation or perhaps a hemisphere. This covers East and West, putting the rise and fall of various dynasties on a timeline that allows the reader to compare and contrast in an way that I've not seen with such effectiveness. Bauer has similar titles for Medieval and Renaissance history, and I'm looking forward to connecting those stories as one larger tapestry.
83 people found this helpful
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- Chris Hendriks
- 2016-02-03
Bloodshed
More than a little I'm disappointed for there is no attention for anything else then lust for power, no culture, no daily life, no architecture, no emerging of social phenomena, etc, only war between and within royal families, emperors, generals ...
56 people found this helpful
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- Dan
- 2015-05-09
Disappointing
Perhaps reading this would have been a better experience. It was hard (for me) to get a decent grasp of where we were in the overall storytelling. It just jumped around too much for me. Perhaps some transitional thoughts would have pulled things together...like "Meanwhile, in Persia....." or something.
81 people found this helpful
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- K. Doerr
- 2015-10-19
A twenty six hour sketch
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
Most folks my age (mid fifties) who grew up in the States took their 'ancient history' class when they didn't talk about China or the Middle East (aside from Israel) at all. If I had a friend who never took the time to fix that blind spot in their education, I might recommend this book.
What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
The ending was the Fall of the Roman Empire. Gibbon's book on that one subject is five times longer than this entire work. Like so much of this book, the ending seemed rushed.
What about John Lee’s performance did you like?
The tone of his voice.
Could you see The History of the Ancient World being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?
This is a good question. The book *would* make an interesting BBC/PBS series. That said, I have to point out that a person usually looks for more depth from a book, than a television series provides.
Any additional comments?
What the author is attempting to do here is very ambitious, but I don't think it succeeds. I'm not sure anyone could have done any better in 26 hours. It is an enormous span of time and geography.
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