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36 Revolutionary Figures of History
- Narrated by: Allen C. Guelzo, Bob Brier
- Length: 18 hrs and 36 mins
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Publisher's summary
Alexander the Great, Jesus, Darwin, and Churchill are just a few of the many politicians, religious leaders, scientists, philosophers, authors, inventors, and generals who transformed our world in ways that still resonate today. Now, with this unique collection of 36 lectures from our extensive course catalog, meet the remarkable people without whom the world would never be the same.
You'll examine the world that was dramatically reformed by a particular individual, or plunge into a defining moment in an individual's life, or learn how an individual went on to influence some of history's other great revolutionaries. Most importantly: you'll come away with a thorough understanding of why history is so indebted-for better or, in some instances, for worse-to these 36 epic figures, including Socrates, Queen Victoria, Abraham Lincoln, and Mohandas Gandhi. You'll also encounter figures that you may not have considered to be so revolutionary.
It takes a great professor to help you understand what makes a single person change the world. To that end, we've assembled individual lectures from some of our most highly rated and beloved professors and instructors. Drawn from a range of academic fields (including military history, science, literature, religious studies, and philosophy), each professor lends his or her expert knowledge and teaching skills to making this an authoritative learning experience.
Countless adventures await you with this carefully crafted look at titanic historical figures. If you have a friend who is new to The Great Courses, this collection makes for an accessible and rewarding first step into lifelong learning.
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Story
Take a riveting tour of the Italian peninsula, from the glittering canals of Venice to the lavish papal apartments and ancient ruins of Rome. In these 24 lectures, Professor Bartlett traces the development of the Italian city-states of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, showing how the modern nation of Italy was forged out of the rivalries, allegiances, and traditions of a vibrant and diverse people.
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A useful survey, just what I wanted
- By Adeliese Baumann on 11-07-16
By: Kenneth R. Bartlett, and others
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The Culture of Knighthood in Medieval Romance
- By: Larissa (Kat) Tracy, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Larissa Tracy
- Length: 2 hrs and 19 mins
- Original Recording
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In The Culture of Knighthood and Medieval Romance, join scholar of medieval literature Larissa Tracy for a fascinating dive into the deeper context of narratives about knights and their world. Her Audible Original takes you through the evolution of knighthood and courtly literature, dispelling prevalent myths about chivalry and romance with an eye to revealing just how textured and complex these ideas actually were.
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A course on Sir Lancelot lacks a lot.
- By Patrick Mullane on 12-20-23
By: Larissa (Kat) Tracy, and others
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1066: The Year That Changed Everything
- By: Jennifer Paxton, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer Paxton
- Length: 3 hrs
- Original Recording
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With this exciting and historically rich six-lecture course, experience for yourself the drama of this dynamic year in medieval history, centered on the landmark Norman Conquest. Taking you from the shores of Scandinavia and France to the battlefields of the English countryside, these lectures will plunge you into a world of fierce Viking warriors, powerful noble families, politically charged marriages, tense succession crises, epic military invasions, and much more.
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History brought to life
- By Joshua on 07-10-13
By: Jennifer Paxton, and others
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The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World
- By: Robert Garland, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Garland
- Length: 24 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
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Look beyond the abstract dates and figures, kings and queens, and battles and wars that make up so many historical accounts. Over the course of 48 richly detailed lectures, Professor Garland covers the breadth and depth of human history from the perspective of the so-called ordinary people, from its earliest beginnings through the Middle Ages.
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Tantalizing time trip
- By Mark on 08-21-13
By: Robert Garland, and others
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The Foundations of Western Civilization
- By: Thomas F. X. Noble, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Thomas F. X. Noble
- Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins
- Original Recording
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What is Western Civilization? According to Professor Noble, it is "much more than human and political geography," encompassing myriad forms of political and institutional structures - from monarchies to participatory republics - and its own traditions of political discourse. It involves choices about who gets to participate in any given society and the ways in which societies have resolved the tension between individual self-interest and the common good.
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Not Engaging or Very Interesting
- By Tommy D'Angelo on 03-05-17
By: Thomas F. X. Noble, and others
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The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
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Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.
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Excellent Series
- By Rodney on 07-09-13
By: Gary W. Gallagher, and others
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The Italians before Italy: Conflict and Competition in the Mediterranean
- By: Kenneth R. Bartlett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Kenneth R. Bartlett
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Original Recording
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Take a riveting tour of the Italian peninsula, from the glittering canals of Venice to the lavish papal apartments and ancient ruins of Rome. In these 24 lectures, Professor Bartlett traces the development of the Italian city-states of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, showing how the modern nation of Italy was forged out of the rivalries, allegiances, and traditions of a vibrant and diverse people.
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A useful survey, just what I wanted
- By Adeliese Baumann on 11-07-16
By: Kenneth R. Bartlett, and others
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The Culture of Knighthood in Medieval Romance
- By: Larissa (Kat) Tracy, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Larissa Tracy
- Length: 2 hrs and 19 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In The Culture of Knighthood and Medieval Romance, join scholar of medieval literature Larissa Tracy for a fascinating dive into the deeper context of narratives about knights and their world. Her Audible Original takes you through the evolution of knighthood and courtly literature, dispelling prevalent myths about chivalry and romance with an eye to revealing just how textured and complex these ideas actually were.
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A course on Sir Lancelot lacks a lot.
- By Patrick Mullane on 12-20-23
By: Larissa (Kat) Tracy, and others
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1066: The Year That Changed Everything
- By: Jennifer Paxton, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer Paxton
- Length: 3 hrs
- Original Recording
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With this exciting and historically rich six-lecture course, experience for yourself the drama of this dynamic year in medieval history, centered on the landmark Norman Conquest. Taking you from the shores of Scandinavia and France to the battlefields of the English countryside, these lectures will plunge you into a world of fierce Viking warriors, powerful noble families, politically charged marriages, tense succession crises, epic military invasions, and much more.
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History brought to life
- By Joshua on 07-10-13
By: Jennifer Paxton, and others
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The Iliad of Homer
- By: Elizabeth Vandiver, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Vandiver
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
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For thousands of years, Homer's ancient epic poem the
Iliad has enchanted readers from around the world. When you join Professor Vandiver for this lecture series on the Iliad, you'll come to understand what has enthralled and gripped so many people. Her compelling 12-lecture look at this literary masterpiece -whether it's the work of many authors or the "vision" of a single blind poet - makes it vividly clear why, after almost 3,000 years, the
Iliad remains not only among the greatest adventure stories ever told but also one of the most compelling meditations on the human condition ever written.
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Vandiver never disappoints
- By Machteacher on 07-23-13
By: Elizabeth Vandiver, and others
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History's Great Military Blunders and the Lessons They Teach
- By: The Great Courses, Gregory S. Aldrete
- Narrated by: Gregory S. Aldrete
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
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Military history often highlights successes and suggests a sense of inevitability about victory, but there is so much that can be gleaned from considering failures. Study these crucibles of history to gain a better understanding of why a civilization took - or didn't take - a particular path.
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Martial Chaos
- By Cynthia on 08-16-16
By: The Great Courses, and others
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The Rise of Communism: From Marx to Lenin
- By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Original Recording
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How did communism become such a pervasive economic and political philosophy? Why did it first take root in early 20th-century Russia? These and other questions are part of a fascinating story whose drama has few equals in terms of sheer scale, scope, or human suffering and belief. These 12 lectures invite you to go inside communism’s journey from a collection of political and economic theories to a revolutionary movement that rocked the world.
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Disappointing, simplistic, biased
- By Proteus_Undead on 11-09-19
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
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The Hidden History of the Boston Tea Party
- By: Adam Jortner, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Adam Jortner
- Length: 2 hrs and 56 mins
- Original Recording
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The history of the Boston Tea Party is a hidden one. Why? Since it was a clandestine operation, all sorts of rumors and legends grew up around the event—many collected decades after the American Revolution had ended. At its core, however, the night of December 16, 1773, when colonials dumped tea from British ships into Boston Harbor, was more than a fight over tea and taxes. It was a struggle over the very nature of democracy and self-governance.
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How nuanced this event actually was
- By Cody T. on 12-17-23
By: Adam Jortner, and others
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The Great Ideas of Philosophy, 2nd Edition
- By: Daniel N. Robinson, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Daniel N. Robinson
- Length: 30 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
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Grasp the important ideas that have served as the backbone of philosophy across the ages with this extraordinary 60-lecture series. This is your opportunity to explore the enormous range of philosophical perspectives and ponder the most important and enduring of human questions-without spending your life poring over dense philosophical texts.
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A Hard Review to Write
- By Ark1836 on 11-20-15
By: Daniel N. Robinson, and others
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Renaissance: The Transformation of the West
- By: Jennifer McNabb, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer McNabb
- Length: 26 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
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While it’s easy to get caught up - and, rightfully so - in the art of the Renaissance, you cannot have a full, rounded understanding of just how important these centuries were without digging beneath the surface, without investigating the period in terms of its politics, its spirituality, its philosophies, its economics, and its societies. Do just that with these 48 lectures that consider the European Renaissance from all sides, that disturb traditional understandings, that tip sacred cows, and that enlarges our understanding of how the Renaissance revolutionized the Western world.
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Reads like a bad high school essay.
- By Matthew Dennis on 10-29-18
By: Jennifer McNabb, and others
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Robert E. Lee
- A Life
- By: Allen C. Guelzo
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 22 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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In Robert E. Lee, the award-winning historian Allen Guelzo has written the definitive biography of the general, following him from his refined upbringing in Virginia high society, to his long career in the U.S. Army, his agonized decision to side with Virginia when it seceded from the Union, and his leadership during the Civil War. Above all, Guelzo captures Robert E. Lee in all his complexity--his hypocrisy and courage, his outward calm and inner turmoil, his honor and his disloyalty.
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Unfortunately falls into judging Lee like CNN
- By Jeff B on 11-08-21
By: Allen C. Guelzo
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The Murder of Tutankhamen
- A True Story
- By: Bob Brier PhD
- Narrated by: Christopher Douyard
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Today, Tutankhamen is the most famous of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs. After his death at the age of nineteen, "King Tut" was forgotten from history, until the discovery of his tomb in 1922 propelled him to worldwide fame. But the circumstances of his death remain shrouded in mystery. This fascinating, painstakingly researched book is the first to explore in depth the questionable circumstances of Tutankhamen's demise—and to present a shocking scenario of betrayal, ambition, and murder.
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Gasping narrator is a problem
- By TofuForBrains on 07-25-23
By: Bob Brier PhD
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No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life
- By: Robert C. Solomon, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert C. Solomon
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
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What is life? What is my place in it? What choices do these questions obligate me to make? More than a half-century after it burst upon the intellectual scene - with roots that extend to the mid-19th century - Existentialism's quest to answer these most fundamental questions of individual responsibility, morality, and personal freedom, life has continued to exert a profound attraction.
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Good for even a non-existentialist
- By Gary on 07-24-15
By: Robert C. Solomon, and others
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The Life and Writings of C. S. Lewis
- By: Louis Markos, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Louis Markos
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
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What can we still learn from C.S. Lewis? Find out in these 12 insightful lectures that cover the author's spiritual autobiography, novels, and his scholarly writings that reflect on pain and grief, love and friendship, prophecy and miracles, and education and mythology.
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Basically a collection of sermons
- By Richard on 11-20-13
By: Louis Markos, and others
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Fateful Lightning
- A New History of the Civil War and Reconstruction
- By: Allen C. Guelzo
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 26 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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In Fateful Lightning, two-time Lincoln Prize-winning historian Allen C. Guelzo offers a marvelous portrait of the Civil War and its era, covering not only the major figures and epic battles, but also politics, religion, gender, race, diplomacy, and technology. He examines the strategy, the tactics, and the logistics of the Civil War and brings the most recent historical thinking to bear on emancipation, the presidency and the war powers, the blockade and international law, and the role of intellectuals, North and South.
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The worst part of this book is it's title
- By Rodney on 11-19-13
By: Allen C. Guelzo
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Understanding the Inventions That Changed the World
- By: W. Bernard Carlson, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: W. Bernard Carlson
- Length: 17 hrs and 25 mins
- Original Recording
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Now, you can learn the remarkable stories surrounding monumental inventions - and how consequential these inventions were to history. Taught by Professor W. Bernard Carlson of the University of Virginia, who is an expert on the role of innovation in history, these 36 enlightening lectures give you a broad survey of material history, from the ancient pottery wheel to the Internet and social media. Along with recounting the famous inventions you might expect, this course explores a number of surprising innovations, including beer, pagodas, and the operating room.
