Allan
- 44
- reviews
- 19
- helpful votes
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- ratings
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The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome
- By: Gregory S. Aldrete, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gregory S. Aldrete
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 704
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 614
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 607
The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome traces the breathtaking history from the empire’s foundation by Augustus to its Golden Age in the 2nd century CE through a series of ever-worsening crises until its ultimate disintegration. Taught by acclaimed Professor Gregory S. Aldrete of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, these 24 captivating lectures offer you the chance to experience this story like never before, incorporating the latest historical insights that challenge our previous notions of Rome’s decline.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Gregory S. Aldrete is a treasure
- By Laurel Tucker on 02-04-19
So Thoroughly Enjoyable
Reviewed: 05-07-21
Aldrete is a real treasure. I have about every single one of his courses. Here were some of my favorite lectures:
Lectures 3 & 4 on the despots of Rome in the 1st century
five good emperors (lectures 5 & 6) in the 2nd century
Hazards of ancient Rome (lecture 7)
Lecture 10 on the ordinary people of Rome - very good insight & how we are really quite similar to ancient Romans
Crisis of the 3rd century (lecture 13) - covers a huge topic succinctly, in a very engaging manner
The Roman army (lecture 19) - their structure and weapons,
Lecture 20 when the barbarians overwhelm the empire
Lecture 21 - the Byzantine empire
Lecture 24 - Roman contributions to modern civilization
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Ancient Mesopotamia
- Life in the Cradle of Civilization
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Amanda H. Podany PhD
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,579
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,372
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,363
Mesopotamia is the ancient name for the region that is now Iraq, a remarkably advanced civilization that flourished for two-thirds of the time that civilization has existed on Earth. Mesopotamians mastered irrigation agriculture; built the first complex urban societies; developed writing, literature, and law; and united vast regions through warfare and diplomacy. While civilizations like Greece and Rome have an unbroken tradition of written histories, the rich history of Mesopotamia has only been recently rediscovered, thanks to the decipherment of Mesopotamia's cuneiform writing less than 200 years ago.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Time with a great scholar & fantastic lecturer
- By jgmegill on 07-14-18
- Ancient Mesopotamia
- Life in the Cradle of Civilization
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Amanda H. Podany PhD
A Fantastic Listen
Reviewed: 04-08-21
You can tell Amanda is passionate about her work & she is a great narrator. The series takes you back in time and makes you feel like you are really living thousands of years ago in Mesopotamia. Chronicles the most famous kings of the near east including Nebuchadnezzar, Sargon, & Hammurabi and ends with Cyrus the Great.
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America and Iran
- A History, 1720 to the Present
- By: John Ghazvinian
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 27 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 226
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 198
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 198
In this rich, fascinating history, John Ghazvinian traces the complex story of the relations between these two nations back to the Persian Empire of the 18th century - the subject of great admiration by Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams - and an America seen by Iranians as an ideal to emulate for their own government.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Distortions Galore
- By Chuck S. on 03-15-21
- America and Iran
- A History, 1720 to the Present
- By: John Ghazvinian
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
An Objective Masterpiece
Reviewed: 02-27-21
A truly enjoyable and objective masterpiece. Comprehensive, informative, with a good narrator. Too often we only hear one side of this story, but this book will open you up to the view of the relationship from Tehran. The book is divided into four parts - spring, summer, fall, and winter, each corresponding to the relationship. For example, winter, part four, is the frostiest part of the relationship. Would recommend to anyone seeking to learn about the relationship between the two countries.
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5 people found this helpful
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Destiny Disrupted
- A History of the World through Islamic Eyes
- By: Tamim Ansary
- Narrated by: Tamim Ansary
- Length: 17 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,983
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,669
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,661
Until about 1800, the West and the Islamic realm were like two adjacent, parallel universes, each assuming itself to be the center of the world while ignoring the other. As Europeans colonized the globe, the two world histories intersected and the Western narrative drove the other one under. The West hardly noticed, but the Islamic world found the encounter profoundly disrupting.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A history of the world before the West mattered
- By David on 05-05-14
- Destiny Disrupted
- A History of the World through Islamic Eyes
- By: Tamim Ansary
- Narrated by: Tamim Ansary
Unbiased, Superb Listen
Reviewed: 02-21-21
Frank, unbiased, narrated by author, great listen. Comprehensive, covers 1400 years of Islamic history well.
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1453
- The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West
- By: Roger Crowley
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,050
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 941
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 937
The fall of Constantinople in 1453 signaled a shift in history and the end of the Byzantium Empire. Roger Crowley's listenable and comprehensive account of the battle between Mehmed II, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and Constantine XI, the 57th emperor of Byzantium, illuminates the period in history that was a precursor to the current jihad between the West and the Middle East.
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3 out of 5 stars
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A well written narrative with bizarre and biased commentary
- By Patrick D. Flynn on 08-17-17
- 1453
- The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West
- By: Roger Crowley
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
Solid Breakdown
Reviewed: 02-16-21
A solid breakdown of the conquest. Comprehensive and entertaining, with a good narration and background.
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Benevolence Towards Parents
- By: Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
- Narrated by: Gilda O'Hara
- Length: 1 hr and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
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Performance3 out of 5 stars 1
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Story5 out of 5 stars 1
In this audiobook, Imam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya collects the sayings related to benevolence toward parents and covers many aspects of how to treat your parents. He highlights how Islam sees kindness toward parents as a core part of the religion and enforces that in both parents' lives and even after they pass away.
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5 out of 5 stars
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An Underrated Listen
- By Allan on 02-14-21
- Benevolence Towards Parents
- By: Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
- Narrated by: Gilda O'Hara
An Underrated Listen
Reviewed: 02-14-21
Stumbled upon this audiobook and was very glad I did. I didn't think they had audiobooks authored by classical Muslim scholars. Quick listen with great narrations and stories. Highly recommend and believe it will change the way we see our parents.
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Ibn Khaldun
- An Intellectual Biography
- By: Robert Irwin
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 86
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 73
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Story4 out of 5 stars 72
Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) is generally regarded as the greatest intellectual ever to have appeared in the Arab world - a genius who ranks as one of the world's great minds. Yet the author of the Muqaddima, the most important study of history ever produced in the Islamic world, is not as well known as he should be, and his ideas are widely misunderstood. In this groundbreaking intellectual biography, Robert Irwin provides an engaging and authoritative account of Ibn Khaldun's extraordinary life, times, writings, and ideas.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Issues with accuracy, pronounciation
- By Moh 3aly on 01-02-19
- Ibn Khaldun
- An Intellectual Biography
- By: Robert Irwin
- Narrated by: John Telfer
Ibn Khaldun Summed Up Well
Reviewed: 02-13-21
Ibn Khaldun's writings, thoughts, and his time are well summed up. Includes modern scholarship on the North African intellectual and his influences today.
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1 person found this helpful
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The Opioid Epidemic
- What Everyone Needs to Know
- By: Yngvild Olsen, Joshua M. Sharfstein
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5
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Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 5
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Story5 out of 5 stars 5
The Opioid Epidemic: What Everyone Needs to Know is an accessible, nonpartisan overview of the causes, politics, and treatments tied to the most devastating health crisis of our time. Its comprehensive approach and Q&A format offer listeners a practical path to understanding the epidemic from all sides: the basic science of opioids; the nature of addiction; the underlying reasons for the opioid epidemic; effective approaches to helping individuals, families, communities, and national policy; and common myths related to opioid addiction.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Mother Goose narrates opioid epidemic
- By Jeffrey Olsen on 06-23-20
- The Opioid Epidemic
- What Everyone Needs to Know
- By: Yngvild Olsen, Joshua M. Sharfstein
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
Great Book , Poor Narration
Reviewed: 02-11-21
Very enjoyable listen. Covers almost every topic in the opioid epidemic, well researched and written. Narrator talked like a robot, though.
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Masters of War: History's Greatest Strategic Thinkers
- By: The Great Courses, Andrew R. Wilson
- Narrated by: Andrew R. Wilson
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,572
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,266
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,243
From Napoleon's revolutionary campaigns to the way insurgency, terrorism, and nuclear weaponry have defined the nature of warfare in the 21st century, the results of military strategy have changed the course of history. These 24 thought-provoking lectures give you an inside look at both the content and historical context of the world's greatest war strategists. From the triremes and hoplites of ancient Greece to the Special Forces in 21st-century Afghanistan, strategy is the process by which political objectives are translated into military action.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Good beginning - weak end
- By Hoefling on 05-10-14
Really Enjoyable Listen
Reviewed: 02-08-21
This was exactly what I was hoping for and met all my expectations. Dives into some of the greatest strategic thinkers and warfare methods from before the common era to the early modern period and the present.
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The Persian Empire
- By: John W. Lee, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John W. Lee
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,235
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,104
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,095
Over the span of 24 fascinating lectures, you'll take on the role of a history detective to discover the truth about the Persian Empire. You'll discover the key to the empire's success lay in its greatest rulers, each of whom played a critical role in shaping and strengthening a civilization we still remember today. Take this opportunity to complete your understanding of the ancient world and discover the humanity of the ancient Persians.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Ancient History Does Not Get Much Better Than This
- By John Wayne on 05-19-14
- The Persian Empire
- By: John W. Lee, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John W. Lee
Super Good Listen
Reviewed: 02-04-21
This was a super good listen. I was hooked. Great lectures on the first Persian kings such as Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes, and Artaxerxes. I really appreciated the "tour" of ancient Persia and towards the end, the invasion to the east of Alexander the Great. He also dedicates time to women in the empire and the economy. Finally, John W.I. Lee dispels stereotypes and over-simplifications of the empire, especially as those seen in Hollywood.
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