Legends of the Middle Ages
The Life and Legacy of Vlad the Impaler
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Legends of the Middle Ages
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Narrated by:
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Peter L. Delloro
About this listen
Includes historical accounts that describe Vlad the Impaler and his notorious rule. Discusses the authenticity of the accounts accusing Vlad of impaling tens of thousands and his other infamous misdeeds. Analyzes Vlad's legacy and his association with Bram Stoker's Dracula.
"And then he put many people on spinning wheels and killed them. And he also did many such other inhuman cruelties that were talked about in many countries." - A German legend about Vlad Dracula
A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' Legends of the Middle Ages series, listeners can get caught up to speed on the lives of important medieval men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.
Many medieval figures are shrouded in mystery due to the scarcity of available sources and to the difficulties posed by the interpretation of historical narratives dating from this period. And even when there is enough documented evidence to put together a sufficiently coherent biographical account, other sources and accounts may emerge that flagrantly contradict the already established and generally accepted historical narrative.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the legacy of Vlad III Dracula, who history has recorded as one of the most notorious and bloodthirsty tyrants of the 15th century. In addition to lending the name Dracula to Bram Stoker's famous vampire, Vlad is known around the world by the cognomen Vlad the Impaler, due to his reputation for impaling thousands of his enemies. Vlad was reputed to be such a tyrant that his reputation and stories of his deeds spread across Germany and the rest of Europe during his lifetime.
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-
Story4 out of 5 stars 395
Paul Cartledge, one of the world's foremost scholars of ancient Greece, illuminates the brief but iconic life of Alexander (356-323 B.C.), king of Macedon, conqueror of the Persian Empire, and founder of a new world order. Alexander's legacy has had a major impact on military tacticians, scholars, statesmen, adventurers, authors, and filmmakers.
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3 out of 5 stars
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NOT a Chronology of Alexander’s Life
- By Blane Richoux on 12-30-20
By: Paul Cartledge
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Constantine the Emperor
- By: David Potter
- Narrated by: Phil Holland
- Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 88
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Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 79
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Story4 out of 5 stars 79
This year Christians worldwide will celebrate the 1700th anniversary of Constantine's conversion and victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. No Roman emperor had a greater impact on the modern world than did Constantine. The reason is not simply that he converted to Christianity but that he did so in a way that brought his subjects along after him. Indeed, this major new biography argues that Constantine's conversion is but one feature of a unique administrative style that enabled him to take control of an empire beset by internal rebellions and external threats by Persians and Goths.
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4 out of 5 stars
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In this sign thou shalt conquer!
- By Darwin8u on 06-11-18
By: David Potter
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The Most Powerful Women in the Middle Ages
- Queens, Saints, and Viking Slayers, From Empress Theodora to Elizabeth of Tudor
- By: Melissa Rank, Michael Rank
- Narrated by: Anne Day-Jones
- Length: 3 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 42
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
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Story4 out of 5 stars 38
The idea of a powerful woman in the Middle Ages seems like an oxymoron. Females in this time are imagined to be damsels in distress, trapped in a high tower, and waiting for knights to rescue them, all while wearing traffic-cones for a hat. After rescue, their lives improved little. Their career choices were to be either docile queens, housewives, or be burned at the stake for witchcraft. But what if this image of medieval women is a complete fiction? It turns out that it is. Powerful female rulers fill the Middle Ages.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderfully empowering
- By Teresa Carter on 01-29-23
By: Melissa Rank, and others
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The Fall of the Roman Empire
- A New History of Rome and the Barbarians
- By: Peter Heather
- Narrated by: Allan Robertson
- Length: 21 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 484
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 433
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 431
The death of the Roman Empire is one of the perennial mysteries of world history. Now, in this groundbreaking book, Peter Heather proposes a stunning new solution: Centuries of imperialism turned the neighbors Rome called barbarians into an enemy capable of dismantling an Empire that had dominated their lives for so long. A leading authority on the late Roman Empire and on the barbarians, Heather relates the extraordinary story of how Europe's barbarians, transformed by centuries of contact with Rome on every possible level, eventually pulled the empire apart.
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1 out of 5 stars
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A New HIstory but not a better history
- By Mario on 03-28-14
By: Peter Heather
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The Spartans
- By: Paul Cartledge
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 252
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 139
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Story4 out of 5 stars 141
The Spartans of ancient Greece were a powerful and unique people, radically different from any civilization before or since. A society of warrior-heroes, they were living exemplars of self-sacrifice, community endeavor, and achievement against all odds, qualities that today signify the ultimate in heroism. Scholars even believe that Thomas More had Sparta specifically in mind when he coined the term "Utopia".
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1 out of 5 stars
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Not a place to go to learn about the Spartans
- By James on 10-22-07
By: Paul Cartledge
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The Race for Paradise
- An Islamic History of the Crusades
- By: Paul M. Cobb
- Narrated by: Paul M. Cobb
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 74
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 67
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 66
In The Race for Paradise, Paul M. Cobb offers a new history of the confrontations between Muslims and Franks we now call the "Crusades", one that emphasizes the diversity of Muslim experiences of the European holy war. There is more to the story than Jerusalem, the Templars, Saladin, and the Assassins. Cobb considers the Arab perspective on all shores of the Muslim Mediterranean, from Spain to Syria.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A heady piece of history and a romp.
