The History Behind Game of Thrones
The North Remembers
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.
The History Behind Game of Thrones
Buy for $21.02
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Bruce Cullen
About this listen
A wall in the distant north cuts the world in two. Ruthless sea borne warriors raid the coasts from their war galleys, yearning to regain lost glories. A young nobleman and his kin are slaughtered under a banner of truce within a mighty castle. A warrior king becomes a legend when he smites his foe with one swing of his axe during a nation-forging battle. Yet this isn’t Westeros–it’s Scotland.
Game of Thrones is history re-imagined as fantasy; The History Behind Game of Thrones: The North Remembers turns the tables, using George R. R. Martin’s extraordinary fictional universe as a way to understand the driving forces and defining moments from Scotland’s story. Why were castles so important? Was there a limit to the powers a medieval king could use–or abuse? What was the reality of being under siege? Was there really anything that can compare to the destructive force of dragons? By joining forces, Westeros and Scotland hold the answers.
Writer and presenter David C. Weinczok draws on a vast array of characters, events, places, and themes from Scottish history that echo Game of Thrones at every dramatic turn. Visit the castle where the real Red Wedding transpired, encounter the fearsome historical tribes beyond Rome’s great wall, learn how a blood-red heart became the most feared sigil in Scotland, and much more.
By journey’s end, the cogs in the wheels of Martin’s world and Scottish history will be laid bare, as well as the stories of those who tried to shape–and sometimes even break–them.
©2022 David C. Weinczok (P)2022 Pen and Sword HistoryListeners also enjoyed...
-
Two Houses, Two Kingdoms
- A History of France and England, 1100-1300
- By: Catherine Hanley
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 33
The twelfth and thirteenth centuries were a time of personal monarchy, when the close friendship or petty feuding between kings and queens could determine the course of history. The Capetians of France and the Angevins of England waged war, made peace, and intermarried. In this lively history, Catherine Hanley traces the great clashes, and occasional friendships, of the two dynasties. Along the way, she emphasizes the fascinating and influential women of the houses—including Eleanor of Aquitaine—and shows how personalities and familial bonds shaped the fate of two countries.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great book with a bit of slant
- By Ky on 12-20-22
By: Catherine Hanley
-
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 624
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 567
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 567
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 Lisa Carrasquillo on 10-25-22
By: George R. R. Martin, and others
-
Iron, Fire and Ice
- The Real History That Inspired Game of Thrones
- By: Ed West
- Narrated by: Rory Barnett
- Length: 20 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 535
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 468
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 463
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fun history for all -not just Game of Thrones fans
- By Annabells on 06-14-19
By: Ed West
-
The Anglo-Saxons
- A History of the Beginnings of England: 400 - 1066
- By: Marc Morris
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 917
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 808
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 804
Sixteen hundred years ago Britain left the Roman Empire and swiftly fell into ruin. Grand cities and luxurious villas were deserted and left to crumble, and civil society collapsed into chaos. Into this violent and unstable world came foreign invaders from across the sea, and established themselves as its new masters. The Anglo-Saxons traces the turbulent history of these people across the next six centuries. It explains how their earliest rulers fought relentlessly against each other for glory and supremacy, and then were almost destroyed by the onslaught of the vikings.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
"Pretty Good"
- By Stephen on 05-30-21
By: Marc Morris
-
Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I
- The Mother and Daughter Who Forever Changed British History
- By: Tracy Borman
- Narrated by: Tracy Borman
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 104
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 93
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 93
Anne Boleyn may be best known for losing her head, but as Tudor expert Tracy Borman reveals in a book that recasts British history, her greatest legacy lies in the path-breaking reign of her daughter, Elizabeth.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Brimming with Inaccuracies
- By Marie A. on 06-20-23
By: Tracy Borman
-
Scotland
- A History from Earliest Times
- By: Alistair Moffat
- Narrated by: Ruth Urquhart
- Length: 23 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 59
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 49
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 48
Covering the Ice Age to the recent Scottish Referendum, the acclaimed historian and author explores the history of the Scottish nation. Focusing on key moments such as the Battle of Bannockburn and the Jacobite risings, Moffat also features other episodes in history that are perhaps less well documented. From prehistoric timber halls to inventions and literature, Moffat's epic explores the drama of battle, change, loss, and innovation interspersed with the lives of ordinary Scottish folk, the men and women who defined a nation.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Great story Emotionless reading Bad ending
