Iron, Fire and Ice
The Real History That Inspired Game of Thrones
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.
Iron, Fire and Ice
Buy for $32.89
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Rory Barnett
-
By:
-
Ed West
About this listen
Have you read everything George R.R. Martin has every written? Do you know what in Game of Thrones is based in real history?
A young pretender raises an army to take the throne. Learning of his father’s death, the adolescent, dashing and charismatic and descended from the old kings of the North, vows to avenge him. He is supported in this war by his mother, who has spirited away her two younger sons to safety. Against them is the queen, passionate, proud, and strong-willed and with more of the masculine virtues of the time than most men. She too is battling for the inheritance of her young son, not yet fully grown but already a sadist who takes delight in watching executions.
Sound familiar? It may read like the plot of Game of Thrones. Yet that was also the story of the bloodiest battle in British history, fought at the culmination of the War of the Roses. George RR Martin’s bestselling novels are rife with allusions, inspirations, and flat-out copies of real-life people, events, and places of medieval and Tudor England and Europe. The Red Wedding? Based on actual events in Scottish history. The poisoning of Joffrey Baratheon? Eerily similar to the death of William the Conqueror’s grandson. The Dothraki? Also known as Huns, Magyars, Turks, and Mongols.
Join Ed West, as he explores all of Martin’s influences, from religion to war to powerful women. Discover the real history behind the phenomenon and see for yourself that truth is stranger than fiction.
©2019 by Ed West. (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Drink
- A Cultural History of Alcohol
- By: Iain Gately
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 21 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 109
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 85
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 85
Drink investigates the history of this Jekyll and Hyde of fluids, tracing mankind's love/hate relationship with alcohol from ancient Egypt to present day. Drink further documents the contribution of alcohol to the birth and growth of the United States, taking in the War of Independence, Pennsylvania Whiskey revolt, slave trade, and failed experiment of national Prohibition. Finally, it provides a history of the world's most famous drinks - and drinkers. Packed with trivia and colorful characters, Drink amounts to an intoxicating history of the world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing!
- By Anonymous User on 02-23-22
By: Iain Gately
-
The Rise of the Dragon
- An Illustrated History of the Targaryen Dynasty, Volume One
- By: George R. R. Martin, Elio M. García Jr, Linda Antonsson
- Narrated by: Harry Lloyd
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 628
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 571
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 571
This lavish visual history—featuring over 180 all-new illustrations—is a stunning introduction to House Targaryen, the iconic family at the heart of HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
This is a cash grab, and nothing more
- By Anonymous User on 10-25-22
By: George R. R. Martin, and others
-
The Wolf of the North Trilogy
- Wolf of the North, Books 1-3
- By: Duncan M. Hamilton
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 32 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,654
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,562
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,559
Wolf of the North: It has been generations since the Northlands have seen a hero worthy of the title. Many have made the claim, but few have lived to defend it. Timid, weak, and bullied, Wulfric is as unlikely a candidate as there could be. Jorundyr's Path: Jorundyr's Path is walked only by the brave. As Wulfric pursues Adalhaid's Blood Debt, he soon learns that the path to revenge is never easy. The Blood Debt: A blade fit for a hero. An army for a tyrant. A reckoning long awaited, and a tale reaching its end.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Could have been so much more, a classic even
- By Anonymous User on 01-14-23
-
The Silk Roads
- A New History of the World
- By: Peter Frankopan
- Narrated by: Laurence Kennedy
- Length: 24 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 568
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 493
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 491
It was on the Silk Roads that East and West first encountered each other through trade and conquest, leading to the spread of ideas, cultures, and religions. From the rise and fall of empires to the spread of Buddhism and the advent of Christianity and Islam, right up to the great wars of the 20th century - this book shows how the fate of the West has always been inextricably linked to the East.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An Absolutely SUPERB Book for Lovers of History
- By Anonymous User on 06-27-21
By: Peter Frankopan
-
The Ice Dragon
- By: George R.R. Martin
- Narrated by: Maggi Meg Reed
- Length: 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,151
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 979
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 985
