El Cid
The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval Mercenary
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
El Cid
Buy for $19.49
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Sophie Roberts
-
By:
-
Nora Berend
About this listen
Exploring the creation of the El Cid legend over the centuries, this masterful and evocative biography peels away the layers of myth to reveal the real-life historical figure.
El Cid was perhaps the most famous warrior involved in the indiscriminate fighting—irrespective of religion—on the Iberian Peninsula during the eleventh century.
In the centuries after his death, he was transformed into a perfect Christian knight. In modernity, he was seen as the incarnation of Spain’s special national character—Franco chose El Cid as the emblem of Nationalist Spain. Yet not only those on the political right, but many others, including academics and those on the political left, were in his thrall. He has been promoted both as the forerunner of white supremacists and of multiculturalism.
How can we explain such a stupendous afterlife, and how can El Cid be a hero for so many different people? To begin to understand that we must try to understand the truth buried beneath the myth.
Nora Berend explores the creation of the legends over the centuries and reveals those active in its making. Medieval monks, the women in El Cid’s family, a playwright, and a historian are among the creators of the mythic Cid. This riveting narrative seeks to explain their motives, and in so doing peels away the layers of legend to evoke the real-life historical figure.
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Spanish Civil War (Revised Edition)
- By: Hugh Thomas
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 33 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2
A masterpiece of the historian's art, Hugh Thomas's The Spanish Civil War remains the best, most engrossing narrative of one of the most emblematic and misunderstood wars of the twentieth century. Revised and updated with significant new material, including new revelations about atrocities perpetrated against civilians by both sides in this epic conflict, this "definitive work on the subject" (Richard Bernstein, the New York Times) has been given a fresh face forty years after its initial publication in 1961.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Marvelous writing and narration
- By Mike M. on 05-06-25
By: Hugh Thomas
-
The Last Dynasty
- Ancient Egypt from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra
- By: Toby Wilkinson
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 5
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5
Alexander the Great and Cleopatra may be two of the most famous figures from the ancient world, but the Egyptian era bookended by their lives—the Ptolemaic period (305-30 BC)—is little known. In The Last Dynasty, Toby Wilkinson unravels the incredible story of this turbulent era.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting history of an oft overlooked period
- By Tom on 05-07-25
By: Toby Wilkinson
-
Somewhere Toward Freedom
- By: Bennett Parten
- Narrated by: Jonathan Beville
- Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 12
Historian Bennett Parten provides a groundbreaking account of Sherman’s March to the Sea—the critical Civil War campaign that destroyed the Confederacy—told for the first time from the perspective of the tens of thousands of enslaved people who fled to the Union lines and transformed Sherman’s march into the biggest liberation event in American history.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Compelling history, well told!
- By Nina Lovel on 02-26-25
By: Bennett Parten
-
The Hamilton Scheme
- An Epic Tale of Money and Power in the American Founding
- By: William Hogeland
- Narrated by: William Hogeland
- Length: 17 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 30
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 25
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 25
Alexander Hamilton has become a global celebrity. Millions know his name and imagine knowing the man. But what did he really want for the country? What risks did he run in pursuing those vaulting ambitions? Who tried to stop him? How did they fight? It's ironic that the Hamilton revival has obscured the man's most dramatic battles and hardest-won achievements—as well as downplaying unsettling aspects of his legacy.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Unknown to me
- By J. D. Howard on 10-21-24
By: William Hogeland
-
Emperor of the Seas
- Kublai Khan and the Making of China
- By: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Mark Elstob
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 21
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 20
Genghis Khan built a formidable land empire, but he never crossed the sea. Yet by the time his grandson Kublai Khan had defeated the last vestiges of the Song empire and established the Yuan dynasty in 1279, the Mongols controlled the most powerful navy in the world. How did a nomad come to conquer China and master the sea? Based on ten years of research and a lifetime of immersion in Mongol culture and tradition, Emperor of the Seas brings this little-known story vibrantly to life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Awesome
- By Rubin on 12-30-24
By: Jack Weatherford
-
The Rival Queens
- Catherine de' Medici, Her Daughter Marguerite de Valois, and the Betrayal That Ignited a Kingdom
- By: Nancy Goldstone
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 16 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 810
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 730
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 727
Catherine de' Medici was a ruthless pragmatist and powerbroker who dominated the throne for 30 years. Her youngest daughter, Marguerite, the glamorous "Queen Margot," was a passionate free spirit, the only adversary whom her mother could neither intimidate nor control.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Definitely not a dull bio!
- By Nella on 07-04-15
By: Nancy Goldstone
-
The Spanish Civil War (Revised Edition)
- By: Hugh Thomas
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 33 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2
A masterpiece of the historian's art, Hugh Thomas's The Spanish Civil War remains the best, most engrossing narrative of one of the most emblematic and misunderstood wars of the twentieth century. Revised and updated with significant new material, including new revelations about atrocities perpetrated against civilians by both sides in this epic conflict, this "definitive work on the subject" (Richard Bernstein, the New York Times) has been given a fresh face forty years after its initial publication in 1961.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Marvelous writing and narration
- By Mike M. on 05-06-25
By: Hugh Thomas
-
The Last Dynasty
- Ancient Egypt from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra
- By: Toby Wilkinson
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 5
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5
Alexander the Great and Cleopatra may be two of the most famous figures from the ancient world, but the Egyptian era bookended by their lives—the Ptolemaic period (305-30 BC)—is little known. In The Last Dynasty, Toby Wilkinson unravels the incredible story of this turbulent era.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting history of an oft overlooked period
- By Tom on 05-07-25
By: Toby Wilkinson
-
Somewhere Toward Freedom
- By: Bennett Parten
- Narrated by: Jonathan Beville
- Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 12
Historian Bennett Parten provides a groundbreaking account of Sherman’s March to the Sea—the critical Civil War campaign that destroyed the Confederacy—told for the first time from the perspective of the tens of thousands of enslaved people who fled to the Union lines and transformed Sherman’s march into the biggest liberation event in American history.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Compelling history, well told!
- By Nina Lovel on 02-26-25
By: Bennett Parten
-
The Hamilton Scheme
- An Epic Tale of Money and Power in the American Founding
- By: William Hogeland
- Narrated by: William Hogeland
- Length: 17 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 30
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 25
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 25
Alexander Hamilton has become a global celebrity. Millions know his name and imagine knowing the man. But what did he really want for the country? What risks did he run in pursuing those vaulting ambitions? Who tried to stop him? How did they fight? It's ironic that the Hamilton revival has obscured the man's most dramatic battles and hardest-won achievements—as well as downplaying unsettling aspects of his legacy.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Unknown to me
- By J. D. Howard on 10-21-24
By: William Hogeland
-
Emperor of the Seas
- Kublai Khan and the Making of China
- By: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Mark Elstob
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 21
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 20
Genghis Khan built a formidable land empire, but he never crossed the sea. Yet by the time his grandson Kublai Khan had defeated the last vestiges of the Song empire and established the Yuan dynasty in 1279, the Mongols controlled the most powerful navy in the world. How did a nomad come to conquer China and master the sea? Based on ten years of research and a lifetime of immersion in Mongol culture and tradition, Emperor of the Seas brings this little-known story vibrantly to life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Awesome
- By Rubin on 12-30-24
By: Jack Weatherford
-
The Rival Queens
- Catherine de' Medici, Her Daughter Marguerite de Valois, and the Betrayal That Ignited a Kingdom
- By: Nancy Goldstone
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 16 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 810
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 730
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 727
Catherine de' Medici was a ruthless pragmatist and powerbroker who dominated the throne for 30 years. Her youngest daughter, Marguerite, the glamorous "Queen Margot," was a passionate free spirit, the only adversary whom her mother could neither intimidate nor control.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Definitely not a dull bio!
- By Nella on 07-04-15
By: Nancy Goldstone
-
The Rebel Empresses
- Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France, Power and Glamour in the Struggle for Europe
- By: Nancy Goldstone
- Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
- Length: 19 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 18
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 17
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 17
When they married Emperors Franz Joseph and Napoleon III, respectively, Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France became two of the most famous women on the planet. Not only were they both young and beautiful—becoming cultural and fashion icons of their time—but they played a pivotal role in ruling their realms during a tempestuous era characterized by unprecedented political and technological change. Fearless, adventurous, and independent, Elisabeth and Eugénie represented a new kind of empress—one who rebelled against tradition and anticipated and embraced modern values.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent book!
- By Kayleigh on 03-04-25
By: Nancy Goldstone
-
The Fall of Robespierre
- 24 Hours in Revolutionary Paris
- By: Colin Jones
- Narrated by: Sasha Higgins
- Length: 18 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 21
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 21
The day of 9 Thermidor (July 27, 1794) is universally acknowledged as a major turning-point in the history of the French Revolution. At midnight, Maximilien Robespierre was planning to destroy one of the most dangerous plots that the Revolution had faced. By midnight at the close of the day, his world had been turned upside down. He was an outlaw, on the run, and himself wanted for conspiracy against the Republic. He shot himself shortly afterwards. Half-dead, the guillotine finished him off. The Fall of Robespierre provides an hour-by-hour analysis of these twenty-four hours.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Really interesting but. . .
- By Alan M on 08-14-23
By: Colin Jones
-
The Cleopatras
- The Forgotten Queens of Egypt
- By: Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
- Narrated by: Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
- Length: 14 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 13
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 12
One of history’s most iconic figures, Cleopatra is rightly remembered as a clever and charismatic ruler. But few today realize that she was the last in a long line of Egyptian queens who bore that name. In The Cleopatras, historian Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones tells the dramatic story of these seven incomparable women, vividly recapturing the lost world of Hellenistic Egypt and tracing the kingdom’s final centuries before its fall to Rome.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Thorough on events, weak on analysis
- By Christopher Riedel on 07-30-24
-
Hitler
- A Global Biography
- By: Brendan Simms
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 29 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 82
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 71
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 71
Hitler offers a deeply learned and radically revisionist biography, arguing that the dictator's main strategic enemy, from the start of his political career in the 1920s, was not communism or the Soviet Union, but capitalism and the United States. Whereas most historians have argued that Hitler underestimated the American threat, Simms shows that Hitler embarked on a preemptive war with the United States precisely because he considered it such a potent adversary.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A good biography with a different viewpoint
- By Timothy on 10-10-19
By: Brendan Simms
-
Homer and His Iliad
- By: Robin Lane Fox
- Narrated by: Steve John Shepherd
- Length: 16 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 21
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 16
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 16
The Iliad is the world’s greatest epic poem—heroic battle and divine fate set against the Trojan War. Its beauty and profound bleakness are intensely moving, but great questions remain: Where, how, and when was it composed and why does it endure? Robin Lane Fox addresses these questions, drawing on a lifelong love and engagement with the poem. He argues for a place, a date, and a method for its composition—subjects of ongoing controversy—combining the detailed expertise of a historian with a poetic reader’s sensitivity.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Masterful!
- By J. C. Weaver on 01-08-24
By: Robin Lane Fox
-
Four Points of the Compass
- The Unexpected History of Direction
- By: Jerry Brotton
- Narrated by: Liam Garrigan
- Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 11
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 11
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 11
North, south, east, and west: almost all societies use these four cardinal directions to orientate themselves and to understand who they are by projecting where they are. For millennia, these four directions have been foundational to our travel, navigation, and exploration, and are central to the imaginative, moral, and political geography of virtually every culture in the world. Yet they are far more subjective—and sometimes contradictory—than we might realize. Four Points of the Compass leads us on a journey of directional discovery.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Last two chapters- MUST LISTEN TO
- By Margaret Pierce on 04-11-25
By: Jerry Brotton
-
Blood and Mistletoe
- The History of the Druids in Britain
- By: Ronald Hutton
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 31 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2
Crushed by the Romans in the first century A.D., the ancient Druids of Britain left almost no reliable evidence behind. Historian Ronald Hutton shows how this lack of definite information has allowed succeeding British generations to reimagine, reinterpret, and reinvent the Druids. Hutton's captivating book is the first to encompass two thousand years of Druid history and to explore the evolution of English, Scottish, and Welsh attitudes toward the forever ambiguous figures of the ancient Celtic world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
VERY compelling read
- By Christopher on 05-28-25
By: Ronald Hutton
-
The Greek Revolution and the Violent Birth of Nationalism
- A New History
- By: Yanni Kotsonis
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
This panoramic book shows how the Greek Revolution was a demographic upheaval more consequential than the overthrow of a ruler. Drawing on Ottoman sources together with archival evidence from Greece, Britain, France, Russia, and Switzerland, the book reframes the birth of modern Greece within the imperial history of the global nineteenth century.
By: Yanni Kotsonis
-
Foundation
- The History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors: The History of England, Book 1
- By: Peter Ackroyd
- Narrated by: Clive Chafer
- Length: 18 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 862
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 782
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 777
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.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
The Most Annoying Narrator EVER
- By JudieBee on 12-25-15
By: Peter Ackroyd
-
Bandit Heaven
- The Hole-in-the-Wall Gangs and the Final Chapter of the Wild West
- By: Tom Clavin
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 32
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 29
Robbers Roost, Brown’s Hole, and Hole-in-the-Wall were three hideouts that collectively were known to outlaws as “Bandit Heaven.” During the 1880s and ‘90s these remote locations in Wyoming and Utah harbored hundreds of train and bank robbers, horse and cattle thieves, the occasional killer, and anyone else with a price on his head.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding narrator
- By Virginia on 11-16-24
By: Tom Clavin
-
Wings of War
- The World War II Fighter Plane That Saved the Allies and the Believers Who Made It Fly
- By: David Fairbank White, Margaret Stanback White
- Narrated by: René Ruiz
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 101
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 94
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 94
Wings of War is the incredible true story of the P-51 Mustang fighter and the unlikely crew of designers, engineers, test pilots, and army officers who brought it from the drafting table to the skies over World War II. This is hardly a straightforward tale of building an airplane—for years, the team was stymied by corruption within the defense industry and stonewalled by the Army Air Forces, who failed to understand the Mustang’s potential.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Disappointed
- By David Kocol on 06-22-23
By: David Fairbank White, and others
-
Ten Caesars
- Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine
- By: Barry Strauss
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 428
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 366
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 365
Best-selling classical historian Barry Strauss tells the story of three-and-a-half centuries of the Roman Empire through the lives of 10 of the most important emperors, from Augustus to Constantine.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good for beginners
- By Richferguson1 on 03-01-20
By: Barry Strauss
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
El Cid: Castilian Knight
- Reconquista Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Griff Hosker
- Narrated by: Frazer Blaxland
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 111
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 99
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 96
This first instalment in the Chronicles tells of Rodrigo’s rise to prominence when he became the champion of Prince Sancho of Castile. This is but the beginning of a tale which still stirs the blood a millennium after it began. The legend that was El Cid began more than 1,000 years ago, and time has meant that reality and fiction are intertwined like the threads of a spider’s web.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Fun War Story
- By Jonathon on 02-13-21
By: Griff Hosker
-
The Foundations of Western Civilization
- By: Thomas F. X. Noble, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Thomas F. X. Noble
- Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,688
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,448
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,433
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.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Not Engaging or Very Interesting
- By Tommy D'Angelo on 03-05-17
By: Thomas F. X. Noble, and others
-
The Ornament of the World
- How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain
- By: Maria Rosa Menocal, Harold Bloom - foreword
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 109
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 96
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 94
Widely hailed as a revelation of a "lost" golden age, this history brings to vivid life the rich and thriving culture of medieval Spain, where, for more than seven centuries, Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived together in an atmosphere of tolerance, and literature, science, and the arts flourished.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent Book
- By Zahid Ahmad on 08-14-18
By: Maria Rosa Menocal, and others
-
El Cid:
- Adapted for the Contemporary Reader
- By: James Harris
- Narrated by: Jack Kison
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 6
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6
El Cid is the oldest Spanish epic poem preserved. It is based on the true story of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, known as El Cid, and it takes place during the Spanish Reconquest. This is the story of a brave man who took on the challenge of recovering his home country after it had been besieged. This poem has been completely reworked and carefully adapted in modern English to allow for easy listening. Enjoy!
