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The History of the Renaissance World
- From the Rediscovery of Aristotle to the Conquest of Constantinople
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 21 hrs and 11 mins
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The History of the Ancient World
- From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome
- Written by: Susan Wise Bauer
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 26 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
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.
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Iffy narration, abrupt ending
- By Micah Clark on 2020-09-07
Written by: Susan Wise Bauer
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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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Unruly
- The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens
- Written by: David Mitchell
- Narrated by: David Mitchell
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In Unruly, David Mitchell explores how early England’s monarchs, while acting as feared rulers firmly guiding their subjects’ destinies, were in reality a bunch of lucky bastards who were mostly as silly and weird in real life as they appear today in their portraits.
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David Mitchell is hilarious as ever
- By Michael Myhre on 2023-11-29
Written by: David Mitchell
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Persian Fire
- The First World Empire, Battle for the West
- Written by: Tom Holland
- Narrated by: Mark Meadows, Tom Holland
- Length: 15 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In 480 BC, Xerxes, the King of Persia, led an invasion of mainland Greece. Its success should have been a formality. For 70 years, victory had seemed the birthright of the Persian Empire. In the space of a single generation, they had swept across the Near East, shattering ancient kingdoms, storming famous cities, putting together an empire which stretched from India to the shores of the Aegean. Yet somehow, astonishingly, against the largest expeditionary force ever assembled, the Greeks of the mainland managed to hold out.
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Awesome book. I love Tom Holland
- By randy hanson on 2019-10-22
Written by: Tom Holland
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The Plantagenets
- The Kings Who Made England
- Written by: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: Dan Jones
- Length: 22 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
England’s greatest royal dynasty, the Plantagenets, ruled over England through eight generations of kings. Their remarkable reign saw England emerge from the Dark Ages to become a highly organised kingdom that spanned a vast expanse of Europe. Plantagenet rule saw the establishment of laws and creation of artworks, monuments and tombs which survive to this day, and continue to speak of their sophistication, brutality and secrets. Dan Jones brings you a new vision of this battle-scarred history.
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Very good overall book
- By Jason Gacek on 2023-02-06
Written by: Dan Jones
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Our Oriental Heritage
- The Story of Civilization, Volume 1
- Written by: Will Durant
- Narrated by: Robin Field
- Length: 50 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
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.
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Came here from a Elon Musk's recommendation
- By dursim on 2020-08-12
Written by: Will Durant
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The History of the Ancient World
- From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome
- Written by: Susan Wise Bauer
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 26 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
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Iffy narration, abrupt ending
- By Micah Clark on 2020-09-07
Written by: Susan Wise Bauer
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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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
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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Unruly
- The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens
- Written by: David Mitchell
- Narrated by: David Mitchell
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Unruly, David Mitchell explores how early England’s monarchs, while acting as feared rulers firmly guiding their subjects’ destinies, were in reality a bunch of lucky bastards who were mostly as silly and weird in real life as they appear today in their portraits.
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David Mitchell is hilarious as ever
- By Michael Myhre on 2023-11-29
Written by: David Mitchell
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Persian Fire
- The First World Empire, Battle for the West
- Written by: Tom Holland
- Narrated by: Mark Meadows, Tom Holland
- Length: 15 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
In 480 BC, Xerxes, the King of Persia, led an invasion of mainland Greece. Its success should have been a formality. For 70 years, victory had seemed the birthright of the Persian Empire. In the space of a single generation, they had swept across the Near East, shattering ancient kingdoms, storming famous cities, putting together an empire which stretched from India to the shores of the Aegean. Yet somehow, astonishingly, against the largest expeditionary force ever assembled, the Greeks of the mainland managed to hold out.
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Awesome book. I love Tom Holland
- By randy hanson on 2019-10-22
Written by: Tom Holland
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The Plantagenets
- The Kings Who Made England
- Written by: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: Dan Jones
- Length: 22 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
England’s greatest royal dynasty, the Plantagenets, ruled over England through eight generations of kings. Their remarkable reign saw England emerge from the Dark Ages to become a highly organised kingdom that spanned a vast expanse of Europe. Plantagenet rule saw the establishment of laws and creation of artworks, monuments and tombs which survive to this day, and continue to speak of their sophistication, brutality and secrets. Dan Jones brings you a new vision of this battle-scarred history.