- By Meeno on 05-28-15
By: Paul M. Cobb
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The Norman Conquest
- The Battle of Hastings and the Fall of Anglo-Saxon England
- By: Marc Morris
- Narrated by: Frazer Douglas
- Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,026
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 900
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 895
An upstart French duke who sets out to conquer the most powerful and unified kingdom in Christendom. An invasion force on a scale not seen since the days of the Romans. One of the bloodiest and most decisive battles ever fought.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Balanced, Entertaining, and Informative History
- By Jefferson on 06-01-14
By: Marc Morris
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Parthian Empire
- A Captivating Guide to the Enemy of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: David Patton
- Length: 1 hr and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 24
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 21
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 21
Explore the most enduring empire of the ancient Near East. Few nations were able to not only parry but also defeat the mighty Roman Empire, rivaling it in almost all segments. One of those was the Parthian empire, cultural and traditional successor of the more famous Achaemenid Persian empire that was brought down by the Alexander the Great.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Too short!
- By Viktor V. Choban on 12-03-21
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The Borgias
- The Hidden History
- By: G. J. Meyer
- Narrated by: Enn Reitel
- Length: 19 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 719
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 626
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 629
The startling truth behind one of the most notorious dynasties in history is revealed in a remarkable new account by the acclaimed author of The Tudors and A World Undone. Sweeping aside the gossip, slander, and distortion that have shrouded the Borgias for centuries, G. J. Meyer offers an unprecedented portrait of the infamous Renaissance family and their storied milieu.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Marvelous !
- By Cinders on 08-02-13
By: G. J. Meyer
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Praetorian
- The Rise and Fall of Rome's Imperial Bodyguard
- By: Guy de la Bédoyère
- Narrated by: Malk Williams
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 174
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 147
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 146
Founded by Augustus around 27 BC, the elite Praetorian Guard was tasked with the protection of the emperor and his family. As the centuries unfolded, however, Praetorian soldiers served not only as protectors and enforcers but also as powerful political players. Fiercely loyal to some emperors, they vied with others and ruthlessly toppled those who displeased them, including Caligula, Nero, Pertinax, and many more. Guy de la Bédoyère provides a compelling first full narrative history of the Praetorians.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Buy it
- By Charles on 08-07-17
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A Brief History of the Knights Templar
- Brief Histories
- By: Helen Nicholson
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 99
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 85
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Story4 out of 5 stars 85
Much has been written about the Knights Templar in recent years. A leading specialist in the history of this legendary medieval order now writes a full account of the Knights of the Order of the Temple of Solomon, to give them their full title, bringing the latest findings to a general audience. Putting many of the myths finally to rest, Nicholson recounts a new history of these storm troopers of the papacy, founded during the crusades but who got so rich and influential
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5 out of 5 stars
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Digs Deep for a Brief History
- By Troy on 01-29-15
By: Helen Nicholson
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Charlemagne
- By: Johannes Fried, Peter Lewis
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 30 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 254
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 220
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Story4 out of 5 stars 217
When the legendary Frankish king and emperor Charlemagne died in 814 he left behind a dominion and a legacy unlike anything seen in Western Europe since the fall of Rome. Johannes Fried paints a compelling portrait of a devout ruler, a violent time, and a unified kingdom that deepens our understanding of the man often called the father of Europe.
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1 out of 5 stars
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I really wanted to enjoy this -
- By Doris on 01-19-18
By: Johannes Fried, and others
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The History of the Sunni and Shia Split
- Understanding the Divisions within Islam
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 1 hr and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 273
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 239
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Story4 out of 5 stars 240
Different branches of the same religion are the exception more than the rule, and they have had a profound impact upon history. The schism between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches influenced relationships between nations across Europe, and religious intolerance based on different Christian faiths led to persecution and outright violence across the continent for centuries.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent preface to making sense of intl news.
- By MolllyT on 07-16-15
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Bosworth 1485
- Psychology of a Battle
- By: Michael K. Jones
- Narrated by: Peter Wickham
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 83
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 72
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Story4 out of 5 stars 72
On August 22, 1485, at Bosworth Field, Richard III fell, the Wars of the Roses ended, and the Tudor dynasty began. The clash is so significant because it marks the break between medieval and modern; yet how much do we really know about this historical landmark? Michael K. Jones uses archival discoveries to show Richard III's defeat was by no means inevitable and was achieved only through extraordinary chance. He relocates the battle away from the site recognized for more than 500 years.
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5 out of 5 stars
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At last I am able to grasp this important history!
- By NC-N-NC on 03-29-16
By: Michael K. Jones
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The Hidden History of the Knights Templar
- The Church's Oldest Conspiracy
- By: Conrad Bauer
- Narrated by: Charles D. Baker
- Length: 2 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 138
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 120
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Story4 out of 5 stars 120
The Knights Templar existed officially for less than 200 years. Founded to protect pilgrims who were travelling through the Holy Lands, their rise to power was sudden. They became some of the most feared warriors in the region, they had a mandate from God, they controlled perhaps the world's first real banking system, and they waged war against anyone who tried to wrestle Christianity and seize holy grounds from the control of the Catholic Church.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Insightful
- By Tina on 09-11-16
By: Conrad Bauer
What listeners say about Legends of the Middle Ages
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- 02-21-16
Well Done!
nice to see a book written for history sake and not just propaganda. Kudos to the author!
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