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Title: A History of Rome, Volume 2

Author: Cyril Robinson

Narrator: Charlton Griffin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-06-02

Publisher: Audio Connoisseur

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 195 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

This is Volume 2 of A History of Rome (Unabridged). Have you heard

?

Members Reviews:

An Excellent Telling of Rome's History

I have always wanted to know more about Rome, than the simple 1 or 2 pages they usually put in the history books. This book and part 1 are extremely detailed in their coverage of Rome's History from beginning to end. And even for all the detail it was very engrossing.

The audio itself was very clear and easy to listen too. The narrator has a good voice and a compelling way of tell the History.

An excellent audiobook.

Read this History of Rome (Volumes 1 and 2) First

I was looking for a reasonably comprehensive history not just of the "decline and fall" of Rome, but of its rise as well. I was particularly interested in the final years of the republic, which occurred prior to the zenith of Roman power.

Volume 1 was exactly what I was looking for, but I couldn't stop there; I needed to get the rest of the story in Volume 2. In both books, I found the writing clear and the narration spirited. I found this survey to be just the right level of detail in order to permit the reader to see similarities with events of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Start with Volume 1, though, particularly if you live in the United States. The rise of the Roman republic and its surprisingly incremental transition into its imperial phase is a story that resonated in alarming ways for me.

A Very Interesting Listen

I loved this listen. The beginning is great and the ending is great and overall, I highly recommend this book. Just wish it was longer and went into the rest of the emperors.

Recommended; concise, well written, well-read

The narration and production quality were surprisingly high for an older (1930s I believe) history. Certainly recommended.

Part of your education

I started listening to this series as preparation to Gibbons' Decline and Fall. I have fallen in love with the comparatively rosy heyday of the Republic, before things started going haywire, that I think I will linger here for a bit longer. I prefer tome 1 of the series, the beginning of the Roman Empire/Republic/ City state, is just so incredible,

Favorite chapters in this and tome 1, are descriptions of the arts and literature of Rome, utterly fascinating, especially when examples are given. So lovely!!

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Title: A History of Greece, Volume 2

Author: Cyril Robinson

Narrator: Charlton Griffin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-30-02

Publisher: Audio Connoisseur

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 121 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

A History of Greece continues with the bitter struggle between Sparta and Athens for mastery of the Hellenic world. Though Sparta finally emerges victorious, her victory soon turns to ashes with the ascendancy of Thebes and the still greater power of Philip of Macedon. Philip unites an unwilling Greece with his iron policy. Athens gives up her independence, but maintains an aloof intellectual and artistic leadership in the Greek world. Across this magnificent fabric of history strides Alexander the Great, who takes the banner of Hellenic culture all the way across the Persian Empire and into India itself, a stunning event that altered the course of human history. This is followed by the Hellenistic age and the final subjugation of Greece by Rome. An incredible epic, indeed.

This is Volume 2 of A History of Greece (Unabridged). Have you heard Volume 1?

Members Reviews:

Easy to listen to.

I liked the style of this narrator. Combined with skillful writing, this book is easy to listen to. The English accent is not as strong as in some other audio history books. It is very detail, not at all just an overview, so if a short history is what you are looking for, this book is not for you. If you are seeking greater insight into the history of Greece, I would definitely recommend this book.

everyone is a product of the history of Greece

What did you love best about A History of Greece, Volume 2?

The description of all the political practices of the ancient nation states was fascinating and informative. Every type of government ever conceived was practiced by the Greeks or their neighbors, and nothing new under the sun has been invented. The descriptions included some analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of these forms of government, and these were used by our forefathers as they decided on how best to organize our government.

What other book might you compare A History of Greece, Volume 2 to and why?

The history of Rome.

What does Charlton Griffin bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Listening to the book makes it all 3D, it gives depth to the descriptions and analysis that just is not there in the written text.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The description of the Spartan culture was fascinating, it reminds me so much of the modern communist societies. Everything was controlled by the state to include procreating, and the state was totally focused on defense.