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Very good overall book
- By Jason Gacek on 2023-02-06
Written by: Dan Jones
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Our Oriental Heritage
- The Story of Civilization, Volume 1
- Written by: Will Durant
- Narrated by: Robin Field
- Length: 50 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
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Came here from a Elon Musk's recommendation
- By dursim on 2020-08-12
Written by: Will Durant
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The First World War
- A Complete History
- Written by: Martin Gilbert
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 33 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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It was to be the war to end all wars, and it began at 11:15 on the morning of June 28, 1914, in an outpost of the Austro-Hungarian Empire called Sarajevo. It would officially end nearly five years later. Unofficially, however, it has never ended: Many of the horrors we live with today are rooted in the First World War. The Great War left millions of civilians and soldiers maimed or dead. It also saw the creation of new technologies of destruction: tanks, planes, and submarines; machine guns and field artillery; poison gas and chemical warfare.
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good book
- By Matthew laing on 2021-07-25
Written by: Martin Gilbert
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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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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
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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
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In the Shadow of the Sword
- The Battle for Global Empire and the End of the Ancient World
- Written by: Tom Holland
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins
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In the 6th century AD, the Near East was divided between two venerable empires: the Persian and the Roman. A hundred years on and one had vanished forever, while the other seemed almost finished. Ruling in their place were the Arabs: an upheaval so profound that it spelt, in effect, the end of the ancient world. In The Shadow of the Sword, Tom Holland explores how this came about.
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Not accurate about Christian history
- By Judy Lyoness on 2023-08-10
Written by: Tom Holland
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Europe
- A History
- Written by: Norman Davies
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 61 hrs and 48 mins
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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
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The Company
- The Rise and Fall of the Hudson’s Bay Empire
- Written by: Stephen R. Bown
- Narrated by: Traber Burns
- Length: 16 hrs and 5 mins
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The Hudson’s Bay Company started out small in 1670, trading practical manufactured goods for furs with the indigenous inhabitants of inland subarctic Canada. Controlled by a handful of English aristocrats, it expanded into a powerful political force that ruled the lives of many thousands of people - from the lowlands south and west of Hudson Bay, to the tundra, the great plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific Northwest.
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Disappointing
- By James Edwards on 2022-02-22
Written by: Stephen R. Bown
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A Great and Terrible King
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- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
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- Unabridged
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This is the first major biography for a generation of a truly formidable king. Edward I is familiar to millions as 'Longshanks', conqueror of Scotland and nemesis of Sir William Wallace ('Braveheart'). Edward was born to rule England, but believed that it was his right to rule all of Britain. His reign was one of the most dramatic of the entire Middle Ages, leading to war and conquest on an unprecedented scale and leaving a legacy of division that has lasted from his day to our own.
Written by: Marc Morris
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The Hollow Crown
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- Narrated by: Dan Jones
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Some of the greatest heroes and villains in British history were thrown together in these turbulent times: Henry V, whose victory at Agincourt and prudent rule at home marked the high point of the medieval monarchy; Edward IV, who was handed his crown by the scheming soldier Warwick the Kingmaker, before their alliance collapsed into a fight to the death; and the last Plantagenet, Richard III, who stole the throne and murdered his own nephews, the Princes in the Tower.
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amazing story! great performance!
- By Nathanael P. on 2021-06-15
Written by: Dan Jones
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Philip and Alexander
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This definitive biography of one of history's most influential father-son duos tells the story of two rulers who gripped the world - and their rise and fall from power.