- By S. R. on 02-14-22
By: Alistair Moffat
-
Two Houses, Two Kingdoms
- A History of France and England, 1100-1300
- By: Catherine Hanley
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 33
The twelfth and thirteenth centuries were a time of personal monarchy, when the close friendship or petty feuding between kings and queens could determine the course of history. The Capetians of France and the Angevins of England waged war, made peace, and intermarried. In this lively history, Catherine Hanley traces the great clashes, and occasional friendships, of the two dynasties. Along the way, she emphasizes the fascinating and influential women of the houses—including Eleanor of Aquitaine—and shows how personalities and familial bonds shaped the fate of two countries.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great book with a bit of slant
- By Ky on 12-20-22
By: Catherine Hanley
-
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 624
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 567
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 567
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 Lisa Carrasquillo on 10-25-22
By: George R. R. Martin, and others
-
Iron, Fire and Ice
- The Real History That Inspired Game of Thrones
- By: Ed West
- Narrated by: Rory Barnett
- Length: 20 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 535
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 468
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 463
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fun history for all -not just Game of Thrones fans
- By Annabells on 06-14-19
By: Ed West
-
The Anglo-Saxons
- A History of the Beginnings of England: 400 - 1066
- By: Marc Morris
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 917
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 808
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 804
Sixteen hundred years ago Britain left the Roman Empire and swiftly fell into ruin. Grand cities and luxurious villas were deserted and left to crumble, and civil society collapsed into chaos. Into this violent and unstable world came foreign invaders from across the sea, and established themselves as its new masters. The Anglo-Saxons traces the turbulent history of these people across the next six centuries. It explains how their earliest rulers fought relentlessly against each other for glory and supremacy, and then were almost destroyed by the onslaught of the vikings.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
"Pretty Good"
- By Stephen on 05-30-21
By: Marc Morris
-
Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I
- The Mother and Daughter Who Forever Changed British History
- By: Tracy Borman
- Narrated by: Tracy Borman
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 104
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 93
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 93
Anne Boleyn may be best known for losing her head, but as Tudor expert Tracy Borman reveals in a book that recasts British history, her greatest legacy lies in the path-breaking reign of her daughter, Elizabeth.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Brimming with Inaccuracies
- By Marie A. on 06-20-23
By: Tracy Borman
-
Scotland
- A History from Earliest Times
- By: Alistair Moffat
- Narrated by: Ruth Urquhart
- Length: 23 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 59
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 49
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 48
Covering the Ice Age to the recent Scottish Referendum, the acclaimed historian and author explores the history of the Scottish nation. Focusing on key moments such as the Battle of Bannockburn and the Jacobite risings, Moffat also features other episodes in history that are perhaps less well documented. From prehistoric timber halls to inventions and literature, Moffat's epic explores the drama of battle, change, loss, and innovation interspersed with the lives of ordinary Scottish folk, the men and women who defined a nation.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Great story Emotionless reading Bad ending
- By S. R. on 02-14-22
By: Alistair Moffat
-
The Makers of Scotland
- Picts, Romans, Gaels and Vikings
- By: Tim Clarkson
- Narrated by: David Vickery
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 17
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15
During the first millennium AD the most northerly part of Britain evolved into the country known today as Scotland. The transition was a long process of social and political change driven by the ambitions of powerful warlords. At first these men were tribal chiefs, Roman generals, or rulers of small kingdoms.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Good book easy to listen to
- By Jennifer S on 08-14-24
By: Tim Clarkson
-
Myth America
- Historians Take On the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past
- By: Kevin M. Kruse, Julian E. Zelizer
- Narrated by: Allan Aquino, Maleah Woodley, Todd Menesses, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 240
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 215
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 214
The United States is in the grip of a crisis of bad history. Distortions of the past promoted in the conservative media have led large numbers of Americans to believe in fictions over facts, making constructive dialogue impossible and imperiling our democracy. In Myth America, Kevin M. Kruse and Julian E. Zelizer have assembled an all-star team of fellow historians to push back against this misinformation.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Right Wing Bashing book!! Aka a History Book
