Sparta
Fall of a Warrior Nation
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.
Sparta
Buy for $17.19
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Mike Cooper
-
By:
-
Philip Matyszak
About this listen
This cultural history of Ancient Sparta chronicles the rise of its legendary military power and offers revealing insight into the people behind the myths.
The Spartans of ancient Greece are typically portrayed as macho heroes: noble, laconic, totally fearless. But life was not as simple as this image suggests. In truth, ancient Sparta was a city of contrasts.
We might admire their physical toughness, but Spartans also systematically abused their children. They gave rights to female citizens that were unmatched in Europe until the modern era, meanwhile subjecting their conquered subject peoples to a murderous reign of terror. Though idealized by the Athenian contemporaries of Socrates, Sparta was almost devoid of intellectual achievement.
In this revealing history of Spartan society, Philip Matyszak chronicles the rise of the city from a Peloponnesian village to the military superpower of Greece. Above all, Matyszak investigates the role of the Spartan hoplite, the archetypal Greek warrior who was feared throughout Greece in his own day and has since become a legend. The listener is shown the man behind the myth; who he was, who he thought he was, and the environment which produced him.
©2018 Philip Matyszak (P)2022 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
-
Greece Against Rome
- The Fall of the Hellenistic Kingdoms 250-31 BC
- By: Philip Matyszak
- Narrated by: Gareth Richards
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 28
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 22
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 22
Towards the middle of the third century BC, the Hellenistic kingdoms were near their peak. In terms of population, economy, and military power, each was vastly superior to Rome, not to mention in fields such as medicine, architecture, science, philosophy, and literature. But over the next two and a half centuries, Rome would eventually conquer these kingdoms while adopting so much of Hellenistic culture that the resultant hybrid is known as "Graeco-Roman." In Greece Against Rome, Philip Matyszak relates this epic tale from the Hellenistic perspective.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Really enjoyed the book and snark
- By Chris Smith on 05-27-23
By: Philip Matyszak
-
24 Hours in Ancient Athens
- A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There
- By: Philip Matyszak
- Narrated by: Gareth Richards
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 23
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 20
During the course of a day we meet twenty-four Athenians from all strata of society—from the slave-girl to the councilman, the vase painter to the naval commander, the housewife to the hoplite—and get to know what the real Athens was like by spending an hour in their company. We encounter a different one of these characters every chapter, with each chapter forming an hour in the life of the ancient city.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Maybe the narrator for 24 hours in Rome spoiled me
- By Dan R. on 04-06-23
By: Philip Matyszak
-
The Rise of Athens
- The Story of the World's Greatest Civilization
- By: Anthony Everitt
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 16 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 617
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 544
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 542
Filled with tales of adventure and astounding reversals of fortune, The Rise of Athens celebrates the city-state that transformed the world - from the democratic revolution that marked its beginning through the city's political and cultural golden age to its decline into the ancient equivalent of a modern-day university town. Anthony Everitt constructs his history with unforgettable portraits of the talented, tricky, ambitious, and unscrupulous Athenians who fueled the city's rise.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Good but not great. With some disturbing opinions.
- By Anthony on 06-25-19
By: Anthony Everitt
-
Rome and Persia
- The Seven Hundred Year Rivalry
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Mark Elstob
- Length: 20 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 54
The Roman empire was like no other. Stretching from the north of Britain to the Sahara, and from the Atlantic coast to the Euphrates, it imposed peace and prosperity on an unprecedented scale. Its only true rival lay in the east, where the Parthian and then Persian empires ruled over great cities and the trade routes to mysterious lands beyond. Tracing seven centuries of conflict between Rome and Persia, historian Adrian Goldsworthy shows how these two great powers evolved together
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
MAPS NEEDED
- By David on 12-29-23
-
The Battle of Salamis
- The Naval Encounter That Saved Greece -- and Western Civilization
- By: Barry Strauss
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 7
On a late September day in 480 BC, Greek warships faced an invading Persian armada in the narrow Salamis Straits in the most important naval battle of the ancient world. Overwhelmingly outnumbered by the enemy, the Greeks triumphed through a combination of strategy and deception. More than two millennia after it occurred, the clash between the Greeks and Persians at Salamis remains one of the most tactically brilliant battles ever fought.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Barry Strauss delivers an epic clash…
- By rzlbrk on 10-20-23
By: Barry Strauss
-
Empire of the Black Sea
- The Rise and Fall of the Mithridatic World
- By: Duane W. Roller
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 27
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 22
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 22
What is commonly called the kingdom of Pontos flourished for over 200 years in the coastal regions of the Black Sea. At its peak in the early first century BC, it included much of the southern, eastern, and northern littoral, becoming one of the most important Hellenistic dynasties not founded by a successor of Alexander the Great. Previous histories of Pontos have focused almost exclusively on the career of its last ruler. Setting that famous reign in its wide historical context, Empire of the Black Sea is an engaging account of a powerful yet little-known ancient dynasty.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
More of an academic journal than a book.
- By Amazon Customer on 07-05-23
By: Duane W. Roller
-
Greece Against Rome
- The Fall of the Hellenistic Kingdoms 250-31 BC
- By: Philip Matyszak
- Narrated by: Gareth Richards
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 28
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 22
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 22
Towards the middle of the third century BC, the Hellenistic kingdoms were near their peak. In terms of population, economy, and military power, each was vastly superior to Rome, not to mention in fields such as medicine, architecture, science, philosophy, and literature. But over the next two and a half centuries, Rome would eventually conquer these kingdoms while adopting so much of Hellenistic culture that the resultant hybrid is known as "Graeco-Roman." In Greece Against Rome, Philip Matyszak relates this epic tale from the Hellenistic perspective.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Really enjoyed the book and snark
- By Chris Smith on 05-27-23
By: Philip Matyszak
-
24 Hours in Ancient Athens
- A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There
- By: Philip Matyszak
- Narrated by: Gareth Richards
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 23
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 20
During the course of a day we meet twenty-four Athenians from all strata of society—from the slave-girl to the councilman, the vase painter to the naval commander, the housewife to the hoplite—and get to know what the real Athens was like by spending an hour in their company. We encounter a different one of these characters every chapter, with each chapter forming an hour in the life of the ancient city.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Maybe the narrator for 24 hours in Rome spoiled me
- By Dan R. on 04-06-23
By: Philip Matyszak
-
The Rise of Athens
- The Story of the World's Greatest Civilization
- By: Anthony Everitt
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 16 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 617
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 544
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 542
Filled with tales of adventure and astounding reversals of fortune, The Rise of Athens celebrates the city-state that transformed the world - from the democratic revolution that marked its beginning through the city's political and cultural golden age to its decline into the ancient equivalent of a modern-day university town. Anthony Everitt constructs his history with unforgettable portraits of the talented, tricky, ambitious, and unscrupulous Athenians who fueled the city's rise.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Good but not great. With some disturbing opinions.
- By Anthony on 06-25-19
By: Anthony Everitt
-
Rome and Persia
- The Seven Hundred Year Rivalry
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Mark Elstob
- Length: 20 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 54
The Roman empire was like no other. Stretching from the north of Britain to the Sahara, and from the Atlantic coast to the Euphrates, it imposed peace and prosperity on an unprecedented scale. Its only true rival lay in the east, where the Parthian and then Persian empires ruled over great cities and the trade routes to mysterious lands beyond. Tracing seven centuries of conflict between Rome and Persia, historian Adrian Goldsworthy shows how these two great powers evolved together
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
MAPS NEEDED
- By David on 12-29-23
-
The Battle of Salamis
- The Naval Encounter That Saved Greece -- and Western Civilization
- By: Barry Strauss
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 7
On a late September day in 480 BC, Greek warships faced an invading Persian armada in the narrow Salamis Straits in the most important naval battle of the ancient world. Overwhelmingly outnumbered by the enemy, the Greeks triumphed through a combination of strategy and deception. More than two millennia after it occurred, the clash between the Greeks and Persians at Salamis remains one of the most tactically brilliant battles ever fought.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Barry Strauss delivers an epic clash…
- By rzlbrk on 10-20-23
By: Barry Strauss
-
Empire of the Black Sea
- The Rise and Fall of the Mithridatic World
- By: Duane W. Roller
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 27
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 22
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 22
What is commonly called the kingdom of Pontos flourished for over 200 years in the coastal regions of the Black Sea. At its peak in the early first century BC, it included much of the southern, eastern, and northern littoral, becoming one of the most important Hellenistic dynasties not founded by a successor of Alexander the Great. Previous histories of Pontos have focused almost exclusively on the career of its last ruler. Setting that famous reign in its wide historical context, Empire of the Black Sea is an engaging account of a powerful yet little-known ancient dynasty.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
More of an academic journal than a book.
- By Amazon Customer on 07-05-23
By: Duane W. Roller
-
Pax
- War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age
- By: Tom Holland
- Narrated by: Tom Holland
- Length: 14 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 194
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 185
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 185
The Pax Romana has long been shorthand for the empire’s golden age. Stretching from Caledonia to Arabia, Rome ruled over a quarter of the world’s population. It was the wealthiest and most formidable state in the history of humankind. Pax is a captivating narrative history of Rome at the height of its power. From the gilded capital to realms beyond the frontier, historian Tom Holland shows ancient Rome in all its glory
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great book!
- By Mic on 09-27-23
By: Tom Holland
-
Rome
- Strategy of Empire
- By: James Lacey
- Narrated by: Joel Richards
- Length: 18 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 21
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 19
The Roman Empire lasted a solid 500 years—an impressive number by any standard. The decline and final collapse of the Roman Empire took longer than most other empires even existed. Any historian trying to unearth the grand strategy of the Roman Empire must, therefore, always remain cognizant of the time scale. Over the centuries, the Empire's underlying economy, political arrangements, military affairs, and the myriad of external threats it faced were in constant flux, making adaptability to changing circumstances as important to Roman strategists as it is to strategists of the modern era.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Antony NOT Anthony
- By Cody Rankin on 12-14-23
By: James Lacey
-
The Wandering Army
- The Campaigns That Transformed the British Way of War
- By: Huw J. Davies
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 18 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 10
A compelling history of the British Army in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries—showing how the military gathered knowledge from campaigns across the globe.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Standard for Historical Writing
- By Dennis Jameson on 02-04-23
By: Huw J. Davies
-
Philip and Alexander
- Kings and Conquerors
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Neil Dickson
- Length: 20 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 457
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 394
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 393
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.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Horrible narrator
- By Anonymous User on 01-05-21
-
Our Oriental Heritage
- The Story of Civilization, Volume 1
- By: Will Durant
- Narrated by: Robin Field
- Length: 50 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,312
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,169
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,161
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderful
- By Michael on 11-30-13
By: Will Durant
-
By Steppe, Desert, and Ocean
- The Birth of Eurasia
- By: Barry Cunliffe
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 18 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 30
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 31
By Steppe, Desert, and Ocean is nothing less than the story of how humans first started building the globalized world we know today. Set on a huge continental stage, from Europe to China, it is a tale covering more than 10,000 years, from the origins of farming around 9000 BC to the expansion of the Mongols in the 13th century AD.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Remarkable research!
- By B. Dillon on 07-21-22
By: Barry Cunliffe
-
Hannibal
- By: Patrick N. Hunt
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 262
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 230
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 230
One of the greatest commanders of the ancient world brought vividly to life: Hannibal, the brilliant general who successfully crossed the Alps with his war elephants and brought Rome to its knees. Hannibal Barca of Carthage, born 247 BC, was one of the great generals of the ancient world. Historian Patrick N. Hunt has led archaeological expeditions in the Alps and elsewhere to study Hannibal's achievements. Now he brings Hannibal's incredible story to life in this riveting and dramatic audiobook.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A monotone mundane narration
- By Jeff Lacy on 05-22-20
By: Patrick N. Hunt
-
The Fall of Carthage
- The Punic Wars 265-146BC
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,571
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,352
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,346
The struggle between Rome and Carthage in the Punic Wars was arguably the greatest and most desperate conflict of antiquity. The forces involved and the casualties suffered by both sides were far greater than in any wars fought before the modern era, while the eventual outcome had far-reaching consequences for the history of the Western World, namely the ascendancy of Rome. An epic of war and battle, this is also the story of famous generals and leaders: Hannibal, Fabius Maximus, Scipio Africanus, and his grandson Scipio Aemilianus, who would finally bring down the walls of Carthage.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Captivating
- By Jean on 03-25-19
-
24 Hours in Ancient Egypt
- A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There
- By: Donald P. Ryan
- Narrated by: Jonathan Beville
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 20
Ancient Egypt wasn't all pyramids, sphinxes and gold sarcophagi. For your average Egyptian, life was tough, and work was hard, conducted under the burning gaze of the sun god Ra.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Authentic Details Make it a Worthy Listen
- By Daniel Morlan on 12-02-23
By: Donald P. Ryan
-
Istanbul
- City of Majesty at the Crossroads of the World
- By: Thomas F. Madden
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 14 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 283
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 248
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 248
For more than two millennia, Istanbul has stood at the crossroads of the world, perched at the very tip of Europe, gazing across the shores of Asia. The history of this city - known as Byzantium, then Constantinople, now Istanbul - is at once glorious, outsized, and astounding. Founded by the Greeks, its location blessed it as a center for trade but also made it a target of every empire in history, from Alexander the Great and his Macedonian Empire, to the Romans and later the Ottomans.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
A History Without People
- By SeanO on 04-02-19
By: Thomas F. Madden
-
The Crusades
- The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land
- By: Thomas Asbridge
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 25 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,965
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,522
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,500
The Crusades is an authoritative, accessible single-volume history of the brutal struggle for the Holy Land in the Middle Ages. Thomas Asbridge - a renowned historian who writes with "maximum vividness" (Joan Acocella, The New Yorker) - covers the years 1095 to 1291 in this big, ambitious, listenable account of one of the most fascinating periods in history.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Comprehensive
- By Tad Davis on 10-04-16
By: Thomas Asbridge
-
Caesar
- Life of a Colossus
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 24 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,908
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,474
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,468
Tracing the extraordinary trajectory of Julius Caesar's life, Adrian Goldsworthy covers not only the great Roman emperor's accomplishments as charismatic orator, conquering general, and powerful dictator but also lesser-known chapters. Ultimately, Goldsworthy realizes the full complexity of Caesar's character and shows why his political and military leadership continues to resonate some 2,000 years later.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Caesar and his times
- By Mike From Mesa on 08-31-15
Related to this topic
-
Pax Romana
- War, Peace, and Conquest in the Roman World
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 481
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 426
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 423
Pax Romana examines how the Romans came to control so much of the world and asks whether traditionally favorable images of the Roman peace are true. Goldsworthy vividly recounts the rebellions of the conquered and examines why they broke out, why most failed, and how they became exceedingly rare. He reveals that hostility was just one reaction to the arrival of Rome and that from the outset, conquered peoples collaborated, formed alliances, and joined invaders, causing resistance movements to fade away.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
2 stars if youve read goldsworthy; 2.5 or 3 if not
- By fm2 on 10-21-16
-
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
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 484
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 433
-
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.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
A New HIstory but not a better history
- By Mario on 03-28-14
By: Peter Heather
-
The War of the Three Gods
- Romans, Persians, and the Rise of Islam
- By: Peter Crawford
- Narrated by: James Lurie
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 395
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 343
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 344
The War of the Three Gods is a military history of the Near and Middle East in the seventh century - with its chief focus on the reign of the Eastern Roman Emperor Heraclius (AD 610-641) - a pivotal and dramatic time in world history. The Eastern Roman Empire was brought to the very brink of extinction by the Sassanid Persians before Heraclius managed to inflict a crushing defeat on the Sassanids with a desperate, final gambit.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Filled in some blanks
- By Cory on 10-19-15
By: Peter Crawford
-
Napoleon's Wars
- An International History, 1803-1815
- By: Charles Esdaile
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 24 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 130
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 90
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 90
In the most definitive account to date, respected historian Charles Esdaile argues that the chief motivating factor for Napoleon was his insatiable desire for fame. More than a myth-busting portrait of Napoleon, however, this volume offers a panoramic view of the armed conflicts that spread so quickly out of revolutionary France to countries as remote as Sweden and Egypt.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Not bad, nor what I was expecting
- By Judd Bagley on 07-18-09
By: Charles Esdaile
-
Carthage Must Be Destroyed
- The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization
- By: Richard Miles
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 14 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 670
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 580
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 577
An epic history of a doomed civilization and a lost empire. The devastating struggle to the death between the Carthaginians and the Romans was one of the defining dramas of the ancient world. In an epic series of land and sea battles, both sides came close to victory before the Carthaginians finally succumbed and their capital city, history, and culture were almost utterly erased.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding! This is THE book on Carthage.
- By Haakon B. Dahl on 01-21-13
By: Richard Miles
-
Caesar
- Life of a Colossus
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 24 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,908
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,474
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,468
Tracing the extraordinary trajectory of Julius Caesar's life, Adrian Goldsworthy covers not only the great Roman emperor's accomplishments as charismatic orator, conquering general, and powerful dictator but also lesser-known chapters. Ultimately, Goldsworthy realizes the full complexity of Caesar's character and shows why his political and military leadership continues to resonate some 2,000 years later.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Caesar and his times
- By Mike From Mesa on 08-31-15
-
Pax Romana
- War, Peace, and Conquest in the Roman World
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 481
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 426
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 423
Pax Romana examines how the Romans came to control so much of the world and asks whether traditionally favorable images of the Roman peace are true. Goldsworthy vividly recounts the rebellions of the conquered and examines why they broke out, why most failed, and how they became exceedingly rare. He reveals that hostility was just one reaction to the arrival of Rome and that from the outset, conquered peoples collaborated, formed alliances, and joined invaders, causing resistance movements to fade away.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
2 stars if youve read goldsworthy; 2.5 or 3 if not
- By fm2 on 10-21-16
-
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
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 484
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 433
-
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.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
A New HIstory but not a better history
- By Mario on 03-28-14
By: Peter Heather
-
The War of the Three Gods
- Romans, Persians, and the Rise of Islam
- By: Peter Crawford
- Narrated by: James Lurie
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 395
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 343
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 344
The War of the Three Gods is a military history of the Near and Middle East in the seventh century - with its chief focus on the reign of the Eastern Roman Emperor Heraclius (AD 610-641) - a pivotal and dramatic time in world history. The Eastern Roman Empire was brought to the very brink of extinction by the Sassanid Persians before Heraclius managed to inflict a crushing defeat on the Sassanids with a desperate, final gambit.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Filled in some blanks
- By Cory on 10-19-15
By: Peter Crawford
-
Napoleon's Wars
- An International History, 1803-1815
- By: Charles Esdaile
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 24 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 130
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 90
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 90
In the most definitive account to date, respected historian Charles Esdaile argues that the chief motivating factor for Napoleon was his insatiable desire for fame. More than a myth-busting portrait of Napoleon, however, this volume offers a panoramic view of the armed conflicts that spread so quickly out of revolutionary France to countries as remote as Sweden and Egypt.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Not bad, nor what I was expecting
- By Judd Bagley on 07-18-09
By: Charles Esdaile
-
Carthage Must Be Destroyed
- The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization
- By: Richard Miles
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 14 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 670
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 580
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 577
An epic history of a doomed civilization and a lost empire. The devastating struggle to the death between the Carthaginians and the Romans was one of the defining dramas of the ancient world. In an epic series of land and sea battles, both sides came close to victory before the Carthaginians finally succumbed and their capital city, history, and culture were almost utterly erased.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding! This is THE book on Carthage.
- By Haakon B. Dahl on 01-21-13
By: Richard Miles
-
Caesar
- Life of a Colossus
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 24 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,908
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,474
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,468
Tracing the extraordinary trajectory of Julius Caesar's life, Adrian Goldsworthy covers not only the great Roman emperor's accomplishments as charismatic orator, conquering general, and powerful dictator but also lesser-known chapters. Ultimately, Goldsworthy realizes the full complexity of Caesar's character and shows why his political and military leadership continues to resonate some 2,000 years later.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Caesar and his times
- By Mike From Mesa on 08-31-15
-
Spartans: A Captivating Guide to the Fierce Warriors of Ancient Greece, Including Spartan Military Tactics, the Battle of Thermopylae, How Sparta Was Ruled, and More
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Richard L Walton
- Length: 3 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 67
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 65
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 65
If you want to discover the captivating history of Sparta, then pay attention...Sparta is one of the first names that comes to mind when we think about the ancient world. And this is for good reason. After its founding sometime in the 10th century BCE, Sparta soon rose to be one of the most powerful city-states in not only the Greek but the entire ancient world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
This is Sparta!!!!!!!! and everything else too.
- By Brian VonFeldt on 05-28-21
-
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
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 74
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 67
-
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A heady piece of history and a romp.
- By Meeno on 05-28-15
By: Paul M. Cobb
-
Marathon
- The Battle That Changed Western Civilization
- By: Richard A. Billows
- Narrated by: Jeremy Gage
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 113
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 91
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 89
Published to coincide with Marathon's 2500th anniversary, a riveting history of the historic battle. The Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C. is not only understood as the most decisive event in the struggle between the Greeks and the Persians, but can also be seen as perhaps the most significant moment in our collective history. 10,000 Athenian citizens faced a Persian military force of more than 25,000.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Effectively evokes the world of ancient greece
- By Aaron on 11-02-10
-
By the Spear
- Philip II, Alexander the Great, and the Rise and Fall of the Macedonian Empire
- By: Ian Worthington
- Narrated by: Phil Holland
- Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 145
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 127
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 128
For the first time, By the Spear offers an exhilarating military narrative of the reigns of these two larger-than-life figures in one volume. Ian Worthington gives full breadth to the careers of father and son, showing how Philip was the architect of the Macedonian empire, which reached its zenith under Alexander, only to disintegrate upon his death.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Bueller..... Bueller...... Bueller...... Monotone
- By Jonathan Allen Beard on 02-15-15
By: Ian Worthington
-
A History of the Roman Republic
- By: Cyril Edward Robinson
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 19 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 51
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 45
The story of the Roman Republic is the greatest epic in human history. Seen in the long perspective of time, it seems too fantastic to be real. From her modest beginnings as a convenient fording place on the Tiber to her eventual destiny as the mistress of the Mediterranean, Rome offers a strange tale of fate, sacrifice, and indomitable willpower. The stern realities of war shaped Rome's policies from the very beginning.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent overview
- By jaime on 05-14-15
-
The Peloponnesian War
- A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Greek War Between the Two Leading City-States in Ancient Greece: Athens and Sparta
- By: Captivating Captivating History
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 28
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 27
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 27
If you want to discover the captivating history of the Peloponnesian War, then pay attention. The Peloponnesian War enveloped the entire Greek world, from Syracuse on the island of Sicily to the shores of western Turkey. It ravaged the Greek population and produced great hardships, and it led to the eventual downfall of the Athenian Empire and the rise of the Spartan Empire.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
factually incorrect
- By Maarten-Jan on 12-24-22
-
Napoleon
- Soldier of Destiny
- By: Michael Broers
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 20 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 53
Written with great energy and authority - and using the newly available personal archives of Napoleon himself - the first volume of a majestic two-part biography of the great French emperor and conqueror.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Clarity
- By Tad Davis on 03-25-19
By: Michael Broers
-
Masters of Command
- Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, and the Genius of Leadership
- By: Barry Strauss
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 134
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 119
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 119
Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar: Each was a master of war. Each had to look beyond the battlefield to decide whom to fight and why; to know what victory was and when to end the war; to determine how to bring stability to the lands he conquered. Alexander, Hannibal, and Caesar had to be not only generals but statesmen. And yet each was a battlefield commander, a strategist, a leader of men - in short, a warrior.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Too much jumping around
- By Nick on 03-12-17
By: Barry Strauss
-
The Ghosts of Cannae
- Hannibal and the Darkest Hour of the Roman Republic
- By: Robert L. O'Connell
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 371
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 262
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 260
For fans of Victor Davis Hanson, Donald Kagan, and Barry Strauss comes a rich, sweeping account of the most imitated---and vicious---battle in history.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Hannibal's Legacy
- By Douglas on 11-10-10
-
Ancient Rome
- The Rise and Fall of An Empire
- By: Simon Baker
- Narrated by: Chris MacDonnell
- Length: 17 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 261
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 225
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 225
This is the story of the greatest empire the world has ever known. Simon Baker charts the rise and fall of the world's first superpower, focusing on six momentous turning points that shaped Roman history. Welcome to Rome as you've never seen it before - awesome and splendid, gritty and squalid. From the conquest of the Mediterranean beginning in the third century BC to the destruction of the Roman Empire at the hands of barbarian invaders some seven centuries later, we discover the most critical episodes in Roman history.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Clear and dramatic
- By Tad Davis on 08-01-17
By: Simon Baker
-
The Crusades
- The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land
- By: Thomas Asbridge
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 25 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,965
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,522
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,500
The Crusades is an authoritative, accessible single-volume history of the brutal struggle for the Holy Land in the Middle Ages. Thomas Asbridge - a renowned historian who writes with "maximum vividness" (Joan Acocella, The New Yorker) - covers the years 1095 to 1291 in this big, ambitious, listenable account of one of the most fascinating periods in history.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Comprehensive
- By Tad Davis on 10-04-16
By: Thomas Asbridge
-
Mortal Republic
- How Rome Fell into Tyranny
- By: Edward J. Watts
- Narrated by: Matt Kugler
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 266
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 241
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 239
In Mortal Republic, prize-winning historian Edward J. Watts offers a new history of the fall of the Roman Republic that explains why Rome exchanged freedom for autocracy. For centuries, even as Rome grew into the Mediterranean's premier military and political power, its governing institutions, parliamentary rules, and political customs successfully fostered negotiation and compromise. By the 130s BC, however, Rome's leaders increasingly used these same tools to cynically pursue individual gain and obstruct their opponents.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Well Written Timely Work
- By David I. Williams on 09-10-20
By: Edward J. Watts
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Greece Against Rome
- The Fall of the Hellenistic Kingdoms 250-31 BC
- By: Philip Matyszak
- Narrated by: Gareth Richards
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 28
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 22
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 22
Towards the middle of the third century BC, the Hellenistic kingdoms were near their peak. In terms of population, economy, and military power, each was vastly superior to Rome, not to mention in fields such as medicine, architecture, science, philosophy, and literature. But over the next two and a half centuries, Rome would eventually conquer these kingdoms while adopting so much of Hellenistic culture that the resultant hybrid is known as "Graeco-Roman." In Greece Against Rome, Philip Matyszak relates this epic tale from the Hellenistic perspective.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Really enjoyed the book and snark
- By Chris Smith on 05-27-23
By: Philip Matyszak
-
Sparta
- Rise of a Warrior Nation
- By: Philip Matyszak
- Narrated by: Mike Cooper
- Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 19
The Spartans of ancient Greece are typically portrayed as macho heroes: noble, laconic, totally fearless, and impervious to pain. And indeed, they often lived up to this image. But life was not as simple as this image suggests. In truth, ancient Sparta was a city of contrasts.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The content and the narrator’s voice.
- By Inga McGee on 11-04-24
By: Philip Matyszak
-
24 Hours in Ancient Athens
- A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There
- By: Philip Matyszak
- Narrated by: Gareth Richards
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 23
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 20
During the course of a day we meet twenty-four Athenians from all strata of society—from the slave-girl to the councilman, the vase painter to the naval commander, the housewife to the hoplite—and get to know what the real Athens was like by spending an hour in their company. We encounter a different one of these characters every chapter, with each chapter forming an hour in the life of the ancient city.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Maybe the narrator for 24 hours in Rome spoiled me
- By Dan R. on 04-06-23
By: Philip Matyszak
-
24 Hours in Ancient Rome: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There
- 24 Hours in Ancient History Series, Book 1
- By: Philip Matyszak
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 118
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 102
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 102
In this entertaining and enlightening guide, best-selling historian Philip Matyszak introduces us to the people who lived and worked there. In each hour of the day we meet a new character - from emperor to slave girl, gladiator to astrologer, medicine woman to water-clock maker - and discover the fascinating details of their daily lives.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Took me back to Latin class and the origin of word
- By tony harris on 05-19-20
By: Philip Matyszak
-
A Walk Through Ancient Rome
- A Tour of the Historical Sites That Shaped the City
- By: Philip Matyszak
- Narrated by: Jonathan Johns
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1
In this expert guide to the ancient city, Dr Philip Matyszak takes us on a tour of ancient Rome's most fascinating and important sites and locations, revealing the secrets of the beating heart of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Enjoyable retro-tour
- By M. Denis on 07-18-24
By: Philip Matyszak
-
Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World
- By: Philip Matyszak
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 289
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 245
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 245
This thorough guide explores those civilizations that have faded from the pages of our textbooks but played a significant role in the development of modern society. Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World covers the Hyksos to the Hephthalites and everyone in between, providing a unique overview of humanity's history from approximately 3000 BCE-550 CE. Each entry exposes a diverse culture, highlighting their important contributions.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gripping and seamless
- By Mike Heim on 05-13-21
By: Philip Matyszak
-
Greece Against Rome
- The Fall of the Hellenistic Kingdoms 250-31 BC
- By: Philip Matyszak
- Narrated by: Gareth Richards
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 28
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 22
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 22
Towards the middle of the third century BC, the Hellenistic kingdoms were near their peak. In terms of population, economy, and military power, each was vastly superior to Rome, not to mention in fields such as medicine, architecture, science, philosophy, and literature. But over the next two and a half centuries, Rome would eventually conquer these kingdoms while adopting so much of Hellenistic culture that the resultant hybrid is known as "Graeco-Roman." In Greece Against Rome, Philip Matyszak relates this epic tale from the Hellenistic perspective.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Really enjoyed the book and snark
- By Chris Smith on 05-27-23
By: Philip Matyszak
-
Sparta
- Rise of a Warrior Nation
- By: Philip Matyszak
- Narrated by: Mike Cooper
- Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 19
The Spartans of ancient Greece are typically portrayed as macho heroes: noble, laconic, totally fearless, and impervious to pain. And indeed, they often lived up to this image. But life was not as simple as this image suggests. In truth, ancient Sparta was a city of contrasts.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The content and the narrator’s voice.
- By Inga McGee on 11-04-24
By: Philip Matyszak
-
24 Hours in Ancient Athens
- A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There
- By: Philip Matyszak
- Narrated by: Gareth Richards
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 23
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 20
During the course of a day we meet twenty-four Athenians from all strata of society—from the slave-girl to the councilman, the vase painter to the naval commander, the housewife to the hoplite—and get to know what the real Athens was like by spending an hour in their company. We encounter a different one of these characters every chapter, with each chapter forming an hour in the life of the ancient city.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Maybe the narrator for 24 hours in Rome spoiled me
- By Dan R. on 04-06-23
By: Philip Matyszak
-
24 Hours in Ancient Rome: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There
- 24 Hours in Ancient History Series, Book 1
- By: Philip Matyszak
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 118
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 102
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 102
In this entertaining and enlightening guide, best-selling historian Philip Matyszak introduces us to the people who lived and worked there. In each hour of the day we meet a new character - from emperor to slave girl, gladiator to astrologer, medicine woman to water-clock maker - and discover the fascinating details of their daily lives.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Took me back to Latin class and the origin of word
- By tony harris on 05-19-20
By: Philip Matyszak
-
A Walk Through Ancient Rome
- A Tour of the Historical Sites That Shaped the City
- By: Philip Matyszak
- Narrated by: Jonathan Johns
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1
In this expert guide to the ancient city, Dr Philip Matyszak takes us on a tour of ancient Rome's most fascinating and important sites and locations, revealing the secrets of the beating heart of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Enjoyable retro-tour
- By M. Denis on 07-18-24
By: Philip Matyszak
-
Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World
- By: Philip Matyszak
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 289
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 245
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 245
This thorough guide explores those civilizations that have faded from the pages of our textbooks but played a significant role in the development of modern society. Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World covers the Hyksos to the Hephthalites and everyone in between, providing a unique overview of humanity's history from approximately 3000 BCE-550 CE. Each entry exposes a diverse culture, highlighting their important contributions.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gripping and seamless
- By Mike Heim on 05-13-21
By: Philip Matyszak
-
A War Like No Other
- How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War
- By: Victor Davis Hanson
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 13 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 531
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 441
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 438
Hanson compellingly portrays the ways Athens and Sparta fought on land and sea, in city and countryside, and details their employment of the full scope of conventional and non-conventional tactics, from sieges to targeted assassinations, torture, and terrorism. He also assesses the crucial roles played by warriors such as Pericles and Lysander, artists, among them Aristophanes, and thinkers including Sophocles and Plato.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
"A War Like No Other" is a Book Like No Other
- By MajorChris on 02-06-20
-
24 Hours in Ancient Egypt
- A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There
- By: Donald P. Ryan
- Narrated by: Jonathan Beville
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 20
Ancient Egypt wasn't all pyramids, sphinxes and gold sarcophagi. For your average Egyptian, life was tough, and work was hard, conducted under the burning gaze of the sun god Ra.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Authentic Details Make it a Worthy Listen
- By Daniel Morlan on 12-02-23
By: Donald P. Ryan
-
The Rise of Athens
- The Story of the World's Greatest Civilization
- By: Anthony Everitt
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 16 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 617
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 544
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 542
Filled with tales of adventure and astounding reversals of fortune, The Rise of Athens celebrates the city-state that transformed the world - from the democratic revolution that marked its beginning through the city's political and cultural golden age to its decline into the ancient equivalent of a modern-day university town. Anthony Everitt constructs his history with unforgettable portraits of the talented, tricky, ambitious, and unscrupulous Athenians who fueled the city's rise.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Good but not great. With some disturbing opinions.
- By Anthony on 06-25-19
By: Anthony Everitt
-
The Scythians
- Nomad Warriors of the Steppe
- By: Barry Cunliffe
- Narrated by: Matthew Waterson
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 160
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 130
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 129
The Scythians were nomadic horsemen who ranged wide across the grasslands of the Asian steppe from the Altai mountains in the east to the Great Hungarian Plain in the first millennium BC. Their steppe homeland bordered on a number of sedentary states to the south and there were, inevitably, numerous interactions between the nomads and their neighbours. The Scythians fought the Persians on a number of occasions, in one battle killing their king and on another occasion driving the invading army of Darius the Great from the steppe.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Well researched but narrator is terrible
- By John M. on 01-17-21
By: Barry Cunliffe
-
Alexander the Great
- The Hunt for a New Past
- By: Paul Cartledge
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 455
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 395
-
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.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
NOT a Chronology of Alexander’s Life
- By Blane Richoux on 12-30-20
By: Paul Cartledge
-
The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt
- By: Toby Wilkinson
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 18 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,090
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 949
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 944
In this landmark work, one of the world's most renowned Egyptologists tells the epic story of this great civilization, from its birth as the first nation-state to its final absorption into the Roman Empire - 3,000 years of wild drama, bold spectacle, and unforgettable characters. Award-winning scholar Toby Wilkinson captures not only the lavish pomp and artistic grandeur of this land of pyramids and pharaohs but for the first time reveals the constant propaganda and repression that were its foundations.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Well Written and Detailed
- By Matthew G. on 01-26-18
By: Toby Wilkinson
-
Babylon
- Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization
- By: Paul Kriwaczek
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 729
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 623
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 619
Civilization was born 8,000 years ago, between the floodplains of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, when migrants from the surrounding mountains and deserts began to create increasingly sophisticated urban societies. In the cities that they built, half of human history took place. In Babylon, Paul Kriwaczek tells the story of Mesopotamia from the earliest settlements seven thousand years ago to the eclipse of Babylon in the sixth century BCE. Bringing the people of this land to life in vibrant detail, the author chronicles the rise and fall of power during this period.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Solid overview 3000 years of history
- By Alsor2000 on 07-19-20
By: Paul Kriwaczek
-
The Rise of Rome
- The Making of the World's Greatest Empire
- By: Anthony Everitt
- Narrated by: Clive Chafer
- Length: 14 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 491
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 425
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 417
Emerging as a market town from a cluster of hill villages in the eighth and seventh centuries B.C., Rome grew to become the ancient world's preeminent power. Everitt fashions the story of Rome's rise to glory into an erudite book filled with lasting lessons for our time. He chronicles the clash between patricians and plebeians that defined the politics of the Republic. He shows how Rome's shrewd strategy of offering citizenship to her defeated subjects was instrumental in expanding the reach of her burgeoning empire.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Rome from the fall of Troy through Julius Caesar
- By Mike From Mesa on 12-11-12
By: Anthony Everitt
-
The Fall of Carthage
- The Punic Wars 265-146BC
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,571
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,352
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,346
The struggle between Rome and Carthage in the Punic Wars was arguably the greatest and most desperate conflict of antiquity. The forces involved and the casualties suffered by both sides were far greater than in any wars fought before the modern era, while the eventual outcome had far-reaching consequences for the history of the Western World, namely the ascendancy of Rome. An epic of war and battle, this is also the story of famous generals and leaders: Hannibal, Fabius Maximus, Scipio Africanus, and his grandson Scipio Aemilianus, who would finally bring down the walls of Carthage.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Captivating
- By Jean on 03-25-19
-
24 Hours in Ancient China
- A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There
- By: Yijie Zhuang
- Narrated by: Kathleen Li
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 17
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 14
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 14
Spend twenty-four hours with the ancient Chinese. Travel back to AD 17, during the fourth year of the reign of Wang Mang of the Han dynasty, a vibrant and innovative era full of conflicts and contradictions. But as different as the Han culture might have been to other great ancient civilizations, the inhabitants of ancient China faced the same problems as people have for time immemorial: earning enough money, coping with workplace dramas, and keeping your home in order.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great reading and relatable subject
- By Tremaine hope on 06-20-24
By: Yijie Zhuang
-
Alexander the Great
- By: Philip Freeman
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,258
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,000
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,996
Alexander was born into the royal family of Macedonia, the kingdom that would soon rule over Greece. Tutored as a boy by Aristotle, Alexander had an inquisitive mind that would serve him well when he faced formidable obstacles during his military campaigns. Shortly after taking command of the army, he launched an invasion of the Persian Empire, and continued his conquests as far south as the deserts of Egypt and as far east as the mountains of present-day Pakistan and the plains of India.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great book!
- By BadGuidance on 06-18-17
By: Philip Freeman
-
Gladius: The World of the Roman Soldier
- By: Guy de la Bédoyère
- Narrated by: Piers Hampton
- Length: 15 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 65
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 57
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 56
In Gladius, Guy de la Bedoyere takes us straight to the heart of what it meant to be a part of the Roman army. Rather than a history of the army itself, or a guide to military organization and fighting methods, this book is a ground-level recreation of what it was like to be a soldier in the army that made the empire. Surveying numerous aspects of life in the Roman army between 264 BCE and 337 CE, Gladius draws not only on the words of famed Roman historians, but also those of the soldiers themselves.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Nothing new here
- By Charles on 08-06-22
What listeners say about Sparta
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- john rees
- 01-06-24
Bringing the end of Sparta into focus
Amazing narration and narrative of the warrior nation of Sparta, starting at the events after Persian wars Matyszak brings these people to the modern readers in a way classical texts fail to do.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- tetrahymena
- 04-03-24
Learn the rest of the story B4 idolizing Sparta
Too many people idealize Sparta and their warrior spirit. This book paints a more rounded history of the region and how its society sowed its own seeds of destruction through the oppression of its colonies, its political backstabbing of allies, and a system that concentrated more and more wealth and power into fewer and fewer hands. Some people are fond of noting that democracies tend to fail within two to three hundred years; Sparta reminds us that dictatorships and authoritarian governments often fare far worse and have neighbors who delight in bringing the bully down.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful