Listen free for 30 days

  • 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
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (95 ratings)

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The History of the Medieval World cover art

The History of the Medieval World

Written by: Susan Wise Bauer
Narrated by: John Lee
Try for $0.00

$14.95 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $50.07

Buy Now for $50.07

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

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. In her earlier work, The History of the Ancient World, Susan Wise Bauer wrote of the rise of kingship based on might. But in the years between the fourth and the 12th centuries, rulers had to find new justification for their power, and they turned to divine truth or grace to justify political and military action. Right thus replaces might as the engine of empire. Not just Christianity and Islam but the religions of the Persians and the Germans, and even Buddhism, are pressed into the service of the state. This phenomenon---stretching from the Americas all the way to Japan---changes religion, but it also changes the state.

©2010 Susan Wise Bauer (P)2010 Tantor

What the critics say

“[A] witty and well-written examination of world history...that is rich in detail and intriguing in anecdotal information.” ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about The History of the Medieval World

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    63
  • 4 Stars
    21
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    64
  • 4 Stars
    16
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    51
  • 4 Stars
    25
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

so disappointing

I hoped for an interesting review of the history of this period, as I am familiar with parts of it. However, this book is almost exclusively about battles. It covers Europe, some of the mid-East, some of China, Korea and India, but in a really superficial way. I don't have any better understanding of how their cultures changed and why. I kept hoping the book would improve as it got to more interesting parts, like the Crusades, but it was all about who married who, and who their children were, and who inherited what. I don't recommend this book.

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
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

The narration and story is excellent

But as is often the case with Audible, the table of contents is garbage. It’s just really bad: no detail and the numbers often don’t correspond. You need to get better at this. It makes me want to stop using the service.

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
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great second volume in the series

Not as detailed as one would expect, with some regions/major events missing, but still engaging and educational. Having some relevant historical maps around is highly recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

not what I was hoping for

I hoped listening to this would be easier than reading, as I had done with the previous volume. It is such a brief overview that it is easy to get lost, and I can't say I learned anything specific from this book. I will be looking for more specific books, as clearly there is too much here to make it digestible.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Does a great job.

Does a great job with the massive task of putting human history on a timeline. the draw back is there is very little detail and color but hese books have helped my mind sew so much together and create more context thats helped me enjoy every other more colorful history book much more.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Performance is good

The performance is good as always but it was difficult to finish it. It's a bit tedious.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Read reviews before purchasing

I love history, but this was VERY DRY. As someone else noted it was all about battles and conquering. Was hoping for more day to day life to get myself lost in and set my imagination to running.

The narrator left a bit to be desired too.

Hopefully the other history books I've purchased recently are more entertaining.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Don’t listen to the other review. This is excellent! Fast pace and lots of fun. Right up there with Will Durant. John Lee is great.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!