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excellent read
- By jeff olasz on 2021-06-06
Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
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Empire
- Written by: Niall Ferguson
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- Length: 15 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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great education on British colonialism
- By daniel Froese on 2023-02-03
Written by: Niall Ferguson
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Royal Witches
- Witchcraft and the Nobility in Fifteenth-Century England
- Written by: Gemma Hollman
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Until the mass hysteria of the seventeenth century, accusations of witchcraft in England were rare. However, four royal women, related in family and in court ties - Joan of Navarre, Eleanor Cobham, Jacquetta of Luxembourg, and Elizabeth Woodville - were accused of practicing witchcraft in order to kill or influence the king. In Royal Witches, Gemma Hollman explores the lives and the cases of these so-called witches, placing them in the historical context of 15th-century England, a setting rife with political upheaval and war.
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very enjoyable and informative
- By hanna k on 2020-09-28
Written by: Gemma Hollman
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Millennium
- The End of the World and the Forging of Christendom
- Written by: Tom Holland
- Narrated by: Mark Meadows, Tom Holland
- Length: 17 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Millennium is a stunning panoramic account of the two centuries on either side of the apocalyptic year 1000. This was the age of Canute, William the Conqueror and Pope Gregory VII, of Vikings, monks and serfs, of the earliest castles and the invention of knighthood, and of the primal conflict between church and state. The story of how the distinctive culture of Europe - restless, creative and dynamic - was forged from out of the convulsions of these extraordinary times is as fascinating and as momentous as any in history.
Written by: Tom Holland
Publisher's Summary
A lively and fascinating narrative history about the birth of the modern world.
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. Popes continue to preach crusade, but the hope of a Christian empire comes to a bloody end at the walls of Constantinople. Aristotelian logic and Greek rationality blossom while the Inquisition gathers strength. As kings and emperors continue to insist on their divine rights, ordinary people all over the world seize power: the lingayats of India, the Jacquerie of France, the Red Turbans of China, and the peasants of England.
New threats appear, as the Ottomans emerge from a tiny Turkish village and the Mongols ride out of the East to set the world on fire. New currencies are forged, new weapons invented, and world-changing catastrophes alter the landscape: the Little Ice Age and the Great Famine kill millions; the Black Death, millions more. In the chaos of these epoch-making events, our own world begins to take shape.
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.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.
What listeners say about The History of the Renaissance World
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Troy
- 2015-05-20
The 2nd Half of the Medieval World
The History of the Medieval World gave us that history up to the end of the First Crusade, with this book picking up in the wake of that around 1100 and carrying us to 1453--the approximate beginning of the Renaissance. So why is this book labeled like this when practically every other historian agrees on the labeling? As near as I can tell, it's because this is when the texts of the Ancient Greeks were first rediscovered, just as the title claims. I realize the devil's in the details, but that's pedantic. This book, like the two volumes before it, is for general audiences that want to see how the pieces fit together. Confusing people with something that arbitrary seems pointless.
What is not pointless is this book. As with the Ancient and Medieval World volumes before it, this book covers all of the hotspots of the globe, East and West. To see how the world of the Samurai line up with that of the Crusaders or the Mongols is just astounding. If you've not read the previous two volumes, get them. Everything in these books serves to show the cause and effect of historical events and the people who rode through them. Names and dates are there as references, but the personalities are touched upon so as to give the overview some meaning and provide that perfect springboard for future learning.
I really want a book on the Renaissance and Reformation now so as to continue the flow of these works. When viewed through the long lens, it's easy to see how the world we live in today is built upon all of that which has gone before. To the people who lived back then, it's always the modern world, just as ours is for us. Why there aren't more history books written like this, I'll never know. Kudos all around for this book and for its predecessors for making history both broad enough to see the big picture and detailed enough to understand it in context as the sum of its parts.
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70 people found this helpful
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- Jay Quintana
- 2015-05-30
This happened, then that happened
I listened to this dutifully with no enjoyment. It's like eating vegetables, you do it because it's good for you. Sometimes historians are guilty of creating a narrative that is just not there. Well, not here. This is basically a chronicle of the events that happened and the people who made it happen. In order words, you're just handed fact after fact, as though you're reading an almanac. I'm glad I listened to it, though. Just wish it were more compelling.
