-
Alexander the Great
- The Hunt for a New Past
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
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Publisher's summary
Cartledge brilliantly evokes Alexander's remarkable political and military accomplishments, cutting through the myths to show why he was such a great leader. He explores our endless fascination with Alexander and gives us insight into his charismatic leadership, his capacity for brutality, and his sophisticated grasp of international politics.
Alexander the Great is an engaging portrait of a fascinating man and a welcome balance to the myths, legends, and skewed history that have obscured the real Alexander.
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From tales of chivalrous knights to the barbarity of trial by ordeal, no era has been a greater source of awe, horror, and wonder than the Middle Ages. In handsomely crafted prose and with the grace and authority of his extraordinary gift for narrative history, William Manchester leads us from a civilization tottering on the brink of collapse to the grandeur of its rebirth, the Renaissance.
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Ruined by the narrator
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Why is this author considered an expert scholar of Ancient Greece?
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Filled with tales of adventure and astounding reversals of fortune, The Rise of Athens celebrates the city-state that transformed the world - from the democratic revolution that marked its beginning through the city's political and cultural golden age to its decline into the ancient equivalent of a modern-day university town. Anthony Everitt constructs his history with unforgettable portraits of the talented, tricky, ambitious, and unscrupulous Athenians who fueled the city's rise.
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Good but not great. With some disturbing opinions.
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In SPQR, world-renowned classicist Mary Beard narrates the unprecedented rise of a civilization that even 2,000 years later still shapes many of our most fundamental assumptions about power, citizenship, responsibility, political violence, empire, luxury, and beauty.
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Shallow and unsatisfying
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Ruined by the narrator
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In the tradition of Jared Diamond and Jacques Barzun, prize-winning historian Anthony Pagden presents a sweeping history of the long struggle between East and West, from the Greeks to the present day.
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Andrew Roberts' Napoleon is the first one-volume biography to take advantage of the recent publication of Napoleon's thirty-three thousand letters, which radically transform our understanding of his character and motivation. At last we see him as he was: protean multitasker, decisive, surprisingly willing to forgive his enemies and his errant wife Josephine.
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What a dynamo!
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An Historic Achievement
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The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
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Since its publication in 1960, William L. Shirer’s monumental study of Hitler’s German empire has been widely acclaimed as the definitive record of the 20th century’s blackest hours. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich offers an unparalleled and thrillingly told examination of how Adolf Hitler nearly succeeded in conquering the world. With millions of copies in print around the globe, it has attained the status of a vital and enduring classic.
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The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in 25 years than the Romans did in 400. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization.
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Golden Horde/Platinum Listen
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You have to know what you get with The Prince
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Alexander was born into the royal family of Macedonia, the kingdom that would soon rule over Greece. Tutored as a boy by Aristotle, Alexander had an inquisitive mind that would serve him well when he faced formidable obstacles during his military campaigns. Shortly after taking command of the army, he launched an invasion of the Persian Empire, and continued his conquests as far south as the deserts of Egypt and as far east as the mountains of present-day Pakistan and the plains of India.
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Great book!
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Caesar
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Tracing the extraordinary trajectory of Julius Caesar's life, Adrian Goldsworthy covers not only the great Roman emperor's accomplishments as charismatic orator, conquering general, and powerful dictator but also lesser-known chapters. Ultimately, Goldsworthy realizes the full complexity of Caesar's character and shows why his political and military leadership continues to resonate some 2,000 years later.
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Caesar and his times
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Well Written and Detailed
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No Need for a Score Card
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Unexpected
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Washington's Spies
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Based on remarkable new research, acclaimed historian Alexander Rose brings to life the true story of the spy ring that helped America win the Revolutionary War. For the first time, Rose takes us beyond the battlefront and deep into the shadowy underworld of double agents and triple crosses, covert operations and code breaking, and unmasks the courageous, flawed men who inhabited this wilderness of mirrors—including the spymaster at the heart of it all.
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Kinda boring
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Critic reviews
"Readable and engrossing....Immediate, discursive, insightful, and highly engaging." ( Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
"With his usual riveting storytelling, Cartledge...narrates Alexander's life and rise to power. Cartledge's knack for bringing history to life makes for an absorbing new biography of the legendary Greek leader." ( Publishers Weekly)
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Following Caesar’s assassination and Mark Antony’s defeat of the conspirators who killed Caesar, two powerful men remained in Rome—Antony and Caesar’s chosen heir, young Octavian, the future Augustus. When Antony fell in love with the most powerful woman in the world, Egypt’s ruler Cleopatra, and thwarted Octavian’s ambition to rule the empire, another civil war broke out. In 31 BC one of the largest naval battles in the ancient world took place—more than 600 ships, almost 200,000 men, and one woman—the Battle of Actium.