Archaic Greece

Narratively reasonably compelling and well-delivered in those plumby patrician tones that seem to come with the territory (albeit with a few mispronounciations). But contemporary sensibilities are likely to struggle with the author's high British Empire grasp of race, nation, East-West binaries, miscegenation, colonial policy etc: this history is itself a period piece. It's a shame the selection on Audible is tilted towards curiosities like this rather than more up-to-date scholarship.

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Title: The Three Wise Men

Subtitle: The History and Legacy of the Biblical Magi

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Scott Clem

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-21-16

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

In almost every nativity scene today are shown three kings presenting gifts to the newborn baby Jesus, and though everyone is familiar with the three wise men, they are also some of the most mysterious characters from the Bible. According to scripture, they journeyed from an unnamed land to Bethlehem, bearing gifts for Jesus Christ, and then disappeared. They were the first Christian pilgrims, they later became the patron saints of travelers, and their image is on millions of Christmas cards.

Nevertheless, over 2,000 years later, little is known of where they came from and where they went, and most of what people think they know about the Magi does not actually come from the Bible but from assorted myths that have emerged over the millennia. The Bible does not, in fact, say that the three men were kings - this was a detail added later. Most startling of all is that the Bible does not even say that there were three men.

Moreover, it seems unlikely that the Magi were actually present on the night that Jesus was born. According to the Book of Luke, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem 40 days after Jesus was born, which means they had remained in Bethlehem for some time after his birth: "And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord." In fact, in the course of describing the visit of the Magi, the Bible clearly notes there had been time enough for Joseph and Mary to find a house in Bethlehem: "On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route."

These Magi were wealthy and well-educated. They likely came from Persia, but they had been ordered by King Herod to discover the location of Christ, purportedly so that Herod could pay homage to the child, but in all likelihood to murder the newborn threat to his power. Word quickly reached King Herod of the arrival of a new-born "King of the Jews", and since he was understandably unwilling to allow any threat to his own authority, Herod was determined to do away with this child. He sent soldiers to kill all of the boys that were up to two years old in and around Bethlehem an event known as the "Massacre of the Innocents". It was a tragic event for many families in the city, but Jesus was evidently safe on his way to Egypt with his parents.

So what exactly is known of these mysterious figures that lived in the time of Christ? There is still plenty of intrigue and mystery surrounding the story, but it's apparent they were inextricably linked to that of Herod the Great, who ruled over Judea when Jesus was born and who is to this day reviled as the evil king who tried to kill the Christ child during the slaughter of the innocents. Herod, the king that the Romans had placed on a throne he had no right to, was prone to violent rages and extreme paranoia. He had a fearsome reputation, having already killed his own wife, several sons, and hundreds of political opponents, and is said to have suffered from all kinds of ailments, including chronic kidney disease and gangrene.

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Title: The Ancient Nubians

Subtitle: The History of One of the Oldest Civilizations in Africa

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Colin Fluxman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-28-16

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

During the several centuries that ancient Egypt stood as one of the greatest civilizations of the ancient world, conflicts with its neighbors often played a central role in hieroglyphic texts and art from temples and tombs. The three primary enemies of the Egyptians were the Libyans who occupied the Western Desert and its oases, the so-called Asiatics who lived in the Levant, and finally the Nubians to Egypts south. Among the three peoples, the Nubians were the most "Egyptianized" and at times were integral to the development of Egyptian history. Truly, the Nubians were the greatest of all sub-Saharan peoples in pre-modern times and deserve to be studied in their own right, apart from ancient Egyptian history.

Unfortunately, it is often difficult for scholars to separate aspects of ancient Nubian culture that were truly unique and "Nubian" from those elements that were Egyptian, as the Nubians borrowed heavily in terms of culture from their northern neighbor. One historian noted, "As expected, strong Nubian features and dark coloring are seen in their sculpture and relief work. This dynasty ranks as among the greatest, whose fame far outlived its actual tenure on the throne. Especially interesting, it was a member of this dynasty that decreed that no Nehsy (riverine Nubian of the principality of Kush), except such as came for trade or diplomatic reasons, should pass by the Egyptian fortress and cops at the southern end of the Second Nile Cataract. Why would this royal family of Nubian ancestry ban other Nubians from coming into Egyptian territory? Because the Egyptian rulers of Nubian ancestry had become Egyptians culturally; as pharaohs, they exhibited typical Egyptian attitudes and adopted typical Egyptian policies." Robert S. Bianchi went even further: "It is an extremely difficult task to attempt to describe the Nubians during the course of Egypt's New Kingdom, because their presence appears to have virtually evaporated from the archaeological record. The result has been described as a wholesale Nubian assimilation into Egyptian society. This assimilation was so complete that it masked all Nubian ethnic identities insofar as archaeological remains are concerned beneath the impenetrable veneer of Egypt's material culture."

An in-depth examination of the ancient Nubians reveals that although the Nubians were closely related culturally in many ways to the Egyptians, they produced a culture that had many of its own unique attributes and was far more advanced than any other culture in sub-Saharan Africa. Although the ancient Nubians get second billing to the Egyptians and are therefore not known as well to the general public, they were truly a remarkable people who left a cultural legacy that has stood the test of time.

Members Reviews:

outstanding narration and good phonic quick read

would recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of the Nubians

Couldn't Do It

The guy sounded like he had a cold. Too annoying. 5 mins and I was done.

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Title: After Eden

Subtitle: The Evolution of Human Domination

Author: Kirkpatrick Sale

Narrator: Gary Regal

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-06-13

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

When did the human species turn against the planet that we depend on for survival? Human industry and consumption of resources have altered the climate, polluted the water and soil, destroyed ecosystems, and rendered many species extinct, vastly increasing the likelihood of an ecological catastrophe.

How did humankind come to rule nature to such an extent? To regard the planet's resources and creatures as ours for the taking? To find ourselves on a seemingly relentless path toward ecocide?

In After Eden, Kirkpatrick Sale answers these questions in a radically new way. Integrating research in paleontology, archaeology, and anthropology, he points to the beginning of big-game hunting as the origin of Homo sapiens' estrangement from the natural world.

Sale contends that a new, recognizably modern human culture based on the hunting of large animals developed in Africa some 70,000 years ago in response to a fierce plunge in worldwide temperature triggered by an enormous volcanic explosion in Asia. Tracing the migration of populations and the development of hunting thousands of years forward in time, he shows that hunting became increasingly adversarial in relation to the environment as people fought over scarce prey during Europe's glacial period between 35,000 and 10,000 years ago. By the end of that era, humans' idea that they were the superior species on the planet, free to exploit other species toward their own ends, was well established.

Critic Reviews:

"A fascinating book!" (Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future)

"After Eden is a thought-provoking attempt to understand the rapacity that is now so clearly characteristic of homo sapiens...." (The Independent Weekly)

"This is a highly readable book. The value of this study is that it investigates an achievement that many take for granted (humans becoming the dominant species on this planet)." (Environmental History)

Members Reviews:

Interesting perspective

It is an interesting perspective on human development. Speculating on how we got here is always entertaining.

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Title: The World's Greatest Civilizations: The History and Culture of Ancient Sparta

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Scott Clem

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-26-17

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

There have been no shortage of great warrior societies in history, including the Romans, Mongols, Macedonians, and Vikings, the list goes on. Yet one humble city in particular, nestled in a valley near the Eurotas River in the Greek region of the Peloponnese and once ridiculed as little more than a cluster of villages inhabited by uncouth shepherds, produced the most famous warrior elite the world has ever known.

The most unique city-state in Ancient Greece was Sparta, which continues to fascinate contemporaneous society. It is not entirely clear why Sparta placed such a great emphasis on having a militaristic society, but the result was that military fitness was a preoccupation from birth. If a Spartan baby did not appear physically fit at birth, it was left to die. Spartan children underwent military training around the age of seven years old, and every male had to join the army around the age of 18.

The Spartans, whose carefully constructed approach to warfare and - there is no other word for it - Spartan way of life, earned the grudging admiration of all of Greece and succeeded in establishing themselves in the years following the reforms of the semi-legendary ruler Lycurgus as the greatest military force in all of Hellas. Athens might have the mightiest fleet and the greatest cadre of philosophers and dramatists, Thessaly might have had the most vaunted cavalry, and the great city-states of Argos, Thebes and Corinth all had their own claims to fame, but on the battlefield the Spartan phalanx stood without peer.

Members Reviews:

Sparta

Excellent book describing the city-state Sparta of ancient Greece. Worth noting that the rest of the Aegean sea municipalities held Sparta in awe because of their military and strict code of living from whence the word 'spartan' comes from. Eventually, history turn of events, about 200B.C. Sparta was more or less destroyed by other enemies and huge armies in the surrounding countries. Sparta set an example of discipline for many future warrior cultures.

Excellent Context for Learning About Sparta

Most people have heard about the Spartans. Especially Leonidas at Thermopylae. This book puts everything you know about Sparta into context starting from their history in the Trojan War to their days as a tourist attraction for wealthy Romans. Lots of detail about their Historical Legacy and pictures of the area where Thermopylae occurred.

Great primer if one is interested in Spartan history

A great start for one interested in history. Definitely worth the small price. You will learn a lot about them.

The 300

An excellent starting point for directional and detailed study of various political, cultural and military inquiries. The origins, strategies and battles of "The 300" was fascinating.

Great insight into one of the greatest warrior cultures on earth

This is an excellent, short history of Sparta and it's traditions. An easy read that provides great insight to the rise and decline of one of the greatest warrior cultures in history.

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Title: The Nile

Subtitle: A Journey Downriver through Egypts past and Present

Author: Toby Wilkinson

Narrator: Peter Ganim

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-02-14

Publisher: Audible Studios for Bloomsbury

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

A hypnotic journey in the company of one of the world's most acclaimed Egyptologists over the fabled river telling how the Nile continually brought life to an ancient civilization now dead and how it sustained its successors, now in tumult.

Renowned Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson leads us through space as much as time: From the river's mystical sources (the Blue Nile which rises in Ethiopia, and the White Nile coursing from majestic Lake Victoria); to Thebes, with its Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, and Luxor Temple; the fertile Delta; Giza, home of the Great Pyramid, the sole surviving Wonder of the Ancient World; and finally, to the pulsating capital city of Cairo, where the Arab Spring erupted on the bridges over the Nile. Along the way, he introduces us to mysterious and fabled characters - the gods, godlike pharaohs, emperors and empresses, who joined their fate to the Nile and gained immortality; the adventurers, archaeologists, and historians who have all fallen under its spell. With matchless erudition and storytelling skill, through a lens equal to both panoramas and close-ups, Wilkinson brings millennia of history into view.

Members Reviews:

Fails as either History or Travel

This book attempts to be a cross between a travel book and a history book. In my opinion it fails on both counts. As a travel book, the so-called "journey downriver" is completely missing. No journey is described -- there are brief mentions of several disconnected trips made to Egypt by the author but with no sense of cohesion. A key ingredient of any good travel book is that one has some sense of the traveller's personality or life, but this is totally lacking. As a history book, it does contain a series of well told historical excerpts, but it is impossible to make sense of them because they are disconnected and often incomplete. A geographical ordering is just not a sensible way to tell history because the historical period being described jumps about all over the place. One exception to this is the final part about Cairo, when there is a clear and interesting account of the establishment and political events associated with the city -- told (thankfully) in chronological order. But there's a lot of listening to do before you get to that (short) section. The narration is good -- no problem on that front. I listened to this book after finished the absolutely superb series of lectures on Ancient Egypt by Bob Brier (Great Courses Series -- highly recommended). This book did give some links to the modern country but I was relieved when I finally got through it.

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Title: Coming Out Christian in the Roman World

Subtitle: How the Followers of Jesus Made a Place in Caesar's Empire

Author: Douglas Boin

Narrator: Neil Hellegers

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-06-15

Publisher: Audible Studios for Bloomsbury

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

The supposed collapse of Roman civilization is still lamented more than 1,500 years later - and intertwined with this idea is the notion that a fledgling religion, Christianity, went from a persecuted fringe movement to an irresistible force that toppled the empire. The intolerant zeal of Christians, wrote Edward Gibbon, swept Rome's old gods away, and with them the structures that sustained Roman society. Not so, argues Douglas Boin. Such tales are simply untrue to history, and ignore the most important fact of all: Life in Rome never came to a dramatic stop. Instead, as Boin shows, a small minority movement rose to transform society - politically, religiously, and culturally - but it was a gradual process, one that happened in fits and starts over centuries.

