Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Vikings

Subtitle: Raiders, Explorers and Seafaring Warriors

Author: Lance Hightower

Narrator: Jim D Johnston

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-26-16

Publisher: Make Profits Easy LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

The world of the Vikings is larger than life, filled with sagas of warriors who made fighting a career, but there's a lot more to Viking history than blood-letting and piracy. Their achievements, rich culture and craftsmanship contributed greatly to our world today, and their explorations helped make up the boundaries of nations.

The Vikings: Raiders, Explorers, and Seafaring Warriors by author Lance Hightower will give you a glimpse of the battles that raged for more than 300 years, sparked by the cultural and religious differences that were the trigger for warring with the Franks, England and Ireland, and for trade and exploration into the Muslim empire, the Byzantine Empire, as far as Russia, Spain and North America.

They came from Sweden, Norway and Denmark, not as one army, but as separate tribes who assaulted their way through Christendom as retaliation for the destruction of their holy icon. They came from the sea in a way that ingeniously allowed them to go where no conventional ship dared, and they were able to navigate waters without benefit of the sun to guide them. They used boats that made ship-building history - light, fast, and equally efficient in shallow rivers and mighty oceans.

They terrorized, traded, bartered, took slaves, colonized, fought and died all in the name of Odin, god of the battle-slain. Perhaps in the end, they fought more for territory and riches than principle, but the history of the Vikings will always remain as one of the most enthralling of all Ages, where honor was crucial, death on the battlefield was preferred to idleness, and the stormy pantheon of their gods still held the greatest influence in their lives.

The brilliant sagas come to life with snippets of modern translations, told like tales of old should be told, with dread, heroics and excitement. The author combines his own expertise with the latest archeological findings and information given to us from ancient text to present a first-rate portrayal of the Vikings.

Members Reviews:

Five Stars

much needed info I like to have more information than not enough

Three Stars

Pretty dry from my standpoint. Lots of facts and dates. Maybe I would prefer a novel.

Five Stars

love it

Three Stars

A good history of the Vikings

Four Stars

A balanced view of violent people/

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Greek Philosophers: The Lives and Times Of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle

Author: Simon T. Bailey

Narrator: Christopher Stone

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-10-15

Publisher: Make Profits Easy LLC

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are three of philosophy's greatest contributors. You already knew that. But what you might not know is that they all lived in classical Athens at around the same time. You might not know that Socrates was executed for practicing free speech. You might not know that Plato was sold into slavery for making the Tyrant of Syracuse angry. And you might not know that Aristotle tutored the famous Alexander the Great.

The philosophers were part of some crazy world events as well. The Peloponnesian War, the Macedonian takeover, the 30 tyrants who thought they could wipe out Athenian democracy...it's all there.

Truth be told, there's not a lot of testimony out there detailing what their lives were like. Historians of those days were more concerned with documenting the perpetual civil wars, and the philosophers' students were more concerned with recording their teachers' ideas. However, this book by Simon T. Bailey, entitled Greek Philosophers: The Lives and Times of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, is a look into what it might have been like for Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle to live in Athens in the fourth and fifth centuries BCE.

If you're looking for a dry, professorial work full of archaeological evidence, then this book isn't going to be your cup of tea, but if you're looking for a partially fictionalized rendition of the philosophers' lives and thoughts that seeks to humanize those marble statues or for something to wet your palate and get you excited about ancient Greek history and philosophy, then this book is your boon.

Members Reviews:

Not much has changed in the fundamentals of philosophy in 2400 years

I like the premise of this book that is not so much a rehash or requoting of the works of the Greek Philosophers, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, but a fictionalized tale from what might have happened in the lives of the three philosophers. Very little actual historical data, cold hard facts about their personal lives exsist from the three so this book by Simon T Bailey, the autor takes a look at what might have been and at the same intersperses some actual facts with the dramatization, we readers may or may not actually have already heard. A more user-friendly approach, says Mr. Bailey. The story starts with the Trial of Socrates for corrupting the minds of the youth of Athens, the City of Athena. On to Plato, his student, who starts an academy in the city, and Aristotle, who starts his own school because his thoughts and beliefs were so opposed to Platoâs. I liked the book a lot and the section on the followers of these three, like Kant, John Locke and Descartes to name a few was interesting to me.

Fair Introductory to Basic Schools of Philosophy

This book is a fair introduction into different schools of Philosophy. The end of life information for these three magnificent scholars was the most interesting things I, personally, took away from this book. The fictional scenes and conversations between characters was well though out and reasonably conceivable.

Enough information was included to pique the beginners interest in further pursuing various information within diverse schools of Philosophy was provided.

Overall, a quick, enjoyable read.

Might look for another one

Done well with the chronology order.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Birth of Politics

Subtitle: Eight Greek and Roman Political Ideas and Why They Matter

Author: Melissa Lane

Narrator: Judith West

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-22-15

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

In The Birth of Politics, Melissa Lane introduces the listener to the foundations of Western political thought, from the Greeks, who invented democracy, to the Romans, who created a republic and then transformed it into an empire. Tracing the origins of our political concepts from Socrates to Plutarch to Cicero, Lane reminds us that the birth of politics was a story as much of individuals as ideas. Scouring the speeches of lawyers alongside the speculations of philosophers and the reflections of ex-slaves next to the popular comedies and tragedies of the Greek and Roman stages, this book brings ancient ideas to life in unexpected ways. Lane shows how the Greeks and Romans defined politics with distinctive concepts, vocabulary, and practices - all of which continue to influence politics and political aspirations around the world today. She focuses on eight political ideas from the Greco-Roman world that are especially influential today: justice, virtue, constitution, democracy, citizenship, cosmopolitanism, republic, and sovereignty. Lane also describes how the ancient formulations of these ideas often challenge widely held modern assumptions - for example, that it is possible to have political equality despite great economic inequality or that political regimes can be indifferent to the moral character of their citizens. A stimulating introduction to the origins of our political ideas and ideals, The Birth of Politics demonstrates how much we still have to learn from the political genius of the Greeks and Romans.

Members Reviews:

Five Stars

A most exciting book about ancient political philosophy.

Breathes fresh air into the subject

An exciting book that breathes fresh air into the subject illuminating the reader about yesterday and today.

Ancient Greek and Roman political thought and its ongoing impact

This book discusses the major political insights and practices from the Greek and Roman era, how they evolved and how they impact us today. Democracy, for example, in Greek society is not like democracy today. Back then its practice was restricted to male citizens of the polis, with perhaps others who had special status. Some even saw democracy as a bad thing, possibly resulting in mob rule, or at least rule by the ruffians. Plato's republic provided an answer to this by anointing philosophers king, or at least by making philosophers out of kings. This tension between the ruler and the ruled continues to this day, as our American representative democracy can appear to have steered far from the ideal of representation based on principle. Author Lane covers a total of eight concepts including democracy, justice, constitution, virtue, citizenship, cosmopolitanism, republic and sovereignty. It's fascinating how the philosophical ground rules established more than 1800 years are still valid, as we deal with in our own presidential electoral process with issues like citizenship (immigration and so-called anchor babies); cosmopolitanism, with the shrinking of the world by communications and travel technology; sovereignty, with border control and submission to international bodies. The ancient Greeks and Romans began this conversation and it is still going on.

A good one...

Exceptional book.

I like this book because it lays out the main themes and provides good background on each. It makes the book enjoyable to read. I recommend it.

Ascolta questo libro audio completo gratuitamente su https://hotaudiobook.com

Titolo: Storia di Roma antica: Dai popoli italici pre-romani alla caduta dell'Impero (Storia d'Italia 1-11)

Autore: div.

Narratore: Eugenio Farn

Formato: Unabridged

Durata: 11 hrs and 46 mins

Lingua: Italiano

Data di pubblicazione: 08-13-15

Editore: Il Narratore s.r.l.

Valutazioni: 5 su 5 su 3 voti

Categoria: History, Ancient

Riepilogo Editore:

Quest'opera raccoglie insieme tutti i primi undici volumi della "Storia d'Italia" pubblicati e disponibili separatamente, dal vol. I "I popoli italici pre-romani" fino al vol XI "Il tramonto dell'Impero Romano e l'affermazione della Chiesa Cattolica"; un lungo percorso di oltre 13 secoli di storia della civiltà italica e romana in particolare.

