
Crossroads of Civilization: A History of Central Asia
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Narrated by:
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Eren Tasar
About this listen
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 of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 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. Along the way, you will:
· Travel into the history of the many peoples who dominated the region, from the Scythians and Sogdians to the empire of the iconic Tamerlane.
· Learn about the region’s nomadic peoples; their religious practices, display of power through elaborate burials; their remarkable animal art; and their often-lavish yurts.
· Encounter the conquering powers that ruled Central Asia, such as the Persian Achaemenid Empire, the Arab Abbasid caliphate, which brought Islam; and the fearsome Mongols.
· Explore the sophisticated culture that grew under the Samanids, Timurids and Shibanids, seen in wide patronage of the arts, sciences, and scholarship, and construction of dazzling monuments.
· Delve into the policies of the Tsarist colonial regime and the cotton economy it created, causing suffering and rebellion.
· Visualize the Soviet rule of the region, marked by tragic famines and later substantial development; trace the Chinese domination of East Turkestan, and the challenges and successes of the modern Central Asian nations.
Crossroads of Civilization: A History of Central Asia reveals a part of the world that is relatively unknown to many of us, but which has played an integral role in the unfolding of human civilization, from the Far East to the frontiers of Europe.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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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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Rome and Persia
- The Seven Hundred Year Rivalry
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Mark Elstob
- Length: 20 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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The Roman empire was like no other. Stretching from the north of Britain to the Sahara, and from the Atlantic coast to the Euphrates, it imposed peace and prosperity on an unprecedented scale. Its only true rival lay in the east, where the Parthian and then Persian empires ruled over great cities and the trade routes to mysterious lands beyond. Tracing seven centuries of conflict between Rome and Persia, historian Adrian Goldsworthy shows how these two great powers evolved together
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Great Book for History Buffs
- By Dav on 07-09-24
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Forgotten America
- Rediscovering Events That Changed the Nation
- By: Rachel Michelle Gunter, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Rachel Michelle Gunter
- Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins
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In Forgotten America: Rediscovering Events that Changed the Nation, turn your attention to the unfamiliar in United States history with historian and author Dr. Rachel Michelle Gunter.
By: Rachel Michelle Gunter, and others
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Stories of America’s National Parks
- By: Megan Kate Nelson, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Megan Kate Nelson
- Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
- Original Recording
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Many Americans remember a family road trip to visit one of our 63 national parks. Why did Americans start preserving these sites of natural and historic interest? How were these parks selected, and what steps did conservationists, activists, philanthropists, politicians, and others take to protect millions of acres against the booming developments of an expanding nation? An award-winning writer, researcher, and American Studies scholar, Dr. Megan Kate Nelson tackles these questions as she takes you on a marvelous journey through some of the most beautiful places on Earth.
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Interesting history
- By Secret Santa on 03-30-25
By: Megan Kate Nelson, and others
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Underwater Archaeology
- Mysteries of the Deep
- By: Ashley Lemke, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ashley Lemke
- Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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The work of archaeology uncovers fascinating vestiges of humanity’s past, greatly enriching our knowledge of our ancestors and ourselves. Over the last century, archaeologists have increasingly ventured underwater, making spellbinding finds and opening an incredible new frontier for archaeological discovery. In the 12 delightful and eye-opening lectures of Underwater Archaeology: Mysteries of the Deep, Professor Lemke, an expert underwater archaeologist working in the field, invites you to discover astonishing treasures of history that lie beneath the waves.
By: Ashley Lemke, and others
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The Eurasian Century
- Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and the Making of the Modern Century
- By: Hal Brands
- Narrated by: Tim Fannon
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Hal Brands argues that a better understanding of Eurasia's strategic geography can illuminate the contours of rivalry and conflict in today's world. The Eurasian Century explains how revolutions in technology and warfare, and the rise of toxic ideologies of conquest, made Eurasia the center of twentieth-century geopolitics—with pressing implications for the struggles that will define the twenty-first.
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Worth the read.
- By Chip Eckert on 02-24-25
By: Hal Brands
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Norse Mythology
- By: Jackson Crawford, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Crawford
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
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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.
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Brilliant Course
- By Frederik on 12-05-21
By: Jackson Crawford, and others
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The Ancient City
- A Study on the Religion, Laws, and Institutions of Ancient Greece and Rome
- By: Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 15 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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One of the most remarkable historical works of the 19th century came from the pen of French historian Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges, a native of Paris. This amazing analysis of family and religious life among the ancient Greeks and Romans is the key to understanding ancient Mediterranean civilizations. The story begins in the misty period of the Bronze Age as the Indo-Europeans began to filter down into the Italian and Greek peninsulas. They brought with them a patriarchy that was based on ancestor worship and the veneration of hearth gods.
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Exhaustive Detail
- By Existimator on 06-15-24
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Understanding Russia
- A Cultural History
- By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Lynne Ann Hartnett
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
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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.
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Good American overview of Russia
- By Jeffrey L. Smith, PE on 10-21-18
By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, and others
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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
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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.
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Wonderful
- By Anonymous User on 12-10-22
By: Jennifer Paxton, and others
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The Human Journey
- By: Gaia Vince, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gaia Vince
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
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Humans have been on a remarkable journey these past 300,000 years. We started in Africa and slowly spread across the globe—crossing land bridges, sailing into the unknown, and eventually building cities and civilizations. While our primate cousins stayed where they evolved, we moved. Migration isn’t just something we did—it’s a defining trait of our species. Now, after covering the planet, we’re on the move again—not chasing new frontiers, but escaping rising seas, extreme heat, political instability, and economic stress.
By: Gaia Vince, and others
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Communism in Power
- From Stalin to Mao
- By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
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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.
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A book of grudges
- By Axel D. Magnuson on 05-09-23
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
Very enjoyable
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