- By amy on 02-08-23
By: Kevin M. Kruse, and others
-
The Time Traveler's Guide to Regency Britain
- By: Ian Mortimer
- Narrated by: Ian Mortimer
- Length: 17 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 145
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 124
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 122
In the latest volume of his celebrated series of Time Traveler's Guides, Ian Mortimer turns to what is arguably the most-loved period in British history—the Regency, or Georgian England. A time of exuberance, thrills, frills, and unchecked bad behavior, it was perhaps the last age of true freedom before the arrival of the stifling world of Victorian morality. At the same time, it was a period of transition. Conveying the sights, sounds, and smells of the Regency period, this is history at its most exciting—the past not as something to be studied, but as lived experience.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
SKIP THIS BOOK
- By Lady Aristotle on 09-05-22
By: Ian Mortimer
-
The Ice Dragon
- By: George R.R. Martin
- Narrated by: Maggi Meg Reed
- Length: 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,147
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 975
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 981
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 Jim "The Impatient" on 07-19-17
-
The Unofficial Guide to Game of Thrones
- By: Kim Renfro
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 37
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 31
There may be no happy endings, but there is plenty to discover and obsess over in this behind-the-scenes fan guide to the Game of Thrones HBO series. Did the show affect George R.R. Martin’s ability to finish the book series? Why were the Stark direwolves all but cut from the show? Spanning every episode across all eight seasons, The Unofficial Guide to Game of Thrones explains scenes that don’t follow Martin’s books, and sheds new light on the themes, storylines, character development, the meaning of the finale, and what fans can expect next.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A very informative book and a nice read.
- By Doug Harner on 01-05-20
By: Kim Renfro
-
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 Dee Goulet on 08-31-22
By: Michael Wood
-
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 3,446
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,030
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,013
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 Troy on 01-16-15
By: Dan Jones
-
Brothers York
- A Royal Tragedy
- By: Thomas Penn
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 23 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 234
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 204
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 202
The Brothers York is the story of three remarkable brothers, two of whom were crowned kings of England and the other an heir presumptive, whose antagonism was fueled by the mistrust and vendettas of the age that brought their family to power. The house of York should have been the dynasty that the Tudors became. Its tragedy was that it devoured itself.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Absorbing detail
- By Tad Davis on 08-06-20
By: Thomas Penn
-
The Tudors
- The Complete Story of England's Most Notorious Dynasty
- By: G. J. Meyer
- Narrated by: Robin Sachs
- Length: 24 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 805
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 662
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 665
For the first time in decades, here, in a single volume, is a fresh look at the fabled Tudor dynasty, comprising some of the most enigmatic figures ever to rule a country. Acclaimed historian G. J. Meyer reveals the flesh-and-bone reality in all its wild excess.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
OUTSTANDING!
- By The Louligan on 03-15-10
By: G. J. Meyer
-
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
-
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 5,589
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,887
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,860
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 Ellen S. Wilds on 04-25-14
By: Susan Wise Bauer
-
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 2,851
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,482
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,465
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 Protogere on 10-30-17
By: Dan Jones
Related to this topic
-
Crécy
- Battle of Five Kings
- By: Michael Livingston
- Narrated by: Rupert Farley
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 57
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 50
The battle of Crécy in 1346 is one of the most famous and widely studied military engagements in history. The repercussions of this battle were felt for hundreds of years, and the exploits of those fighting reached the status of legend. Yet cutting-edge research has shown that nearly everything that has been written about this dramatic event may be wrong. In this new study, Michael Livingston reveals how modern scholars have used archived manuscripts, satellite technologies and traditional fieldwork to help unlock what was arguably the battle’s greatest secret.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fantastic book!
- By C.J.M. 33 on 05-31-23
-
Conquistadors
- By: Michael Wood
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 597
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 510
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 504
Following in the footsteps of the greatest Spanish adventurers, Michael Wood retraces the path of the conquistadors from Amazonia to Lake Titicaca, and from the deserts of North Mexico to the heights of Machu Picchu. As he travels the same routes as Hernán Cortés, Francisco, and Gonzalo Pizarro, Wood describes the dramatic events that accompanied the epic sixteenth-century Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Horrific anti-European bias
- By Anonymous User on 08-30-20
By: Michael Wood
-
Castles
- Their History and Evolution in Medieval Britain
- By: Marc Morris
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 71
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 64
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 63
Beginning with their introduction in the 11th century, and ending with their widespread abandonment in the 17th, Marc Morris explores many of the country's most famous castles, as well as some spectacular lesser-known examples. At times this is an epic tale, driven by characters like William the Conqueror, King John, and Edward I, full of sieges and conquest on an awesome scale.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great book!
- By B Hart on 06-21-18
By: Marc Morris
-
Persian Fire
- The First World Empire and the Battle for the West
- By: Tom Holland
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 14 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,397
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,222
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,216
In the fifth century BC, a global superpower was determined to bring truth and order to what it regarded as two terrorist states. The superpower was Persia, incomparably rich in ambition, gold, and men. The terrorist states were Athens and Sparta, eccentric cities in a poor and mountainous backwater: Greece. The story of how their citizens took on the Great King of Persia, and thereby saved not only themselves, but Western civilization as well, is as heart-stopping and fateful as any episode in history.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Engaging
- By Jean on 02-16-17
By: Tom Holland
-
Walls
- A History of Civilization in Blood and Brick
- By: David Frye
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 119
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 101
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 102
With Frye as our raconteur-guide, we journey back to a time before barriers of brick and stone even existed - to an era in which nomadic tribes vied for scarce resources, and each man was bred to a life of struggle. Ultimately, those same men would create edifices of mud, brick, and stone and with them effectively divide humanity: On one side were those the walls protected; on the other, those the walls kept out. The stars of this narrative are the walls themselves - rising up in places as ancient and exotic as Mesopotamia, Babylon, Greece, China, Rome, Mongolia, Afghanistan, the lower Mississippi, and even Central America....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A boom that will transform how you view all of history.
- By BB on 08-04-24
By: David Frye
-
The Crusades: The World's Debate
- By: Hilaire Belloc
- Narrated by: RJ Bayley
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 30
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 30
Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953) - one of the most prominent Catholic authors of his time - gives a common-sense explanation of why the Crusades were necessary and why they ultimately failed. Writing in 1937, following the demise of the Ottoman Empire, Belloc believed that the West had finally gained the advantage over its mortal foe; however, he also includes a prophetic warning concerning the eventual resurgence of Islam and its enduring desire to destroy Christendom.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Brutally Honest Assessment
- By Anonymous User on 12-04-20
By: Hilaire Belloc
-
Crécy
- Battle of Five Kings
- By: Michael Livingston
- Narrated by: Rupert Farley
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 57
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 50
The battle of Crécy in 1346 is one of the most famous and widely studied military engagements in history. The repercussions of this battle were felt for hundreds of years, and the exploits of those fighting reached the status of legend. Yet cutting-edge research has shown that nearly everything that has been written about this dramatic event may be wrong. In this new study, Michael Livingston reveals how modern scholars have used archived manuscripts, satellite technologies and traditional fieldwork to help unlock what was arguably the battle’s greatest secret.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fantastic book!