Dai miti della fondazione fino alla divisione dell'Impero e la penetrazione delle genti barbariche in Italia. Luoghi, politiche, guerre e regnanti, costumi civili, economia, religione... e molti altri aspetti della civilizzazione romana, sono descritti con un linguaggio chiaro e reso ancor più intelligibile dalla lettura esperta di Eugenio Farn.

©2015 il Narratore Srl (P)2015 il Narratore Srl

Recensioni dei membri:

Five Stars

ottima collezione che racchiude piu' di 500 anni di storia.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Mayapan: The History of the Mayan Capital

Author: Charles River Editors, Jesse Harasta

Narrator: Michael Gilboe

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-15-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

Many ancient civilizations have influenced and inspired people in the 21st century, like the Greeks and the Romans, but of all the world's civilizations, none have intrigued people more than the Mayans, whose culture, astronomy, language, and mysterious disappearance all continue to captivate people. At the heart of the fascination is Chichén Itzá, the most visited Mayan site, but Chichén Itzá's prominence lasted for less than 200 years and was eventually succeeded by Mayapán, which lasted as the capital of the Maya for nearly 225 years until the middle of the 15th century. The Mayans are still remembered and celebrated for their culture and their contributions to astronomy, language, and sports, and many of their advancements came with Mayapán as their capital.

Early Mayapán was closely connected to the overshadowing power of the region at the time: the mighty trading city of Chichén Itzá. Mayapán emerged first as a minor settlement in the orbit of Chichén, but it slowly came to replace it after the larger city's trade connections with the Toltecs of Tula crumbled and it suffered a staggering defeat by Mayapán's armies. The building styles and art in their city show both admiring references to the great Chichén Itzá as well as an attempt to position Mayapán as a more orthodox heir of Maya tradition. At the same time, they emulated many features and could not escape the tremendous influences - especially in religion - of Chichén. This is seen in the fact that many of the most important buildings in the new city appear to be small-scale reproductions of ones in Chichén.

Members Reviews:

Story informative but narration a disappointment

They could easily have found a narrator who knew basic Spanish pronunciation and how to pronounce Mayan place names. Using this guy was an extraordinary blunder.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Roman Gladiators: The History and Legacy of Ancient Rome's Most Famous Warriors

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Michael Gilboe

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-15-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

"He vows to endure to be burned, to be bound, to be beaten, and to be killed by the sword." - The gladiator's oath, according to Petronius in the Satyricon.

Gladiators are somewhat synonymous with ancient Rome, and even thousands of years after they performed on the sands, when people are asked about Roman culture, many think about and refer to the bloody spectacles of men fighting to the death in the arena. Gladiatorial combat is often regarded as barbaric, and most find it very difficult to comprehend how people could have enjoyed watching something so violent, but nevertheless, the spectacle still intrigues and fascinates people today, whether in movies like Gladiator or television shows about Spartacus.

Gladiatorial combat traces its origins back to the early Republican period from the fifth to the third century B.C., but it's still unclear where these combats first appeared. Credit has been given to both the Etruscans in northern Italy and the Campanians in southern Italy, though the first recorded gladiatorial combat occurred in the third century B.C. at the funeral of D. Junius Brutus Pera. His sons organized a combat between three different pairs of gladiators who fought at their father's grave, but exactly what these first gladiatorial combats were supposed to represent remains unclear. Some believe that the spilling of human blood was a way of offering a sacrifice to the dead, while others suggest that the contests themselves were a funeral offering in honor of the dead.

Members Reviews:

"He vows to endure to be burned, to be bound, to be beaten, and to be killed by the sword"

Find out for yourself if there were ever women gladiators, if gladiators ever fought blind, were bows ever used, or if matches were ever umpired. Wouldn't have been a sport I'd ever want to engage in as "studies done on gladiator cemeteries indicates most of them died before they were 30 years old, and chances were that they didn't make it to a 10th match alive." An interesting, informative book that I enjoyed!

Source book

gladiators armor and equipment evolved from representing defeated opponents of Roman. what is presented is supported by an extensive bibliography.based on accounts and images from that time. the most likely audience for this well researched source book would be looking to accurately depict the various times and types of arena contests. Authors, screenwriters, reenactors, costume directors.

Good read. I will keep it as a reference.

I am an idiot for Roman history. I love to read about those times. This book gave me a lot of information about the gladiators that I had not known before. I only wish it had been longer. I had no idea that there were women gladiators from all ranks of the people, not just low caste.

good read

As a man, who always on the road of knowledge of the past to better understand the present. This book helps me understand the passion we hold to this day; not by blood but the thrill of seeing two people fight in a arena.

Good for children doing research

I felt this was a poor text book and did not tell me anything I did not already know. I would share it with my great grandchildren if they were to study Roman history.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Greatest Battles in History: The Peloponnesian War

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Doron Alon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-30-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

"Thucydides, an Athenian, wrote the history of the war between the Peloponnesians and the Athenians, beginning at the moment that it broke out, and believing that it would be a great war and more worthy of relation than any that had preceded it. This belief was not without its grounds.... Indeed this was the greatest movement yet known in history, not only of the Hellenes but of a large part of the barbarian world - I had almost said of mankind." (Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War)

The Peloponnesian War, as the great historian Thucydides wrote in the introduction to his eponymous book, which has become one of the greatest historical treatises of antiquity, was an event of such calamitous magnitude that Greece had never witnessed its like in all of recorded history. Not the Trojan War, not the Dorian Invasion, not even the recent Persian invasions - which had devastated mainland Greece and seen Athens herself evacuated and put to the flame, the buildings on her Acropolis razed into dust - could compare to the scale of the devastation that engulfed all of Greece for almost three decades, causing the deaths of tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands.

Entire populations were displaced, whole cities destroyed, and mountainous sums of money spent, all in order for Greece's two most famous city-states to establish who had dominion over Greece. Sparta, whose invincible armies had recently led the Greeks to victory against Xerxes' hordes at Plataea, was at the head of the Peloponnesian League. Their opponents were led by proud Athens, possessors of a fleet that virtually dominated the entire Mediterranean and decimated the Persian navy at Salamis and Mycale, at the head of the Delian League.

Members Reviews:

NOT GOOD

The ebooks of Charles River Editors with Grecian History have a lot detail that are repeated in all of the many books published.

Peloponnesian War

Very interesting summary of the Peloponnesian War. It's incredible how this magnificent civilization destroyed itself little by little. Should be a lesson for all human kind to learn.

Excellent

The item downloaded easily. There were no issues. There is not much more you can say about a digital download.

Informative

I'm still reading this book and don't have a lot to say about it just yet. So far It's excellent

I liked The personal accounts of some of the players in ...

I liked The personal accounts of some of the players in the story. Woven into the story of the Peloponnesian conflict was documented quite well with an orderly progression and analysis of motivations of the players involved.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Greatest Mysteries of the Ancient World: Stonehenge, the Sphinx, and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Scott W. Kirby

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-19-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

On the Salisbury Plain, only a few hours from the hustle and bustle of Central London, remains one of the greatest surviving relics of humanity's ancient past: the mighty stone circle of Stonehenge.

Stonehenge is one of the most well-known ancient sites in the world, and an image of it raises numerous associations and emotional responses. Its impressiveness comes not only from its size and remarkable level of preservation but more so because of the incredible precision with which it was constructed during an era of simple technology and social organization. Obviously it is a place of great importance - then and now. Of course Stonehenge has long fascinated the rest of the world, too, as people continue to try to understand every aspect of the site and the underlying purpose of it. This involves an understanding of why Stonehenge is located where it is, what the materials consist of, and what archaeology has uncovered about the people who built it. On top of that, Stonehenge is a center of mythology and folklore that has evolved over time, establishing the foundation for a unique spiritual belief system that both celebrates Stonehenge as a "living temple" and challenges the official guardians of the place.

One of the oldest and most famous statues of the world, the Great Sphinx at Giza, has fascinated people for thousands of years. While the sphinx was a well-known mythological creature among various ancient civilizations, the Egyptian statue that is now most famously associated with the creature is full of mysteries that have been endlessly debated throughout the centuries and continue to be hotly contested among scholars.

Members Reviews:

Good narration!

I'm a nut for all things ancient world-related, and having visited both Stonehenge and Giza I was excited to hear dome new information. While the voiceover was clear and engaging, the material itself wasn't. kudos to Scott Kirby for making a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Londinium: The History of the Ancient Roman City That Became London

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Robert Diepenbrock

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-19-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

The famous conqueror from the European continent came ashore with thousands of men, ready to set up a new kingdom in England. The Britons had resisted the amphibious invasion from the moment his forces landed, but he was able to push forward. In a large winter battle, the Britons' large army attacked the invaders but was eventually routed, and the conqueror was able to set up a new kingdom. Over 1,100 years before William the Conqueror became the king of England after the Battle of Hastings, Julius Caesar came, saw, and conquered part of "Britannia", setting up a Roman province with a puppet king in 54 BC. In the new province, the Romans eventually constructed a military outpost overlooking a bridge across the River Thames. The new outpost was named Londinium, and it covered just over two dozen acres.

For most of the past 1,000 years, London has been the most dominant city in the world, ruling over so much land that it was said the sun never set on the British Empire. With the possible exception of Rome, no city has ever been more important or influential than London in human history. Thus it was only fitting that it was the Romans who established London as a prominent city. Londinium was initially little more than a small military outpost near the northern boundary of the Roman province of Britannia, but its access to the River Thames and the North Sea made it a valuable location for a port. During the middle of the first century AD, the Romans conducted another invasion of the British Isles, after which Londinium began to grow rapidly. As the Romans stationed legions there to defend against the Britons, Londinium became a thriving international port, allowing trade with Rome and other cities across the empire.

Members Reviews:

I didn't know that!

A concise and easily assimilated history of the port of Londinium during Roman occupation. Based on archaeology and writing, this thesis covers architecture, religious beliefs and practices, the role of the military in shaping the adaptive culture, and more. I feel that it was very well done and I enjoyed the learning process.

Robert Diepenbach has a pleasant voice with a sense of interest in the material and did a great job.

fascinating

a wonderful look into the history of London as it existed in the Roman Empire.

Wish I weren't disappointed

What disappointed you about Londinium: The History of the Ancient Roman City That Became London?

Good information, but too short and nothing but dry statistics. Guess I wasn't expecting a college research paper, but that's what I feel I got.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Roman Forum: The History and Legacy of the Center of Rome's Empire

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Steve Rausch

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-18-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

"A circular trench was dug around what is now the Comitium, and in this were deposited first-fruits of all things the use of which was sanctioned by custom as good and by nature as necessary; and finally, every man brought a small portion of the soil of his native land, and these were cast in among the first-fruits and mingled with them. They call this trench, as they do the heavens, by the name of 'mundus' ['the world']. Then, taking this as a center, they marked out the city in a circle round it." (Plutarch)

The Roman Empire is the most famous in history, and the center of the far-reaching empire's activities were located in the Forum, a low area between the Capitoline and Palatine hills in Rome. The topography held a great deal of significance for Romans, and consequently so many layers of myth were laid on top of the landscape and buildings that it is difficult to separate legend from actual historical fact. As a low-lying area near the Tiber River, the Forum was subject to much flooding, and even into the 20th century the Forum area could flood upward of 40 feet above sea level. This would factor significantly in the imaginations of Romans, who later ascribed the flooding with saving the city's founders, Romulus and Remus, from execution. However, in the eighth and seventh centuries BC, this did not make for a good area for construction. Previous generations of excavators have concluded that in the beginning, there were waddle and daub huts in the Forum, as indicated by remains of organic food material, fragments of daub, and evidence of post holes dug in the ground for these structures.

Members Reviews:

'A work of mad discord produces a temple of Concord' - unknown inscription on the Concord by Opimius

Solid book if you are either an enthusiast of ancient Roman architecture or a tourist wanting to know something of the history behind the multitude of ruins found within the confines of the Roman Forum. I enjoyed it most for the description of the opening battle between the Sabine king, Titus Tatius and Hostius Hostilius, the mention of the remains of the Tullianum where St. Peter and St, Paul were presumably imprisoned as well as the numerous photographs provided. A good informative book overall.

History buffs

Wow so much to know....so much of this we learn in school but dear Lord it has been almost 50 years. I was really engrossed in the details that I had forgotten. We all have those desires too remember the past and this is one way to get the facts straight without reading 3-400 pages. Quick and to the point.

Four Stars

Good introduction to the Roman Forum.....!

A good Guide Book for Tourists

A good accompaniment of the Guide Book to Tourists to Rome. Outline of the history related to each feature in the present day site of the Roman Forum is well covered.

Great resource

Having visited the Forum, it was great to read about some of the details. Very well written. Pictures were great and brought back great memories of our trip to Italy.