
Communism in Power
From Stalin to Mao
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $9.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
About this listen
Trace the growth of communism from Stalin’s consolidation of power to the establishment of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, China, Korea, Vietnam, and elsewhere in Communism in Power: From Stalin to Mao. These 12 half-hour lessons shed intriguing light on a revolutionary movement that played an outsized role in the 20th century and continues to shape 21st-century geopolitics.
The period covered includes the Cold War, which saw the height of ideological conflict between communist and capitalist states. At the time, the true extent of internal repression imposed by communist governments was not widely known, notably the vast Gulag system organized under Stalin, Mao’s catastrophic Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution, and the “Killing Fields” of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. These organized campaigns against mostly innocent citizens led to many tens of millions of deaths.
A specialist in modern European history, Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius is the Distinguished Professor in the Humanities at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he was awarded the university’s top two teaching awards. In Communism in Power: From Stalin to Mao, he masterfully untangles the rivalries, contradictions, and doctrinal heresies that plagued communism in different countries, undermining the dream of worldwide communist comradeship. The course also covers attempts by communists to get a foothold in the United States; the widespread admiration for Soviet achievements, fueled by official propaganda; the growing disillusionment with life under Marxism-Leninism; and the day-to-day adaptations of ordinary people, including the dark jokes they made about their plight.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2021 The Great Courses (P)2021 The Teaching Company, LLCListeners also enjoyed...
-
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Disappointing, simplistic, biased
- By Proteus_Undead on 11-09-19
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
-
The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Excellent Series
- By Rodney on 07-09-13
By: Gary W. Gallagher, and others
-
War in the Modern World
- By: David R. Stone, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: David R. Stone
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Great powers no longer fight great wars. But how exactly did countries like the United States go from confronting powerful adversaries in 1914 and 1939 Europe to waging lengthy counterinsurgency campaigns in places like Iraq and Afghanistan? The answer lies in the profound geopolitical and technological changes that came in between.
-
-
General Overview of Conflicts Post World War 2
- By Jeffrey F Korpics Jr on 06-20-22
By: David R. Stone, and others
-
The Rise of Modern Japan
- By: Mark J. Ravina, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Mark J. Ravina
- Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Noted Japan expert Professor Mark J. Ravina of the University of Texas at Austin covers the politics, economics, and culture of the island nation since World War II - a conflict that saw the end of Japan’s dream of regional conquest, which Professor Ravina calls Empire 1.0. The country’s postwar leaders radically changed course, renouncing a strong military to pursue Empire 2.0 - Japan as an economic colossus.
-
-
A great introduction to modern Japan
- By nonrachitect on 12-22-21
By: Mark J. Ravina, and others
-
1066: The Year That Changed Everything
- By: Jennifer Paxton, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer Paxton
- Length: 3 hrs
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
History brought to life
- By Joshua on 07-10-13
By: Jennifer Paxton, and others
-
Understanding Russia
- A Cultural History
- By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Lynne Ann Hartnett
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the earliest recorded history of the Russian state, its people have sought to define their place in the world. And while many of us look to make sense of Russia through its political history, in many ways a real grasp of this awe-inspiring country comes from looking closely at its cultural achievements. The 24 lectures of Understanding Russia: A Cultural History survey hundreds of years of Russian culture, from the world of Ivan the Terrible to the dawn of the Soviet Union to the post-war tensions of Putin’s Russia.
-
-
Good American overview of Russia
- By Jeffrey L. Smith, PE on 10-21-18
By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, and others
-
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Disappointing, simplistic, biased
- By Proteus_Undead on 11-09-19
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
-
The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Excellent Series
- By Rodney on 07-09-13
By: Gary W. Gallagher, and others
-
War in the Modern World
- By: David R. Stone, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: David R. Stone
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Great powers no longer fight great wars. But how exactly did countries like the United States go from confronting powerful adversaries in 1914 and 1939 Europe to waging lengthy counterinsurgency campaigns in places like Iraq and Afghanistan? The answer lies in the profound geopolitical and technological changes that came in between.
-
-
General Overview of Conflicts Post World War 2
- By Jeffrey F Korpics Jr on 06-20-22
By: David R. Stone, and others
-
The Rise of Modern Japan
- By: Mark J. Ravina, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Mark J. Ravina
- Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Noted Japan expert Professor Mark J. Ravina of the University of Texas at Austin covers the politics, economics, and culture of the island nation since World War II - a conflict that saw the end of Japan’s dream of regional conquest, which Professor Ravina calls Empire 1.0. The country’s postwar leaders radically changed course, renouncing a strong military to pursue Empire 2.0 - Japan as an economic colossus.
-
-
A great introduction to modern Japan
- By nonrachitect on 12-22-21
By: Mark J. Ravina, and others
-
1066: The Year That Changed Everything
- By: Jennifer Paxton, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer Paxton
- Length: 3 hrs
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
History brought to life
- By Joshua on 07-10-13
By: Jennifer Paxton, and others
-
Understanding Russia
- A Cultural History
- By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Lynne Ann Hartnett
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the earliest recorded history of the Russian state, its people have sought to define their place in the world. And while many of us look to make sense of Russia through its political history, in many ways a real grasp of this awe-inspiring country comes from looking closely at its cultural achievements. The 24 lectures of Understanding Russia: A Cultural History survey hundreds of years of Russian culture, from the world of Ivan the Terrible to the dawn of the Soviet Union to the post-war tensions of Putin’s Russia.
-
-
Good American overview of Russia
- By Jeffrey L. Smith, PE on 10-21-18
By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, and others
-
Democracy and Its Alternatives
- By: Ethan Hollander, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ethan Hollander
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle called man a political animal. But what did he mean by that? What is democracy? How do democracies differ from one another? How do they stack up against their alternatives, like dictatorship? And can democracy survive the many challenges it faces today? To answer these questions, look no further than Democracy and Its Alternatives. Political science, history, and current affairs rolled into one, these 24 lectures investigate democratic government in theory and practice.
-
-
Very Informative
- By Racheal Dorsey on 12-20-22
By: Ethan Hollander, and others
-
Capitalism vs. Socialism: Comparing Economic Systems
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Edward F. Stuart PhD
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since we produced our course Thinking About Capitalism, customers have expressed interest in a follow-up course that could help them understand socialism in the same way. After much consideration, we determined that it actually would be more beneficial to create a course that compares and contrasts the two major global economic theories, examining them in ways that move past the polemics many of us are used to and looking at these systems as they relate to one another and the world at large.
-
-
A biased view of economics.
- By David S. Westby on 09-03-19
-
The Vietnam War
- By: John C. McManus, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John C. McManus
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Vietnam War, you will learn about the causes and consequences of the war in Vietnam. You will explore the scope of American intervention from air campaigns to large-scale military operations on the ground. You will survey the history of Vietnam from colonial Indochina onward, getting to know the homegrown ideas, personalities, and politics that would come to shape the conflict. You will reconstruct major military operations like the Tet Offensive and Rolling Thunder.
-
-
information
- By boznremtp on 12-22-22
By: John C. McManus, and others
-
England: From the Fall of Rome to the Norman Conquest
- By: Jennifer Paxton, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Jennifer Paxton
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England: From the Fall of Rome to the Norman Conquest takes you through the mists of time to the rugged landscape of the British Isles. Over the course of 24 sweeping lectures, Professor Jennifer Paxton of The Catholic University of America surveys the forging of a great nation from a series of warring kingdoms and migrating peoples. From Germanic tribes to Viking invasions to Irish missionaries, she brings to life an underexamined time and place.
-
-
Wonderful
- By Anonymous User on 12-10-22
By: Jennifer Paxton, and others
-
Norse Mythology
- By: Jackson Crawford, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Crawford
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thor, Odin, Loki, Freyja, the Valkyries, Valhalla, Ragnarok — many of the places we encounter these and other names, places, and events from Norse mythology in daily life and pop culture are connected to the medieval sources in name only.
-
-
Brilliant Course
- By Frederik on 12-05-21
By: Jackson Crawford, and others
-
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
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Martial Chaos
- By Cynthia on 08-16-16
By: The Great Courses, and others
-
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Tantalizing time trip
- By Mark on 08-21-13
By: Robert Garland, and others
-
The Medieval Legacy
- By: Carol Symes, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Carol Symes
- Length: 18 hrs and 15 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Though it ended five centuries ago, the medieval era continues to permeate our world in far-reaching ways. Whether we pay attention to them or not, the influences and imprints of the Middle Ages are all around us, sometimes evident and sometimes less so. In these 36 revealing lectures, you’ll learn how to recognize the medieval impacts on the modern world, and to grasp their significance and implications. The Medieval Legacy offers you a deep look at a stunning millennium of change and innovation which continues to inform our contemporary world.
-
-
Too woke to be worth the time
- By Dr Alison J Pilgrim on 06-20-23
By: Carol Symes, and others
-
American Military History: From Colonials to Counterinsurgents
- By: Wesley K. Clark, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Wesley K. Clark
- Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wars have played a crucial role in defining the United States and its place in the world. No one is better equipped to analyze this subject in depth than retired US Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark - decorated combat veteran, author, Rhodes Scholar, and former NATO Supreme Commander. In this course, Gen. Clark explores the full scope of America's armed conflicts, from the French and Indian War in the mid-18th century to the Global War on Terrorism in the 21st.
-
-
Boring, should have been titled "Battle Summaries"
- By Ben Chen on 10-12-18
By: Wesley K. Clark, and others
-
How to Plan for the Perfect Retirement
- By: Dana Anspach, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Dana Anspach
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Recent statistics suggest that nearly two-thirds of Americans regret not planning properly for retirement. We tend to underestimate the key factors of retirement planning: our total lifespan; the probable length of our retirement; and, perhaps most significant, how much money we’ll need to fund those years in retirement. In fact, retirement planning can feel so overwhelming that many of us put off thinking about it at all until it’s too late to make the necessary changes.
-
-
Great overview
- By Plum on 01-22-21
By: Dana Anspach, and others
-
The Great Revolutions of Modern History
- By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Lynne Ann Hartnett
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The great revolutions of the past 300 years have profoundly shaped the social, cultural, political, and military landscape of the 21st century. These epic changes tore down established orders and built new ones in their place. What drives individuals and groups to embrace revolution? At what point does a society decide to revolt? Delve into these questions and more. Taught by Professor Lynne Ann Hartnett of Villanova University, these 24 eye-opening lessons will give you new insights into the forces that have shaped our political and cultural world.
-
-
Almost good
- By J. Pietersen on 05-23-22
By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, and others
-
Understanding Economics
- Game Theory
- By: Jay R. Corrigan, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jay R. Corrigan
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Game theory is the study of strategic decision-making in politics, sports, diplomacy, and a host of other areas, but especially in economics, where game theory flourishes. Understanding Economics: Game Theory introduces you to this fascinating field, which combines the fun and challenge of games with the logic of brain teasers. In 12 engaging half-hour lessons, Professor Jay R. Corrigan of Kenyon College analyzes such classic games as the prisoner’s dilemma and the hawk-dove game.
-
-
The best entry point I've seen for game theory
- By Philo on 04-24-21
By: Jay R. Corrigan, and others
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Disappointing, simplistic, biased
- By Proteus_Undead on 11-09-19
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
-
Communism in Decline: From Sputnik to Gorbachev
- By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Communism in Decline: From Sputnik to Gorbachev, Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius reveals the internal and external forces that ripped apart the grand communist experiment. What were the mistakes made by the Soviet leaders who believed too deeply in their own propaganda? And why were they not able to see the many ironies in their own poor decisions? In 12 fascinating lectures, you will learn how the Soviet Union went from winning the space race against the United States in 1957 to Gorbachev’s resignation and the dissolution of the great experiment in 1991.
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
-
The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Excellent Series
- By Rodney on 07-09-13
By: Gary W. Gallagher, and others
-
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Tantalizing time trip
- By Mark on 08-21-13
By: Robert Garland, and others
-
The Secret World of Espionage
- By: Alma Katsu, Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, Lynne Olson, and others
- Narrated by: Alma Katsu, Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, Lynne Olson, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The world of espionage is shrouded in mystery—even to those in it—but so much of what we think we know about spy craft is rooted in pop culture. Even though the true nature of espionage is quite different, that doesn’t mean history’s real spies are any less heroic, or less fascinating. In these nine episodes, go behind the shadows with a distinguished panel of historians—including a former intelligence case officer—in search of the secret meeting places, complex codes, stealth observations, and cutting-edge technologies spies have used throughout history.
-
-
This mess does not belong in the Great Courses
- By Keith E. Robison on 06-03-22
By: Alma Katsu, and others
-
Introduction to Cognitive Science
- By: Thad A. Polk, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Thad A. Polk
- Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For millennia, philosophers and scientists have been trying to unlock the secrets of the mind with only limited success—until now. Today, with modern technologies including the best in neuroscience, medical imaging, and recent advances in artificial intelligence, we are making more progress than ever before. In Introduction to Cognitive Science, Professor Thad A. Polk takes you on a fascinating tour of the latest discoveries in the relatively new field of cognitive science. In 24 exciting lectures, Professor Polk shares dozens of the most challenging questions in cognitive science today.
-
-
AI is over rated
- By hilda shurbaji on 01-19-25
By: Thad A. Polk, and others
-
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Disappointing, simplistic, biased
- By Proteus_Undead on 11-09-19
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
-
Communism in Decline: From Sputnik to Gorbachev
- By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Communism in Decline: From Sputnik to Gorbachev, Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius reveals the internal and external forces that ripped apart the grand communist experiment. What were the mistakes made by the Soviet leaders who believed too deeply in their own propaganda? And why were they not able to see the many ironies in their own poor decisions? In 12 fascinating lectures, you will learn how the Soviet Union went from winning the space race against the United States in 1957 to Gorbachev’s resignation and the dissolution of the great experiment in 1991.
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
-
The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Excellent Series
- By Rodney on 07-09-13
By: Gary W. Gallagher, and others
-
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Tantalizing time trip
- By Mark on 08-21-13
By: Robert Garland, and others
-
The Secret World of Espionage
- By: Alma Katsu, Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, Lynne Olson, and others
- Narrated by: Alma Katsu, Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, Lynne Olson, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The world of espionage is shrouded in mystery—even to those in it—but so much of what we think we know about spy craft is rooted in pop culture. Even though the true nature of espionage is quite different, that doesn’t mean history’s real spies are any less heroic, or less fascinating. In these nine episodes, go behind the shadows with a distinguished panel of historians—including a former intelligence case officer—in search of the secret meeting places, complex codes, stealth observations, and cutting-edge technologies spies have used throughout history.
-
-
This mess does not belong in the Great Courses
- By Keith E. Robison on 06-03-22
By: Alma Katsu, and others
-
Introduction to Cognitive Science
- By: Thad A. Polk, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Thad A. Polk
- Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For millennia, philosophers and scientists have been trying to unlock the secrets of the mind with only limited success—until now. Today, with modern technologies including the best in neuroscience, medical imaging, and recent advances in artificial intelligence, we are making more progress than ever before. In Introduction to Cognitive Science, Professor Thad A. Polk takes you on a fascinating tour of the latest discoveries in the relatively new field of cognitive science. In 24 exciting lectures, Professor Polk shares dozens of the most challenging questions in cognitive science today.
-
-
AI is over rated
- By hilda shurbaji on 01-19-25
By: Thad A. Polk, and others
-
What America’s Founders Learned from Antiquity
- By: Caroline Winterer, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Caroline Winterer
- Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Many Americans know that our nation’s founders drew inspiration from the political systems of ancient Rome and Greece. But what exactly were these influences? And did they shape the United States in far-reaching ways? In these 24 compelling lectures, Professor Winterer takes you on a journey into the thought and actions of the American revolutionaries, showing how classical antiquity shaped every aspect of the revolutionary and founding era.
By: Caroline Winterer, and others
-
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Time with a great scholar & fantastic lecturer
- By jgmegill on 07-14-18
-
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Gregory S. Aldrete is a treasure
- By Laurel Tucker on 02-04-19
By: Gregory S. Aldrete, and others
-
The Dead Sea Scrolls
- By: Gary A. Rendsburg, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary A. Rendsburg
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether complete or only fragmentary, the 930 extant Dead Sea Scrolls irrevocably altered how we look at and understand the foundations of faith and religious practice. Now you can get a comprehensive introduction to this unique series of archaeological documents, and to scholars' evolving understanding of their authorship and significance, with these 24 lectures. Learn what the scrolls are, what they contain, and how the insights they offered into religious and ancient history came into focus.
-
-
A comprehensive overview of the Qumran Scrolls
- By Jacobus on 09-25-13
By: Gary A. Rendsburg, and others
-
Understanding the US Government
- By: Jennifer Nicoll Victor, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Jennifer Nicoll Victor
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In these 24 refreshingly balanced lectures, Professor Victor presents a comprehensive examination of American politics in which she demystifies its many puzzles and offers a nonpartisan look at the outcomes it produces.
-
-
A Tale of Two Courses (Feel a Bit Hoodwinked)
- By Tommy D'Angelo on 09-21-20
By: Jennifer Nicoll Victor, and others
-
Crossroads of Civilization: A History of Central Asia
- By: Eren Tasar, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Eren Tasar
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Though perhaps less well-known today than the great empires that surrounded them, the historic peoples of Central Asia—such as the Scythians, the Sogdians, the Xiongnu nomads of Mongolia, the Turkic peoples, and many others—produced cultures of major significance. In the 24 lectures of Crossroads of Civilization: A History of Central Asia, taught by Professor Eren Tasar, you will embark on a wide-ranging journey into the majestic landscapes, steppe and desert cultures, resplendent cities, and epic conquests that characterized this mysterious part of the world.
-
-
Very enjoyable
- By jennifer on 04-29-25
By: Eren Tasar, and others
Good but would have liked more depth
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
the broader strokes
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This should be required reading/listening
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This might be a good one for a motivated homeschooler who is intrigued by this period of history.
Excellent set of lectures
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
required reading.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Excellent treatment but for one thing…
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
excellent overview of the history of communism
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The professor delivers the material with a drama that leaves you waiting for more.
The Very Best
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Excellent
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
One of the best!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.