- By C.J.M. 33 on 05-31-23
-
Conquistadors
- By: Michael Wood
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 597
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 510
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 504
Following in the footsteps of the greatest Spanish adventurers, Michael Wood retraces the path of the conquistadors from Amazonia to Lake Titicaca, and from the deserts of North Mexico to the heights of Machu Picchu. As he travels the same routes as Hernán Cortés, Francisco, and Gonzalo Pizarro, Wood describes the dramatic events that accompanied the epic sixteenth-century Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Horrific anti-European bias
- By Anonymous User on 08-30-20
By: Michael Wood
-
Castles
- Their History and Evolution in Medieval Britain
- By: Marc Morris
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 71
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 64
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 63
Beginning with their introduction in the 11th century, and ending with their widespread abandonment in the 17th, Marc Morris explores many of the country's most famous castles, as well as some spectacular lesser-known examples. At times this is an epic tale, driven by characters like William the Conqueror, King John, and Edward I, full of sieges and conquest on an awesome scale.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great book!
- By B Hart on 06-21-18
By: Marc Morris
-
Persian Fire
- The First World Empire and the Battle for the West
- By: Tom Holland
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 14 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,397
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,222
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,216
In the fifth century BC, a global superpower was determined to bring truth and order to what it regarded as two terrorist states. The superpower was Persia, incomparably rich in ambition, gold, and men. The terrorist states were Athens and Sparta, eccentric cities in a poor and mountainous backwater: Greece. The story of how their citizens took on the Great King of Persia, and thereby saved not only themselves, but Western civilization as well, is as heart-stopping and fateful as any episode in history.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Engaging
- By Jean on 02-16-17
By: Tom Holland
-
Walls
- A History of Civilization in Blood and Brick
- By: David Frye
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 119
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 101
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 102
With Frye as our raconteur-guide, we journey back to a time before barriers of brick and stone even existed - to an era in which nomadic tribes vied for scarce resources, and each man was bred to a life of struggle. Ultimately, those same men would create edifices of mud, brick, and stone and with them effectively divide humanity: On one side were those the walls protected; on the other, those the walls kept out. The stars of this narrative are the walls themselves - rising up in places as ancient and exotic as Mesopotamia, Babylon, Greece, China, Rome, Mongolia, Afghanistan, the lower Mississippi, and even Central America....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A boom that will transform how you view all of history.
- By BB on 08-04-24
By: David Frye
-
The Crusades: The World's Debate
- By: Hilaire Belloc
- Narrated by: RJ Bayley
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 30
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 30
Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953) - one of the most prominent Catholic authors of his time - gives a common-sense explanation of why the Crusades were necessary and why they ultimately failed. Writing in 1937, following the demise of the Ottoman Empire, Belloc believed that the West had finally gained the advantage over its mortal foe; however, he also includes a prophetic warning concerning the eventual resurgence of Islam and its enduring desire to destroy Christendom.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Brutally Honest Assessment
- By Anonymous User on 12-04-20
By: Hilaire Belloc
-
The Trojan War
- A New History
- By: Barry Strauss
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 127
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 104
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 102
The Trojan War is the most famous conflict in history, the subject of Homer's Iliad, one of the cornerstones of Western literature. Although many listeners know that this literary masterwork is based on actual events, there is disagreement about how much of Homer's tale is true. Drawing on recent archaeological research, historian and classicist Barry Strauss explains what really happened in Troy more than 3,000 years ago. For many years it was thought that Troy was an insignificant place that never had a chance against the Greek warriors who laid siege and overwhelmed the city.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Good summary of a great myth and its realities.