In the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, the ice dragon was a creature of legend and fear, for no man had ever tamed one. When it flew overhead, it left in its wake desolate cold and frozen land. But Adara was not afraid. For Adara was a winter child, born during the worst freeze that anyone, even the Old Ones, could remember. Adara could not remember the first time she had seen the ice dragon. It seemed that it had always been in her life, glimpsed from afar as she played in the frigid snow long after the other children had fled the cold.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Throne Starter Kit
- By Anonymous User on 07-19-17
-
She-Wolves
- The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth
- By: Helen Castor
- Narrated by: Esther Wane
- Length: 16 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 132
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 117
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 115
In the tradition of Antonia Fraser and Alison Weir, prize-winning historian Helen Castor delivers a compelling, eye-opening examination of women and power in England, witnessed through the lives of six women who exercised power against all odds - and one who never got the chance. Exploring the narratives of the Empress Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of France, Margaret of Anjou, and other "she-wolves," as well as that of the Nine Days' Queen, Lady Jane Grey, Castor invokes a magisterial discussion of how much - and how little - has changed through the centuries.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
STORY TELLING IS ERRATIC
- By Anonymous User on 07-22-20
By: Helen Castor
-
Drink
- A Cultural History of Alcohol
- By: Iain Gately
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 21 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 109
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 85
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 85
Drink investigates the history of this Jekyll and Hyde of fluids, tracing mankind's love/hate relationship with alcohol from ancient Egypt to present day. Drink further documents the contribution of alcohol to the birth and growth of the United States, taking in the War of Independence, Pennsylvania Whiskey revolt, slave trade, and failed experiment of national Prohibition. Finally, it provides a history of the world's most famous drinks - and drinkers. Packed with trivia and colorful characters, Drink amounts to an intoxicating history of the world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing!
- By Anonymous User on 02-23-22
By: Iain Gately
-
The Rise of the Dragon
- An Illustrated History of the Targaryen Dynasty, Volume One
- By: George R. R. Martin, Elio M. García Jr, Linda Antonsson
- Narrated by: Harry Lloyd
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 628
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 571
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 571
This lavish visual history—featuring over 180 all-new illustrations—is a stunning introduction to House Targaryen, the iconic family at the heart of HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
This is a cash grab, and nothing more
- By Anonymous User on 10-25-22
By: George R. R. Martin, and others
-
The Wolf of the North Trilogy
- Wolf of the North, Books 1-3
- By: Duncan M. Hamilton
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 32 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,654
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,562
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,559
Wolf of the North: It has been generations since the Northlands have seen a hero worthy of the title. Many have made the claim, but few have lived to defend it. Timid, weak, and bullied, Wulfric is as unlikely a candidate as there could be. Jorundyr's Path: Jorundyr's Path is walked only by the brave. As Wulfric pursues Adalhaid's Blood Debt, he soon learns that the path to revenge is never easy. The Blood Debt: A blade fit for a hero. An army for a tyrant. A reckoning long awaited, and a tale reaching its end.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Could have been so much more, a classic even
- By Anonymous User on 01-14-23
-
The Silk Roads
- A New History of the World
- By: Peter Frankopan
- Narrated by: Laurence Kennedy
- Length: 24 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 568
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 493
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 491
It was on the Silk Roads that East and West first encountered each other through trade and conquest, leading to the spread of ideas, cultures, and religions. From the rise and fall of empires to the spread of Buddhism and the advent of Christianity and Islam, right up to the great wars of the 20th century - this book shows how the fate of the West has always been inextricably linked to the East.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An Absolutely SUPERB Book for Lovers of History
- By Anonymous User on 06-27-21
By: Peter Frankopan
-
The Ice Dragon
- By: George R.R. Martin
- Narrated by: Maggi Meg Reed
- Length: 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,151
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 979
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 985
In the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, the ice dragon was a creature of legend and fear, for no man had ever tamed one. When it flew overhead, it left in its wake desolate cold and frozen land. But Adara was not afraid. For Adara was a winter child, born during the worst freeze that anyone, even the Old Ones, could remember. Adara could not remember the first time she had seen the ice dragon. It seemed that it had always been in her life, glimpsed from afar as she played in the frigid snow long after the other children had fled the cold.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Throne Starter Kit
- By Anonymous User on 07-19-17
-
She-Wolves
- The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth
- By: Helen Castor
- Narrated by: Esther Wane
- Length: 16 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 132
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 117
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 115
In the tradition of Antonia Fraser and Alison Weir, prize-winning historian Helen Castor delivers a compelling, eye-opening examination of women and power in England, witnessed through the lives of six women who exercised power against all odds - and one who never got the chance. Exploring the narratives of the Empress Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of France, Margaret of Anjou, and other "she-wolves," as well as that of the Nine Days' Queen, Lady Jane Grey, Castor invokes a magisterial discussion of how much - and how little - has changed through the centuries.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
STORY TELLING IS ERRATIC
- By Anonymous User on 07-22-20
By: Helen Castor
-
Gods of the Ragnarok Era Complete Collection: Eschaton Cycle
- By: Matt Larkin
- Narrated by: Ulf Bjorklund
- Length: 92 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 471
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 427
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 427
Only a fool would venture into the soul-stealing mists. That’s exactly where Odin is going. Along with blood-brother Loki, he hunts the frost giant who murdered his father. Caught between the machinations of Loki and a goddess, Odin is drawn into a world of sorcerers, trolls, and terrible secrets. Before he’s done, Midgard will drown in blood.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Meh
- By Anonymous User on 10-14-22
By: Matt Larkin
-
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 844
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 765
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 760
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 Anonymous User on 12-25-15
By: Peter Ackroyd
-
The Wars of the Roses
- The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
- By: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,459
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,042
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,025
The 15th century saw the longest and bloodiest series of civil wars in British history. The crown of England changed hands five times as two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty fought to the death for the right to rule. Now, celebrated historian Dan Jones describes how the longest reigning British royal family tore itself apart until it was finally replaced by the Tudors. Some of the greatest heroes and villains in history were thrown together in these turbulent times.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
No Need for a Score Card
- By Anonymous User on 01-16-15
By: Dan Jones
-
Jules Verne Collection
- Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Around the World in 80 Days and The Mysterious Island
- By: Jules Verne
- Narrated by: Jim D. Johnston
- Length: 43 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 208
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 180
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 179
From the pen of one of the literary world’s finest explorers of the imagination, these classic tales of fantastical habitats and intrepid adventurers delve deep into every mysterious corner of planet Earth. Whether you’ve adventured with Verne before or are only just setting off on your maiden voyage, this collection encompasses the most extraordinary adventures the father of science fiction has to offer.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Classics, But Hours of Scientific Exposition.
- By Anonymous User on 05-02-21
By: Jules Verne
-
C. S. Lewis
- Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces
- By: C. S. Lewis
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 38 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 734
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 638
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 622
This is an extensive collection of short essays and other pieces by C. S. Lewis that have been brought together in one volume for the first time. As well as his many books, letters, and poems, Lewis also wrote a great number of essays and shorter pieces on various subjects. He wrote extensively on Christian theology and the defense of faith but also on various ethical issues and on the nature of literature and storytelling. In this essay collection we find a treasure trove of Lewis' reflections on diverse topics.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Here is the missing Table of Contents
- By Anonymous User on 06-14-16
By: C. S. Lewis
-
Powers and Thrones
- A New History of the Middle Ages
- By: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: Dan Jones
- Length: 24 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,667
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,437
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,431
When the once-mighty city of Rome was sacked by barbarians in 410 and lay in ruins, it signaled the end of an era—and the beginning of a thousand years of profound transformation. In a gripping narrative bursting with big names—from St Augustine and Attila the Hun to the Prophet Muhammad and Eleanor of Aquitaine—Dan Jones charges through the history of the Middle Ages. Powers and Thrones takes listeners on a journey through an emerging Europe, the great capitals of late Antiquity, as well as the influential cities of the Islamic West.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Hard to take a break from it!