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Great content but poor editing on the delivery
- By Michael on 12-22-18
By: W. Bernard Carlson, and others
What listeners say about 36 Revolutionary Figures of History
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Bay Area Girl
- 01-03-15
too disjointed and random out of context
this is a collection of parts from full courses. i knew that but expected more of an effort to create a semi-unified product. Some were great some were hardly understandable out of context. Too many were victims of forest for the trees because they had been plucked out of context. I would recommend a full course rather than these samplers -- now that I have sampled them I really do like the Great Courses and if this is all you have tried -- instead try the real full course (s) you are interested in.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Mike Simonsen
- 04-16-15
Super fun synopsis of Great Courses history set
If you're like me and listen to course after course, this is a fun one for the comparative aspect. Some of these I'd heard previously in their full lecture, others helped me find lectures I wanted to dive into in more depth.
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- Chelsea
- 06-16-20
fascinated
it took quite a time to listen each revolution bares the seed to its own destruction.
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- Tony M.
- 07-26-21
Good, but...
Not a bad book, although this book should be better advertised as an introduction to revolutionary figures of history.
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- Amazon Customer
- 04-06-20
not quite
Entertaining and enlightening. but not necessarily as promised regarding insights into many of the figures profiled.
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- Alex
- 01-03-15
36 History All-Stars
A well documented but brief review of the accomplishments and driving ideals of thirty-six of history's most important people.
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1 person found this helpful
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- ines verner
- 03-20-15
Very interesting
The narrators were very good. This course is recommended. Interesting as it tells also about the personal life & circumstances of the figures
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- Owen T.
- 04-26-16
Smart Work
Very informative.
The professor's voice on the Churchill section was a bit jarring, though.
Enjoyed it from beginning to end.
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- J.D.
- 05-04-19
The Best Great Course Ever... Seriously
This is most definitely the greatest of the Great Courses! Instead of being one giant course on a single subject it is 36 lectures, each focusing on different men and women that have changed the world and the way we think about it. Each of the 36 lectures has been been pulled from other Great Courses, and is taught by a different lecturer who is an expert on the subject. There is a brief introduction about the lecturer, which also lets you know the name of the Great Course that each lecture comes from. The format makes this one of the most (if not the most) wide ranging and interesting of all the Great Courses that I’ve encountered.
Each of the 36 lectures of this course shines a spotlight on a different “Revolutionary Figure” from world history. While each lecture is structured slightly different due to the person giving, they are all a combination of a biography of the individual, an overview of what made them significant (ie. conquests, teachings, writings, theories, inventions), and their lasting effect on the world around them. The individuals that are profiled vary greatly, with some hailing from leadership/politics to arts/philosophy. The only common thread is that each of the figures has a proud effect on the world around them. While some lectures are better than others, they are all quite good and definitely informative.
The only downside of the course itself is that, despite having 36 lectures, it almost seems a little short in that there are probably a few extra revolutionary figures that could be included such as Nikola Tesla, Henry Ford, Martin Luther King Jr or Steve Jobs. Still, this is was one of the most interesting and engaging of the Great Courses that left me wanting to learn more by following up with the course that the lecture is taken from.
One thing that is disappointing is nowhere, either on the page or within the app is a list of the individuals who are featured in each lecture. (There is no accompanying PDF with this info either.) For those that would like to know this information here it is: 1) King Narmer 2) Confucius 3) Socrates 4) Hippocrates 5) Artaxerxes II 6) Alexander the Great 7) Virgil 8) Julius Caesar 9) Augustus Caesar 10) Jesus 11) Constantine 12) Muhammad 13) William the Conqueror 14) Thomas Aquinas 15) Geoffrey Chaucer 16) Martin Luther 17) Copernicus 18) Galileo 19) Roger Williams 20) Isaac Newton 21) Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 22) Thomas Paine 23) Samuel Slater 24) Immanuel Kant 25) Napoleon 26) Karl Marx 27) Charles Darwin 28) Harriett Beecher Stowe 29) Abraham Lincoln 30) Queen Victoria 31) Albert Einstein 32) Adolf Hitler 33) Winston Churchill 34) Gandhi 35) Mao 36) Margaret Thatcher
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- Emma
- 01-04-15
Great Variety
I really liked this Great Course because it was 36 different lecturers talking about what they know best. There were a few historical figures I thought were missing (why a lecture on Churchill but not Lenin or Stalin or FDR?) but that's going to be the case in every series like this. What I loved was the variety of characters discussed: world leaders, artists and writers, philosophers, religious icons, scientists... It was a very rewarding listen.
Only thing to be aware of is that the lectures each individually come out of other courses, so occasionally the lecturer will refer to that course or reference previous or upcoming lectures that you aren't privy to. Otherwise really solid.
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2 people found this helpful