- By Kenneth M. Northrup on 07-09-20
By: Barry Strauss
-
The Vikings
- A History
- By: Robert Ferguson
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 14 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 154
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 135
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 135
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 Elizabeth Ciminelli on 04-25-12
By: Robert Ferguson
-
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 1,051
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 938
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 936
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 Angela on 08-30-15
By: Lars Brownworth
-
Never Greater Slaughter
- Brunanburh and the Birth of England
- By: Michael Livingston
- Narrated by: Rupert Farley
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38
Late in AD 937, four armies met in a place called Brunanburh. On one side stood the shield-wall of the expanding kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons. On the other side stood a remarkable alliance of rival kings - at least two from across the sea – who’d come together to destroy them once and for all. The stakes were no less than the survival of the dream that would become England. The armies were massive. The violence, when it began, was enough to shock a violent age.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
not what i thought it would be
- By Dudley on 02-26-23
-
The Spartacus War
- By: Barry Strauss
- Narrated by: Ray Grover
- Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 253
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 207
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 208
The Spartacus War is the extraordinary story of the most famous slave rebellion in the ancient world, the fascinating true story behind a legend that has been the inspiration for novelists, filmmakers, and revolutionaries for 2,000 years. Starting with only 74 men, a gladiator named Spartacus incited a rebellion that threatened Rome itself.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting
- By Jean on 08-02-15
By: Barry Strauss
-
Lotharingia
- A Personal History of Europe's Lost Country
- By: Simon Winder
- Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley
- Length: 18 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 103
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 90
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 90
Following Germania and Danubia, the third installment in Simon Winder's personal history of Europe. In 843 AD, the three surviving grandsons of the great emperor Charlemagne met at Verdun. After years of bitter squabbles over who would inherit the family land, they finally decided to divide the territory and go their separate ways. In a moment of staggering significance, one grandson inherited the area we now know as France, another Germany, and the third received the piece in between: Lotharingia.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
The Loquacious Traveler in Middle Earth
- By Doris on 11-22-19
By: Simon Winder
-
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 Dee Goulet on 08-31-22
By: Michael Wood
-
A Brief History of the Samurai
- Brief Histories
- By: Jonathan Clements
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 413
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 360
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 359
From a leading expert in Japanese history, this is one of the first full histories of the art and culture of the Samurai warrior. The Samurai emerged as a warrior caste in Medieval Japan and would have a powerful influence on the history and culture of the country from the next 500 years. Clements also looks at the Samurai wars that tore Japan apart in the 17th and 18th centuries and how the caste was finally demolished in the advent of the mechanized world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An Excellent History of the Samurai
- By Michael on 08-08-14
-
The Forge of Christendom
- The End of Days and the Epic Rise of the West
- By: Tom Holland
- Narrated by: James A. Gillies
- Length: 15 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 498
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 454
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 452
At the approach of the first millennium, the Christians of Europe did not seem likely candidates for future greatness. They saw no future beyond the widely anticipated Second Coming of Christ. But when the world did not end, the peoples of Western Europe suddenly found themselves with no choice but to begin the heroic task of building a Jerusalem on Earth. In The Forge of Christendom, Tom Holland masterfully describes this remarkable new age, a time of caliphs and Viking sea kings, the spread of castles, and the invention of knighthood.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Worthy Expansion to the Dark Ages
- By William Ratkus on 12-11-18
By: Tom Holland
-
The Last Days of the Incas
- By: Kim MacQuarrie
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 21 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 943
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 640
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 645
In 1532, the 54-year-old Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro led a force of 167 men, including his four brothers, to the shores of Peru. Unbeknownst to the Spaniards, the Inca rulers of Peru had just fought a bloody civil war in which the emperor Atahualpa had defeated his brother, Huascar. Pizarro and his men soon clashed with Atahualpa and a huge force of Inca warriors at the Battle of Cajamarca.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting but problematic
- By Matthew on 11-05-07
By: Kim MacQuarrie
-
Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities
- By: Bettany Hughes
- Narrated by: Bettany Hughes
- Length: 24 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 184
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 158
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 156
From the Koran to Shakespeare, this city with three names - Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul - resonates as an idea and a place, real and imagined. Standing as the gateway between East and West, North and South, it has been the capital city of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires. For much of its history it was the very center of the world, known simply as "The City", but, as Bettany Hughes reveals, Istanbul is not just a city but a global story.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A daunting undertaking pulled off superlatively
- By SGS on 12-24-17
By: Bettany Hughes
-
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