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Highly detailed accounts
- By LEE on 03-28-22
By: Barry Strauss
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Marathon
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- Narrated by: Jeremy Gage
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Published to coincide with Marathon's 2500th anniversary, a riveting history of the historic battle. The Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C. is not only understood as the most decisive event in the struggle between the Greeks and the Persians, but can also be seen as perhaps the most significant moment in our collective history. 10,000 Athenian citizens faced a Persian military force of more than 25,000.
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Effectively evokes the world of ancient greece
- By Aaron on 11-02-10
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Hadrian and the Triumph of Rome
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Acclaimed British historian Anthony Everitt delivers a compelling account of the former orphan who became Roman emperor in A.D. 117 after the death of his guardian Trajan. Hadrian strengthened Rome by ending territorial expansion and fortifying existing borders. And - except for the uprising he triggered in Judea - his strength-based diplomacy brought peace to the realm after a century of warfare.
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A Biography "too tall for the height of the cella"
- By Darwin8u on 08-23-12
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The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt
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In this landmark work, one of the world's most renowned Egyptologists tells the epic story of this great civilization, from its birth as the first nation-state to its final absorption into the Roman Empire - 3,000 years of wild drama, bold spectacle, and unforgettable characters. Award-winning scholar Toby Wilkinson captures not only the lavish pomp and artistic grandeur of this land of pyramids and pharaohs but for the first time reveals the constant propaganda and repression that were its foundations.
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Well Written and Detailed
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Praetorian
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Founded by Augustus around 27 BC, the elite Praetorian Guard was tasked with the protection of the emperor and his family. As the centuries unfolded, however, Praetorian soldiers served not only as protectors and enforcers but also as powerful political players. Fiercely loyal to some emperors, they vied with others and ruthlessly toppled those who displeased them, including Caligula, Nero, Pertinax, and many more. Guy de la Bédoyère provides a compelling first full narrative history of the Praetorians.
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Buy it
- By Charles on 08-07-17
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In God's Path
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In just over a hundred years - from the death of Muhammad in 632 to the beginning of the Abbasid Caliphate in 750 - the followers of the Prophet swept across the whole of the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain. Their armies threatened states as far flung as the Franks in Western Europe and the Tang Empire in China. The conquered territory was larger than the Roman Empire at its greatest expansion, and it was claimed for the Arabs in roughly half the time.
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Islamic conquest history from the outside
- By SAMA on 01-22-15
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Ten Caesars
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Best-selling classical historian Barry Strauss tells the story of three-and-a-half centuries of the Roman Empire through the lives of 10 of the most important emperors, from Augustus to Constantine.
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Good for beginners
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SPQR
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In SPQR, world-renowned classicist Mary Beard narrates the unprecedented rise of a civilization that even 2,000 years later still shapes many of our most fundamental assumptions about power, citizenship, responsibility, political violence, empire, luxury, and beauty.
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Shallow and unsatisfying
- By Joe on 02-19-17
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The Norman Conquest
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An upstart French duke who sets out to conquer the most powerful and unified kingdom in Christendom. An invasion force on a scale not seen since the days of the Romans. One of the bloodiest and most decisive battles ever fought.
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A Balanced, Entertaining, and Informative History
- By Jefferson on 06-01-14
By: Marc Morris
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Alexander never gets...old.
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You know my name...say it.
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Gripping and seamless
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Remarkable research!
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What listeners say about Alexander the Great
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- William Baker
- 02-18-21
Outstanding Knowledge Book
Paul Cartledge does an outstanding job reviewing Alexander the Great's life and influence on Civilization. It concludes with the summary discussion of his Knowledge Management.
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- cachorro-urubu
- 03-25-22
Dont Believe bad reviews
Great narration. very well researched. best if you read a basic biography of alexander first.
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- Jimbo Phillips
- 01-20-16
Who was the real Alexander?
Throughout history, people have written of Alexander and his achievements. The accuracy of these accounts is what is in question. Even the accounts written by contemporaries of the man are laced with the writer's own agenda. Paul Cartledge does his best to weave through history to bring us a true description of Alexander as a man, a general, a politician, and much more. Cartledge takes a balanced approach, using his best logic and reasoning skills to give us this portrait. This book is not a chronological study of events, but rather a study of the man behind the myth. It will jump around in time a bit. There has been talk about whether to read/listen this first or not. You may want to familiarize yourself with the basics, as Cartledge will go over specific incidents that you may not have a clue about. That was me, and I admit, the first half of the book was a struggle. By the second half I had caught on to what the author was trying to do, and was able to settle into it. The appendix is actually one of my favorite parts, because Cartledge gives us more insight as to why he came up with some of his opinions. In all, I am not sorry that I didn't know more about Alexander before getting into this book. I learned a lot and was happy to listen a second time, to pick up on the things in the first half that were a bit over my head. This is a very good study of Alexander, and whether you read it first or not, you should read it. The added plus with the audiobook is John Lee. I've listened to his narration many times before, and few are better.
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2 people found this helpful
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- John
- 07-29-22
Not well edited
The author continuously repeats the same topic or story, almost verbatim. It is very annoying.
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- Blane Richoux
- 12-30-20
NOT a Chronology of Alexander’s Life
For those looking for a chronological retelling of Alexander’s deeds - look elsewhere. This book, while interesting, reads like a collection of scholarly essays on Alexander’s life and spends most of its pages analyzing the meaning or veracity of Alexander’s supposed deeds. The author assumes that the reader already has a detailed knowledge of Alexander’s story. The order of the topics covered in the book does not follow any clear pattern. The author jumps back and forth to different points in time to illustrate his arguments but does a poor job of tying the themes together. This makes the information feel repetitive at times and also random. Overall, it was difficult to keep up with the Author’s themes.
If you have read a number of other books on Alexander, you may find this book interesting and nuanced but I strongly recommend that those new to Alexander consult other books before turning to this one.
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8 people found this helpful
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- steve p.
- 09-26-20
finished with a sense of more respect for the man.
there were a few times in the book where there were so many Greek and Macedonian names being spoken that I didnt even want to pay attention. but I feel like this was due to his desire to show academia that he had done it.
ultimately I have benefitted from this book by expanding my understanding of the man Alexander, and what it was like living in those times so long ago
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- Daniel Morlan
- 11-24-20
Superb Content
Due to the antiquity of the subject matter it is difficult to get all of the details we would wish but the details are rich and well reasoned in their acquisition and most Alexandrian scholars are liable to learn something they didn't know. I had to slow it down to 90 percent but that was no inconvenience. Highly recommend.
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- autumn jones
- 05-03-21
Outstanding
An outstanding listen! Keeps you interested throughout and teaches a lot about mighty Alexander as well.
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- Kindle Customer
- 02-04-22
Beware of unsupervised children and their toys.
Beware of unsupervised children and their toys. How do you write a biography of a God?
It's sometimes hard to remember how much Alexander the Great accomplished in his short 32 year life -- conquering Greece, Persia, much of Asia, and being worshipped as divine being among the highlights. Cartledge's 2005 biography of Alexander (subtitled: "The Hunt for a New Past") eschews the hagiography and presents a lively, reasoned, and well written look at one of history's most influential, fascinating, and admittedly mysterious figures.
Cartledge tries to cut through the fog of god-worship and shows Alexander for what he most likely was, a passionate, motivated, charismatic, but somewhat chaotic young man -- who just happened to have an army at his disposal. Remove Alexander's access to tens of thousands of spears. Would we know his name? Almost certainly not. Or if Alexander didn't come to power until mid to late 20s, would he have been as aggressively expansionist? Would he do so with such a quasi-religious zeal and the certitude of youth in his pursuit of "Pan-Hellenism," which Cartledge largely finds as a pretext for more mundane logistical and strategic goals?
While this is as much a biography of Alexander the Great, it's also gives a glimpse into Alexander the Petty, Alexander the Tyrannical, and Alexander the Paranoid as his efforts to maintain his grip on power and rapid expansion leads to mutinies, reigns of terror/purges, and assassination plots (both real and invented).
Overall, an eminently readable and insightful look into one of history's most fascinating characters.
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- Susan C. J.
- 02-19-22
Interesting Content; Great Narration
Although I'm familiar with the subject matter, I thought I'd give this a try and might learn something new. I didn't actually experience any startling insights, but I enjoyed the author's prose style and loved John Lee's narration. In my opinion John Lee is a brilliant voice actor. He could read an old phone book and make it interesting. I loved his first person narrative in the SPQR series, for instance. So I recommend this book to readers at all levels of knowledge about Alexander and his world,
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