Ancient Greece, Second Edition Audiobook By Thomas R. Martin cover art

Ancient Greece, Second Edition

From Prehistoric to Hellenistic Times

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

Ancient Greece, Second Edition

By: Thomas R. Martin
Narrated by: John Lescault
Try for $0.00

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.74

Buy for $19.74

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

In this compact yet comprehensive history of ancient Greece, Thomas R. Martin brings alive Greek civilization from its Stone Age roots to the fourth century BC. Focusing on the development of the Greek city-state and the society, culture, and architecture of Athens in its Golden Age, Martin integrates political, military, social, and cultural history in a book that will appeal to students and general audiences alike.

Now in its second edition, this classic work now features updates throughout.

©2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Ancient Archaeology Europe Greece Ancient Greece Ancient History Middle Ages Inspiring Africa Imperialism Middle East Greek Mythology Ancient Greek History
Comprehensive Overview • Jargon-free Writing • Pleasant Voice • Balanced Perspective • Informative Content
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  
The narrator obviously has something against Alexanders wife Roxanne.He mispronounces her name wrongly over and over again.Surprising since its still a common name.

Mispronuncing names

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The story itself is not bad, it provides a good overview of and introduction to ancient Greek culture. The narration is not the best. It frequently sounds robotic. That being said, I never had any issues understanding what was he was saying, it was just a little boring to listen to.

Good introduction on the subject

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The author touches on a plethora of interesting facts. I really enjoyed the sections that addressed Greek interpersonal communication.

A verbal time machine to ease the mind.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Exhaustingly deep. I loved it. It paints a vivid picture of the history. I recommend this title for those wanting a good overview of Greek history during this period.

Comprehensive

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A good book for listening at low volume, a good put to relax to whole trying to good to sleep. the topuc was broad enough and the narrator voice was perfect.

Good easy listenimg

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Good introductory work on Greek History. Stimulated thought within the parameters of modern western political science.

The short story of Ancient Greece

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is a masterful review of Ancient Greek history with particular relevance to our current time. I found it well written and absorbing. The discussions of the development of democracy in the city states, the status of women, slaves, ‘outsiders’ and the decline of the Classical Era were very well done.

A Masterful Review

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I've always been deeply fascinated by history, so I was full of high hopes when I downloaded Ancient Greece by Thomas R Martin as an audiobook as part of my Audible subscription. I'd say that this is most certainly more geared towards an academic overview of the different Grecian eras, from the prehistoric all the way through to Alexander's conquests, and gives a solid overview of Greece's political structures, the civilisation's social organisation, as well as arts and culture.

But.

There was going to be a but.

I am no great fan of the narrator, and the audio quality leaves much to be desired. Firstly, John Lescault's reading is dull and lifeless, and renders what might be quite fascinating text into a dull, monotonous drone. Not only that, but it's obvious where content has been spliced in – there are clear shifts in clarity/volume that jolted me out of the listening experience. I mean, it was not a complete deal breaker, but considering that I listen to many audiobooks, I've gained an ear for this sort of thing enough so that it annoys me. Not a fan of this narrator, and I'll probably think twice before picking up anything else he reads.

But onto what makes this work good – if you're looking for a refresher or introduction into Greek history, then this will give you a great bird's eye view, especially in terms of getting a handle on the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures that played such a large part in the establishment of the Classical and Hellenistic periods. One thing that I do carry away from this is how Greek culture as a whole played such an important part in shaping even modern Western civilisation in how its philosophy, art, architecture, and literature had such a influence handed down through the years.

Overall, this is a solid read and it's definitely kindled more curiosity on my part to try to find works that are more specialised and perhaps somewhat more detailed.

Poor audio quality and reading detracts

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I grabbed this book because it was a required reading for one of my college courses, and why wouldn't you choose an audio book versus reading the physical book. After listening to this and getting what I needed out of it I was surprised to find that I actually enjoyed the book on a casual level as much as a scholarly level. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in ancient history.

Great Read for the Casual & Scholarly Reader

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Martin provides an excellent introduction in Greek history, useful to both the new student and the more specialized historian. Well written, free of jargon, this work provides great background and a solid starting point for those wishing to know more about these fascinating people and remarkable era that has shaped the history of much of the western world and the Middle East. The expert will find in it a solid review and primer with enough details and discussion of newer scholarship to reawaken their interest in Greek history from the Minoan and Mycenean eras through the Hellenistic Age. Highly recommended, with a solid (and mostly error free) reading by the warm-voiced narrator.

Solid and Colorful Introduction

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews