
Masters of Command
Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, and the Genius of Leadership
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Narrated by:
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Michael Prichard
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By:
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Barry Strauss
About this listen
Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar: Each was a master of war. Each had to look beyond the battlefield to decide whom to fight and why; to know what victory was and when to end the war; to determine how to bring stability to the lands he conquered. Alexander, Hannibal, and Caesar had to be not only generals but statesmen. And yet each was a battlefield commander, a strategist, a leader of men - in short, a warrior.
Tactics change, weapons change, but the ultimate purpose of war remains much the same through the centuries, and a great warrior must know how to measure success. Publishers Weekly said: "No one presents the military history of the ancient world with greater insight and panache than Barry Strauss," and in Masters of Command he shows what these three great commanders can teach us today about ambition, leadership, branding, and more.
Understanding where Alexander, Hannibal, and Caesar succeeded and failed can serve anyone who thinks strategically - whether in business or elsewhere - to analyze his or her actions. Masters of Command is a guidebook for the battlefield and the boardroom alike.
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Story
The ancient Sibylline prophecies had foretold that the Roman Empire would last for 1000 years. As the time for the expected dissolution approached in the middle of the third century AD, the empire was lapsing into chaos, with seemingly interminable civil wars over the imperial succession. The western empire had seceded under a rebel emperor and the eastern empire was controlled by another usurper. Barbarians took advantage of the anarchy to kill and plunder all over the provinces.
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Coins- Early and Often
- By Colin MacKenzie on 12-16-23
By: John F. White
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Ten Caesars
- Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine
- By: Barry Strauss
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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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
- By Richferguson1 on 03-01-20
By: Barry Strauss
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The Eagle and the Lion
- Rome, Persia and an Unwinnable Conflict
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Mark Elstob
- Length: 20 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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The Roman empire shaped the culture of the Western world against which all other great powers are compared. 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. However, the exception lay in the east, where the Parthian and then Persian empires ruled over great cities and the trade routes to mysterious lands beyond. This was the place Alexander the Great had swept through, creating a dream of glory and conquest which tantalized Greeks and Romans alike.
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Good Goldsworthy, Not greatest
- By Timothy Hopper on 07-27-23
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Greece Against Rome
- The Fall of the Hellenistic Kingdoms 250-31 BC
- By: Philip Matyszak
- Narrated by: Gareth Richards
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Towards the middle of the third century BC, the Hellenistic kingdoms were near their peak. In terms of population, economy, and military power, each was vastly superior to Rome, not to mention in fields such as medicine, architecture, science, philosophy, and literature. But over the next two and a half centuries, Rome would eventually conquer these kingdoms while adopting so much of Hellenistic culture that the resultant hybrid is known as "Graeco-Roman." In Greece Against Rome, Philip Matyszak relates this epic tale from the Hellenistic perspective.
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Really enjoyed the book and snark
- By Chris Smith on 05-27-23
By: Philip Matyszak
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The Herods
- Murder, Politics, and the Art of Succession
- By: Bruce Chilton
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Until his death in 4 BCE, Herod the Great's monarchy included territories that once made up the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. Although he ruled over a rich, strategically crucial land, his royal title did not derive from heredity. His family came from the people of Idumea, ancient antagonists of the Israelites.
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Fascinating history
- By knvmxi on 05-14-25
By: Bruce Chilton
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The Hundred Years War
- A People's History
- By: David Green
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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The Hundred Years War (1337-1453) dominated life in England and France for well over a century. It became the defining feature of existence for generations. This sweeping book is the first to tell the human story of the longest military conflict in history. Historian David Green focuses on the ways the war affected different groups, among them knights, clerics, women, peasants, soldiers, peacemakers, and kings.
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Instructive
- By Faycal Ikhouane on 09-10-23
By: David Green
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A War Like No Other
- How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War
- By: Victor Davis Hanson
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 13 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Hanson compellingly portrays the ways Athens and Sparta fought on land and sea, in city and countryside, and details their employment of the full scope of conventional and non-conventional tactics, from sieges to targeted assassinations, torture, and terrorism. He also assesses the crucial roles played by warriors such as Pericles and Lysander, artists, among them Aristophanes, and thinkers including Sophocles and Plato.
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"A War Like No Other" is a Book Like No Other
- By MajorChris on 02-06-20
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Empire of the Black Sea
- The Rise and Fall of the Mithridatic World
- By: Duane W. Roller
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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What is commonly called the kingdom of Pontos flourished for over 200 years in the coastal regions of the Black Sea. At its peak in the early first century BC, it included much of the southern, eastern, and northern littoral, becoming one of the most important Hellenistic dynasties not founded by a successor of Alexander the Great. Previous histories of Pontos have focused almost exclusively on the career of its last ruler. Setting that famous reign in its wide historical context, Empire of the Black Sea is an engaging account of a powerful yet little-known ancient dynasty.
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More of an academic journal than a book.
- By Amazon Customer on 07-05-23
By: Duane W. Roller
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The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome
- The History of a Dangerous Idea
- By: Edward J. Watts
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome tells the stories of the people who built their political and literary careers around promises of Roman renewal as well as those of the victims they blamed for causing Rome's decline. The story begins during the Roman Republic just after 200 BC. It proceeds through the empire of Augustus and his successors, traces the Roman loss of much of western Europe in the fifth century AD, and follows Roman history until its fall in 1453.
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Exceptional
- By Ep on 12-17-24
By: Edward J. Watts
Very enjoyable listen
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comprehensive review of three great generals
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Amazon making me write review before I can get to my library
needs a heading
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Where does Masters of Command rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I loved this book and have listened to it about 5 times now, and have learned something new each and every time.I've learned about history, how my heroes were not only good--but also evil. I've learned that men are still men. Masters still make mistakes but strive to learn from those and to carry on nonetheless.
Which scene was your favorite?
This book covers everything from love, inspiration and sex to war, battle and death. From battle tactics to spying and Cleopatra. You wont be bored.Heroes?
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captivating
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Would recommend if you're a fan of ancient history.
Thought provoking
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love the stories
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harsh criticism of the past
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One of the best books I have ever enjoyed.
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this is a story of caesar hannibal and alexander
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