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43 people found this helpful
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- Captain Morgan
- 2014-02-14
Almost Great
Any additional comments?
This was a very enjoyable listen. It took a little while but once I settled into this book I really enjoyed John Lee's reading. I am not a student of this time period in history and this book gave me a great broad understanding of and exposure to many events I had heard of (and many I had't) but would have been hard pressed to explain or put in context. This sparked my interest in specific subjects that I can delve into deeper. I doubt a knowledgable history buff would learn much new or hear any critical insights.
In the end that is where the book fell a bit short for me. I suppose there was so much material to cover that there was little room for historical retrospective. I was also hoping for more background on the influence of ancient writers and thought and how it shaped events.It would have been more engaging if there was more focus on the development of thought and knowledge and the struggles it caused.
Ultimately the history of this time period (and alas much of human history) can be summed up thus .... dates, Kings, Popes, conquests, mass murders, ruthless power struggles and untimely deaths ... rinse and repeat. There were very few heros beyond the inventors, artists and thinkers.
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36 people found this helpful
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- 4GO
- 2016-02-16
The Title is a bit misleading....
I wanted a book about the Renaissance; not the period leading up to the Renaissance .
Those looking for tales of art and enlightenment should look elsewhere. This book ends just before the Renaissance begins.
A good work to be sure, but hopelessly (however literally) misnamed.
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29 people found this helpful
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- Michael LeDuc
- 2020-05-21
Extremely Misleading Title
DO NOT BUY if you want to hear about the actual Renaissance. This is a summary of notable historical events and figures of the middle ages. The narration is quite good and the book itself isn't terrible, but I wanted to hear about the late 1400's through late 1500's. Not having that expectation met makes me hate this book.
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20 people found this helpful
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- I am No Expert
- 2016-05-25
Mostly about wars leading up to the Renaissance
While this was an entertaining book, it was not really about the Renaissance period. It spends most of its time talking about the wars and Intrigue leading through the medieval period of time to the Renaissance. it bounces Asian, mongul, American, European history.
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17 people found this helpful
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- Carlos
- 2019-05-07
Absolutely insufferable
Worst audible purchase I've made so far. Like her other books the author focuses too much on politics and military affairs. She makes zero attempt to flesh out the historical characters so they're all forgettable. Every chapter is the same garbage story - forgettable generals fight for crown. Of the authors trilogy this is the worst I was getting drowsy while listening. I didn't learn a single thing and asked myself why any of the content in the book mattered. I couldn't finish it.
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15 people found this helpful
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- G.W.
- 2016-03-15
Lots of details but not much insight
I understand that historians today believe it is their job to report facts without critiquing them, however, this book could have been a lot more interesting had the author made some attempt to weave these disparate histories into some kind of narrative on the drivers influencing the Renaissance. The time spent covering societies in south and mesoamerica made it clear that the author didn't have any interest in explaining the relevance of the various stories with the supposed subject of the book. The abrupt ending was also disconcerting without any type of closure or explanation for why this particular event in SE Europe should signal the end of whatever era she was claiming to cover.
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11 people found this helpful
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- Stephen S.
- 2016-07-15
Not. about the. Renaissance
A. good history but not really about. the. Renaissance. Covers the time around the start but only touches the Renaissance at the start and end of the book. Disappointing.
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9 people found this helpful
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- Brenna M.
- 2014-10-28
The worst history of the Renaissance...
What disappointed you about The History of the Renaissance World?
This book is a typical liberal approach to history or the title is awful. Move Renaissance in the title and just say "History of the World, While Europe had the Renaissance"...
Would you ever listen to anything by Susan Wise Bauer again?
No
Would you listen to another book narrated by John Lee?
Yes
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Frustration. It is not a real history of the Renaissance. It does not cover what was really happening and why we left the dark and middle ages. It is just what the political types or kings were doing in the world at that time. It is a very weak book.
Any additional comments?
Don't buy this book. Don't waste your time.
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9 people found this helpful