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Christendom
- The Triumph of a Religion, AD 300-1300
- By: Peter Heather
- Narrated by: Peter Heather
- Length: 23 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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In the fourth century AD, a new faith exploded out of Palestine. Overwhelming the paganism of Rome, and converting the Emperor Constantine in the process, it resoundingly defeated a host of other rivals. Almost a thousand years later, all of Europe was controlled by Christian rulers, and the religion, ingrained within culture and society, exercised a monolithic hold over its population. But, as Peter Heather shows in this compelling new history, there was nothing inevitable about Christendom's rise to Europe-wide dominance.
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Not great.
- By Timothy on 01-06-25
- Christendom
- The Triumph of a Religion, AD 300-1300
- By: Peter Heather
- Narrated by: Peter Heather
Fistful of Salt
Reviewed: 09-28-24
Peter Heather manages to bring certain illuminating themes to the fore, to make sense of the development of Christianity: post-Constantine, the system of incentives of the empire facilitated the conversion of high status individuals.
The centrality of the Roman church was something developed over the long term, with the ebbs and flows of secular power influencing it.
But overall, even though he is forced to admit the power of faith and piety in many cases, he can’t help himself from defaulting to ridiculous Reddit atheist positions, which just can’t fathom how the power of faith to shape the soul is the main causal factor (without denying that material causes matter too)
Even in the context of small business, trying to enforce a simple policy change involves repeated emphasis at the very least: without buy in from the employees, simple forced changes do not work.
Yet Heather wants us to believe that on the scale of the entire Europe, Christianity developed without the power of faith as the main factor.
His arguments and evidence do not justify that conclusion.
He provided a meal with excellent ingredients and cooking—but added a fistful of salt at the end, spoiling the meal.
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The Fall of the Roman Empire
- A New History of Rome and the Barbarians
- By: Peter Heather
- Narrated by: Allan Robertson
- Length: 21 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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The death of the Roman Empire is one of the perennial mysteries of world history. Now, in this groundbreaking book, Peter Heather proposes a stunning new solution: Centuries of imperialism turned the neighbors Rome called barbarians into an enemy capable of dismantling an Empire that had dominated their lives for so long. A leading authority on the late Roman Empire and on the barbarians, Heather relates the extraordinary story of how Europe's barbarians, transformed by centuries of contact with Rome on every possible level, eventually pulled the empire apart.
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A New HIstory but not a better history
- By Mario on 03-28-14
- The Fall of the Roman Empire
- A New History of Rome and the Barbarians
- By: Peter Heather
- Narrated by: Allan Robertson
Fall Of Empire is Not Mysterious
Reviewed: 09-10-24
While all ancient history is full of unknowns and puzzles—and this one is no exception—this book convinced me that in broad outlines, the Fall of Rome is not really that mysterious.
A few exogenous shocks, foreign armed forces on Rome’s territory, gradual loss of imperial income and consequently the inability to deal with any big crisis, let alone multiple ones.
This book makes the Fall or Rome extremely clear, and the puzzles that necessarily remain are in the end relatively minor compared to the overall picture.
Highly recommended.
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The Richest Man Who Ever Lived
- The Life and Times of Jacob Fugger
- By: Greg Steinmetz
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Jacob Fugger lived in Germany at the turn of the 16th century, the grandson of a peasant. By the time he died, his fortune amounted to nearly 2 percent of European GDP. Not even John D. Rockefeller had that kind of wealth. Most people become rich by spotting opportunities, pioneering new technologies, or besting opponents in negotiations. Fugger did all that, but he had an extra quality that allowed him to rise even higher: nerve.
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Narrator the worst I ever heard
- By J. Feye-Stukas on 01-12-16
- The Richest Man Who Ever Lived
- The Life and Times of Jacob Fugger
- By: Greg Steinmetz
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
Interesting but Flawed
Reviewed: 04-08-24
The Fugger story is interesting and it’s worth the listen.
However, the book repeats several historical myths: the Rothschild family did NOT make their fortune by knowing faster than others about Waterloo. That’s a myth. They made their fortune initially by contraband, breaking restrictions imposed by Napoleon. Waterloo was actually bad for their business.
Similarly, Luther likely did NOT say “Here I stand, I can do no other.”
So the book is not one with deep riguros research; so it could contain myths.
But you can check those in further reading. The book is still informative and entertaining in parts.
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A History of England from the Tudors to the Stuarts
- By: Robert Bucholz, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Bucholz
- Length: 24 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
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During the 229-year period from 1485 to 1714, England transformed itself from a minor feudal state into what has been called "the first modern society" and emerged as the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world.Those years hold a huge and captivating story. The English survived repeated epidemics and famines, one failed invasion and two successful ones, two civil wars, a series of violent religious reformations and counter-reformations, and confrontations with two of the most powerful monarchs on earth.
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Old-fashioned and inaccurate
- By E. Stein on 02-26-14
Excellent!!
Reviewed: 09-21-23
You’ll understand the origin of the modern world system from someone who understands and loves his material — and who clearly knows how to make it accessible and entertaining.
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Christianity
- The First Three Thousand Years
- By: Diarmaid MacCulloch
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 46 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Once in a generation, a historian will redefine his field, producing a book that demands to be read or heard - a product of electrifying scholarship conveyed with commanding skill. Diarmaid MacCulloch's Christianity is such a book. Breathtaking in ambition, it ranges back to the origins of the Hebrew Bible and covers the world, following the three main strands of the Christian faith.
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Bias
- By David Danielson on 10-04-10
- Christianity
- The First Three Thousand Years
- By: Diarmaid MacCulloch
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
Excellent Guide for Deeper Study
Reviewed: 02-22-23
It is extremely hard to do a summary of 3000 years of evolution of a religion— but this book does a great job.
It can’t possibly do justice to every topic it touches—but the reader has plenty of guidance to study on his own.
As for bias, yes, you sometimes hear the limp wristed, somewhat pathetic ultra liberal bias of a lapsed believer that is so common these days. But it is easy to ignore and appreciate the depiction of the complex tapestry of historical Christianity.
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