Drawing upon a decade of recent studies in history and archaeology, and on his own research, Boin opens up a wholly new window onto a period we thought we knew. His work is the first to describe how Christians navigated the complex world of social identity in terms of passing and coming out. Many Christians lived in a dynamic middle ground. Their quiet success, as much as the clamor of martyrdom, was a powerful agent for change. With this insightful approach to the story of Christians in the Roman world, Douglas Boin rewrites, and rediscovers, the fascinating early history of a world faith.

Members Reviews:

Not quite what I was hoping for

I was really looking for more of a focus on the early Christians and learning about the gap between Christ's death and the 5th century when Christianity really took a strong hold on the Roman Empire (or what was left of it). There were many tangents about the jews and Romans that were good information, but seemed too long and not on topic. I know you need to see the situation from many angles, but it was just not as fulfilling as I hoped it would be.

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Title: Cradles of Civilization

Subtitle: The Lectures of Dr. David Neiman

Author: Dr. David Neiman

Narrator: Dr. David Neiman

Format: Original Recording

Length: 4 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-17-13

Publisher: Midnight Shadow Productions

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

Dr. David Neiman tracks the rise of civilization from the Agricultural Revolution to the Ceramic Age, and then the Bronze. He traces the origin of writing and its development into hieroglyphics and then into the alphabet. Dr. Neiman explores the legendary reign of Hammurabi of Babylon, the tumultuous history of ancient Egypt and gives a dramatic retelling of the earliest known piece of literature, The Epic of Gilgamesh.

Members Reviews:

Illuminating, insightful and stimulating

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Definitely, especially if the friend is interested in history and civilization.

What did you like best about this story?

Dr. Neiman infuses meaning into many things that had until then seemed like dry facts. He makes many important connections between elements from other traditions and from archaeology..

Any additional comments?

Dr.Neiman was one of those scholars of the old school who make me regret not having the qualities necessary to become one. With a vast store of knowledge in their minds, they are able to draw together divers elements into a rich and dense web of understanding. To partake of such understanding is both enlightening and exhilarating. I am truly grateful that Dr.Neiman's lectures are available now as audiobooks; they are among those things that make me happy to be alive today.

I love this guy

reminds my of Joseph Campbell "the power of myth" with his grandfatherly description of history. also a great orator with nice tone in his voice. I wish you sold a video lecture so we could see what he is writing on chalk board.

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Title: The People of the Parish

Subtitle: Community Life in a Late Medieval English Diocese (The Middle Ages Series)

Author: Katherine L. French

Narrator: Sara Morsey

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-21-14

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

The parish, the lowest level of hierarchy in the medieval church, was the shared responsibility of the laity and the clergy. Most Christians were baptized, went to confession, were married, and were buried in the parish church or churchyard; in addition, business, legal settlements, sociability, and entertainment brought people to the church, uniting secular and sacred concerns. In The People of the Parish, Katherine L. French contends that late medieval religion was participatory and flexible, promoting different kinds of spiritual and material involvement.

The rich parish records of the small diocese of Bath and Wells include wills, court records, and detailed accounts by lay churchwardens of everyday parish activities. They reveal the differences between parishes within a single diocese that cannot be attributed to regional variation. By using these records show to the range and diversity of late medieval parish life, and a Christianity vibrant enough to accommodate differences in status, wealth, gender, and local priorities, French refines our understanding of lay attitudes toward Christianity in the two centuries before the Reformation.

The book is published by University of Pennsylvania Press.

Critic Reviews:

"Meticulously researched and erudite." (The Historian))

"A coherent, well-written, and stimulating survey of parish life." (Catholic Historical Review)

"Katherine French puts a human face on the history of the English medieval parish between the end of the 14th century and the Reformation." (Medieval Review)

Members Reviews:

great book.

Thorough; great book.