- By Anonymous User on 12-09-21
By: Dan Jones
-
The Seven Basic Plots
- Why We Tell Stories
- By: Christopher Booker
- Narrated by: Liam Gerrard
- Length: 38 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 69
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 59
This remarkable and monumental book at last provides a comprehensive answer to the age-old riddle of whether there are only a small number of "basic stories" in the world. Using a wealth of examples, from ancient myths and folk tales via the plays and novels of great literature to the popular movies and TV soap operas of today, it reveals that there are seven archetypal themes which recur throughout every kind of storytelling.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Save your time and money, the book is worthless
- By Anonymous User on 08-20-20
-
The Song of the Dodo
- Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions
- By: David Quammen
- Narrated by: Jacques Roy
- Length: 24 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 210
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 172
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 171
David Quammen's book, The Song of the Dodo, is a brilliant, stirring work, breathtaking in its scope, far-reaching in its message - a crucial book in precarious times, which radically alters the way in which we understand the natural world and our place in that world. It's also a book full of entertainment and wonders. In The Song of the Dodo, we follow Quammen's keen intellect through the ideas, theories, and experiments of prominent naturalists of the last two centuries.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Extensive and Entertaining
- By Anonymous User on 07-26-21
By: David Quammen
-
The Whisperers
- Private Life in Stalin's Russia
- By: Orlando Figes
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 29 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 204
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 171
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 170
Drawing on a huge range of sources - letters, memoirs, conversations - Orlando Figes tells the story of how Russians tried to endure life under Stalin. Those who shaped the political system became, very frequently, its victims. Those who were its victims were frequently quite blameless. The Whisperers recreates the sort of maze in which Russians found themselves, where an unwitting wrong turn could either destroy a family or, perversely, later save it: a society in which everyone spoke in whispers - whether to protect themselves, their families, neighbours or friends - or to inform on them.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Real Life Dystopian Nightmare
- By Anonymous User on 08-31-18
By: Orlando Figes
-
Jerusalem
- The Biography
- By: Simon Sebag Montefiore
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 25 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 880
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 768
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 771
Jerusalem is the universal city, the capital of two peoples, the shrine of three faiths; it is the prize of empires, the site of Judgement Day and the battlefield of today’s clash of civilizations. From King David to Barack Obama, from the birth of Judaism, Christianity and Islam to the Israel-Palestine conflict, this is the epic history of three thousand years of faith, slaughter, fanaticism and coexistence. This is how Jerusalem became Jerusalem, and the only city that exists twice - in heaven and on earth.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
In-depth and gripping history of 3,000 years
- By Anonymous User on 12-16-11
-
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
- By: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Jack Weatherford
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19,940
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 16,489
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 16,485
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Golden Horde/Platinum Listen
- By Anonymous User on 12-11-13
By: Jack Weatherford
-
SPQR
- A History of Ancient Rome
- By: Mary Beard
- Narrated by: Phyllida Nash
- Length: 18 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,877
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,286
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,251
In SPQR, world-renowned classicist Mary Beard narrates the unprecedented rise of a civilization that even 2,000 years later still shapes many of our most fundamental assumptions about power, citizenship, responsibility, political violence, empire, luxury, and beauty.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Shallow and unsatisfying
- By Anonymous User on 02-19-17
By: Mary Beard
Related to this topic
-
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 844
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 765
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 760
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 Anonymous User on 12-25-15
By: Peter Ackroyd
-
The History of the Ancient World
- From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome
- By: Susan Wise Bauer
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 26 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,595
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,893
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,866
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An Historic Achievement
- By Anonymous User on 04-25-14
By: Susan Wise Bauer
-
Jerusalem
- The Biography
- By: Simon Sebag Montefiore
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 25 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 880
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 768
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 771
Jerusalem is the universal city, the capital of two peoples, the shrine of three faiths; it is the prize of empires, the site of Judgement Day and the battlefield of today’s clash of civilizations. From King David to Barack Obama, from the birth of Judaism, Christianity and Islam to the Israel-Palestine conflict, this is the epic history of three thousand years of faith, slaughter, fanaticism and coexistence. This is how Jerusalem became Jerusalem, and the only city that exists twice - in heaven and on earth.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
In-depth and gripping history of 3,000 years
- By Anonymous User on 12-16-11
-
Persians
- The Age of the Great Kings
- By: Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
- Narrated by: Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
- Length: 18 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 163
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 146
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 148
The Achaemenid Persian kings ruled over the largest empire of antiquity, stretching from Libya to the steppes of Asia and from Ethiopia to Pakistan. In Persians, historian Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones tells the epic story of this dynasty and the world it ruled. Drawing on Iranian inscriptions, cuneiform tablets, art, and archaeology, he shows how the Achaemenid Persian Empire was the world’s first superpower—one built, despite its imperial ambition, on cooperation and tolerance. This is the definitive history of the Achaemenid dynasty and its legacies in modern-day Iran.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Good History and Historiography
- By Anonymous User on 04-19-22
-
The Crusades
- By: Abigail Archer
- Narrated by: Sarah Nichols
- Length: 3 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 206
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 184
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 182
Looking into the past, the Crusades seem incomprehensible. What combination of religious fervor, hatred of people of different faiths, and gall led Europeans of AD 1100 to make their way thousands of miles to conquer the Holy Land? Why did they continue for 200 years? How did the Crusades change the world? The intriguing story is peppered with colorful characters. Over the centuries crusaders saw - and participated in - the evolution of warfare and the transformation of society from feudal fiefdoms to nations and empires.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good but hits pitfalls
- By Anonymous User on 01-06-21
By: Abigail Archer
-
The Dark Queens
- The Bloody Rivalry That Forged the Medieval World
- By: Shelley Puhak
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 340
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 283
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 283
Brunhild was a foreign princess, raised to be married off for the sake of alliance-building. Her sister-in-law Fredegund started out as a lowly palace slave. And yet - in sixth-century Merovingian France, where women were excluded from noble succession and royal politics was a blood sport - these two iron-willed strategists reigned over vast realms, changing the face of Europe.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating & Long Overdue
- By Anonymous User on 10-22-22
By: Shelley Puhak
-
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 844
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 765
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 760
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 Anonymous User on 12-25-15
By: Peter Ackroyd
-
The History of the Ancient World
- From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome
- By: Susan Wise Bauer
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 26 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,595
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,893
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,866
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An Historic Achievement
- By Anonymous User on 04-25-14
By: Susan Wise Bauer
-
Jerusalem
- The Biography
- By: Simon Sebag Montefiore
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 25 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 880
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 768
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 771
Jerusalem is the universal city, the capital of two peoples, the shrine of three faiths; it is the prize of empires, the site of Judgement Day and the battlefield of today’s clash of civilizations. From King David to Barack Obama, from the birth of Judaism, Christianity and Islam to the Israel-Palestine conflict, this is the epic history of three thousand years of faith, slaughter, fanaticism and coexistence. This is how Jerusalem became Jerusalem, and the only city that exists twice - in heaven and on earth.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
In-depth and gripping history of 3,000 years
- By Anonymous User on 12-16-11
-
Persians
- The Age of the Great Kings
- By: Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
- Narrated by: Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
- Length: 18 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 163
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 146
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 148
The Achaemenid Persian kings ruled over the largest empire of antiquity, stretching from Libya to the steppes of Asia and from Ethiopia to Pakistan. In Persians, historian Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones tells the epic story of this dynasty and the world it ruled. Drawing on Iranian inscriptions, cuneiform tablets, art, and archaeology, he shows how the Achaemenid Persian Empire was the world’s first superpower—one built, despite its imperial ambition, on cooperation and tolerance. This is the definitive history of the Achaemenid dynasty and its legacies in modern-day Iran.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Good History and Historiography
- By Anonymous User on 04-19-22
-
The Crusades
- By: Abigail Archer
- Narrated by: Sarah Nichols
- Length: 3 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 206
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 184
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 182
Looking into the past, the Crusades seem incomprehensible. What combination of religious fervor, hatred of people of different faiths, and gall led Europeans of AD 1100 to make their way thousands of miles to conquer the Holy Land? Why did they continue for 200 years? How did the Crusades change the world? The intriguing story is peppered with colorful characters. Over the centuries crusaders saw - and participated in - the evolution of warfare and the transformation of society from feudal fiefdoms to nations and empires.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good but hits pitfalls
- By Anonymous User on 01-06-21
By: Abigail Archer
-
The Dark Queens
- The Bloody Rivalry That Forged the Medieval World
- By: Shelley Puhak
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 340
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 283
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 283
Brunhild was a foreign princess, raised to be married off for the sake of alliance-building. Her sister-in-law Fredegund started out as a lowly palace slave. And yet - in sixth-century Merovingian France, where women were excluded from noble succession and royal politics was a blood sport - these two iron-willed strategists reigned over vast realms, changing the face of Europe.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating & Long Overdue
- By Anonymous User on 10-22-22
By: Shelley Puhak
-
The Wars of the Roses
- The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
- By: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,459
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,042
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,025
The 15th century saw the longest and bloodiest series of civil wars in British history. The crown of England changed hands five times as two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty fought to the death for the right to rule. Now, celebrated historian Dan Jones describes how the longest reigning British royal family tore itself apart until it was finally replaced by the Tudors. Some of the greatest heroes and villains in history were thrown together in these turbulent times.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
No Need for a Score Card
- By Anonymous User on 01-16-15
By: Dan Jones
-
God's Wolf
- The Life of the Most Notorious of All Crusaders, Scourge of Saladin
- By: Jeffrey Lee
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 48
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 49
In a 2010 terrorist plot, Al-Qaeda hid a bomb in a FedEx shipment addressed to Reynald de Chatillon, a knight who had died centuries ago in the Crusades. A reviled figure in Islamic history, often portrayed as the very epitome of brutality, Reynald remains as controversial - and as vividly present in the minds of many in the Middle East - as the story of the Crusades themselves.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A great look into the life of a great crusader
- By Anonymous User on 02-28-19
By: Jeffrey Lee
-
The Sea Wolves
- A History of the Vikings
- By: Lars Brownworth
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,052
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 939
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 937
In AD 793 Norse warriors struck the English isle of Lindisfarne and laid waste to it. Wave after wave of Norse "sea wolves" followed in search of plunder, land, or a glorious death in battle. Much of the British Isles fell before their swords, and the continental capitals of Paris and Aachen were sacked in turn. Turning east, they swept down the uncharted rivers of central Europe, captured Kiev, and clashed with mighty Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A little dry but very interesting
- By Anonymous User on 08-30-15
By: Lars Brownworth
-
In Search of the Dark Ages
- By: Michael Wood
- Narrated by: Marston York
- Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 59
In Search of the Dark Ages is an unrivalled exploration of the origins of English identity, and the best-selling book that established Michael Wood as one of Britain's leading historians. Now, on the book's 40th anniversary, this fully revised and expanded edition illuminates further the fascinating and mysterious centuries between the Romans and the Norman Conquest.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Brilliant!
- By Anonymous User on 08-31-22
By: Michael Wood
-
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
- By: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Jack Weatherford
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19,940
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 16,489
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 16,485
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Golden Horde/Platinum Listen
- By Anonymous User on 12-11-13
By: Jack Weatherford
-
A Distant Mirror
- The Calamitous Fourteenth Century
- By: Barbara W. Tuchman
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 28 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,366
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,699
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,712
The 14th century reflects two contradictory images: on the one hand, a glittering time of crusades and castles, cathedrals and chivalry, and the exquisitely decorated Books of Hours; and on the other, a time of ferocity and spiritual agony, a world of chaos and the plague.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
And you thought the twentieth century was rough...
- By Anonymous User on 03-23-06
-
Isabella of Castile
- Europe's First Great Queen
- By: Giles Tremlett
- Narrated by: Karen Cass
- Length: 19 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 79
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 75
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 75
In 1474, a 23-year-old woman ascended the throne of Castile, the largest and strongest kingdom in Spain. Ahead of her lay the considerable challenge not only of being a young female ruler in an overwhelmingly male-dominated world but also of reforming a major European kingdom that was riddled with crime, corruption, and violent political factionism. Her pivotal reign was long and transformative, uniting Spain and setting the stage for its golden era of global dominance.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Enlightening
- By Anonymous User on 03-07-17
By: Giles Tremlett
-
The Vikings
- A History
- By: Robert Ferguson
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 14 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 155
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 136
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 136
From Robert Ferguson comes a comprehensive and thrilling history, based on the latest scholarship, that offers the definitive portrait of the Vikings.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Good Historical Overview
- By Anonymous User on 04-25-12
By: Robert Ferguson
-
Isabella
- The Warrior Queen
- By: Kirstin Downey
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
- Length: 21 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 648
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 585
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 588
An engrossing and revolutionary biography of Isabella of Castile, the controversial Queen of Spain who sponsored Christopher Columbus's journey to the New World, established the Spanish Inquisition, and became one of the most influential female rulers in history.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Poorly narrated
- By Anonymous User on 02-23-15
By: Kirstin Downey
-
The Poison King
- The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome’s Deadliest Enemy
- By: Adrienne Mayor
- Narrated by: Paul Hecht
- Length: 15 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 784
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 667
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 667
A National Book Award finalist for this epic work, Adrienne Mayor delivers a gripping account of Mithradates, the ruthless visionary who began to challenge Rome’s power in 120 B.C. Machiavelli praised his military genius. Kings coveted his secret elixir against poison. Poets celebrated his victories, intrigues, and panache. But until now, no one has told the full story of his incredible life.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A mythic & complicated life of a charismatic King
- By Anonymous User on 06-15-13
By: Adrienne Mayor
-
Lords of the Horizons
- A History of the Ottoman Empire
- By: Jason Goodwin
- Narrated by: Grahame Edwards
- Length: 12 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 63
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 58
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 57
The Ottoman Empire has long exerted a strong pull on Western minds and hearts. For over 600 years the empire swelled and declined, rising from a dusty fiefdom in the foothills of Anatolia to a power which ruled over the Danube and the Euphrates with the richest court in Europe. But its decline was prodigious, protracted and total.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Good introduction to the Ottomans, bad narration
- By Anonymous User on 06-06-18
By: Jason Goodwin
-
The Templars
- The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God's Holy Warriors
- By: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: Dan Jones
- Length: 15 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,854
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,485
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,468
In 1307, as they struggled to secure their last strongholds in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Templars fell afoul of the vindictive and impulsive king of France. On Friday, October 13, hundreds of brothers were arrested en masse, imprisoned, tortured, and disbanded amid accusations of lurid sexual misconduct and heresy. They were tried by the Vatican in secret proceedings. But were they heretics or victims of a ruthlessly repressive state?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Unexpected
- By Anonymous User on 10-30-17
By: Dan Jones
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
The Ice Dragon
- By: George R.R. Martin
- Narrated by: Maggi Meg Reed
- Length: 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,151
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 979
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 985
In the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, the ice dragon was a creature of legend and fear, for no man had ever tamed one. When it flew overhead, it left in its wake desolate cold and frozen land. But Adara was not afraid. For Adara was a winter child, born during the worst freeze that anyone, even the Old Ones, could remember. Adara could not remember the first time she had seen the ice dragon. It seemed that it had always been in her life, glimpsed from afar as she played in the frigid snow long after the other children had fled the cold.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Throne Starter Kit
- By Anonymous User on 07-19-17