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good enough
- By Eric on 11-16-21
By: James Harris
-
The Cid, Part 1
- The Exile
- By: El Cid
- Narrated by: Dr. Edmund de Chasca
- Length: 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars 8
-
Performance2.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story3 out of 5 stars 6
Excerpts from the classic medieval poem, performed in the original language with English translation, original music, and commentary.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Horrible performance! Don't buy it!
- By Ted on 08-03-12
By: El Cid
-
The Last Tsar
- The Abdication of Nicholas II and the Fall of the Romanovs
- By: Tsuyoshi Hasegawa
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 13
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 13
When Tsar Nicholas II fell from power in 1917, Imperial Russia faced a series of overlapping crises, from war to social unrest. Though Nicholas’s life is often described as tragic, it was not fate that doomed the Romanovs—it was poor leadership and a blinkered faith in autocracy. Based on a trove of new archival discoveries, The Last Tsar narrates how Nicholas’s resistance to reform doomed the monarchy.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A deep dive into Russian history with limited appeal to most listeners
- By Dan M on 05-17-25
-
El Cid: Castilian Knight
- Reconquista Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Griff Hosker
- Narrated by: Frazer Blaxland
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 111
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 99
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 96
This first instalment in the Chronicles tells of Rodrigo’s rise to prominence when he became the champion of Prince Sancho of Castile. This is but the beginning of a tale which still stirs the blood a millennium after it began. The legend that was El Cid began more than 1,000 years ago, and time has meant that reality and fiction are intertwined like the threads of a spider’s web.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Fun War Story
- By Jonathon on 02-13-21
By: Griff Hosker
-
The Foundations of Western Civilization
- By: Thomas F. X. Noble, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Thomas F. X. Noble
- Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,688
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,448
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,433
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.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Not Engaging or Very Interesting
- By Tommy D'Angelo on 03-05-17
By: Thomas F. X. Noble, and others
-
The Ornament of the World
- How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain
- By: Maria Rosa Menocal, Harold Bloom - foreword
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 109
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 96
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 94
Widely hailed as a revelation of a "lost" golden age, this history brings to vivid life the rich and thriving culture of medieval Spain, where, for more than seven centuries, Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived together in an atmosphere of tolerance, and literature, science, and the arts flourished.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent Book
- By Zahid Ahmad on 08-14-18
By: Maria Rosa Menocal, and others
-
El Cid:
- Adapted for the Contemporary Reader
- By: James Harris
- Narrated by: Jack Kison
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 6
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6
El Cid is the oldest Spanish epic poem preserved. It is based on the true story of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, known as El Cid, and it takes place during the Spanish Reconquest. This is the story of a brave man who took on the challenge of recovering his home country after it had been besieged. This poem has been completely reworked and carefully adapted in modern English to allow for easy listening. Enjoy!
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good enough
- By Eric on 11-16-21
By: James Harris
-
The Cid, Part 1
- The Exile
- By: El Cid
- Narrated by: Dr. Edmund de Chasca
- Length: 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars 8
-
Performance2.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story3 out of 5 stars 6
Excerpts from the classic medieval poem, performed in the original language with English translation, original music, and commentary.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Horrible performance! Don't buy it!
- By Ted on 08-03-12
By: El Cid
-
The Last Tsar
- The Abdication of Nicholas II and the Fall of the Romanovs
- By: Tsuyoshi Hasegawa
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 13
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 13
When Tsar Nicholas II fell from power in 1917, Imperial Russia faced a series of overlapping crises, from war to social unrest. Though Nicholas’s life is often described as tragic, it was not fate that doomed the Romanovs—it was poor leadership and a blinkered faith in autocracy. Based on a trove of new archival discoveries, The Last Tsar narrates how Nicholas’s resistance to reform doomed the monarchy.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A deep dive into Russian history with limited appeal to most listeners
- By Dan M on 05-17-25