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Persians
- The Age of the Great Kings
- Narrated by: Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
- Length: 18 hrs and 42 mins
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Publisher's summary
A stunning portrait of the magnificent splendor and enduring legacy of ancient Persia
The Achaemenid Persian kings ruled over the largest empire of antiquity, stretching from Libya to the steppes of Asia and from Ethiopia to Pakistan. From the palace-city of Persepolis, Cyrus the Great, Darius, Xerxes, and their heirs reigned supreme for centuries until the conquests of Alexander of Macedon brought the empire to a swift and unexpected end in the late 330s BCE.
In Persians, historian Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones tells the epic story of this dynasty and the world it ruled. Drawing on Iranian inscriptions, cuneiform tablets, art, and archaeology, he shows how the Achaemenid Persian Empire was the world’s first superpower—one built, despite its imperial ambition, on cooperation and tolerance. This is the definitive history of the Achaemenid dynasty and its legacies in modern-day Iran, a book that completely reshapes our understanding of the ancient world.
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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- By: Adrienne Mayor
- Narrated by: Paul Hecht
- Length: 15 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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A National Book Award finalist for this epic work, Adrienne Mayor delivers a gripping account of Mithradates, the ruthless visionary who began to challenge Rome’s power in 120 B.C. Machiavelli praised his military genius. Kings coveted his secret elixir against poison. Poets celebrated his victories, intrigues, and panache. But until now, no one has told the full story of his incredible life.
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A mythic & complicated life of a charismatic King
- By Darwin8u on 06-15-13
By: Adrienne Mayor
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In Search of the Dark Ages
- By: Michael Wood
- Narrated by: Marston York
- Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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In Search of the Dark Ages is an unrivalled exploration of the origins of English identity, and the best-selling book that established Michael Wood as one of Britain's leading historians. Now, on the book's 40th anniversary, this fully revised and expanded edition illuminates further the fascinating and mysterious centuries between the Romans and the Norman Conquest.
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Brilliant!
- By Dee Goulet on 08-31-22
By: Michael Wood
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The Secret History of the Mongol Queens
- How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire
- By: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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The Mongol queens of the thirteenth century ruled the greatest empire the world has ever known. Yet sometime near the end of the century, censors cut a section from The Secret History of the Mongols, leaving a single tantalizing quote from Genghis Khan: “Let us reward our female offspring.”
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Mongol Queens
- By Jean on 10-02-10
By: Jack Weatherford
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Taj Mahal
- Passion and Genius at the Heart of the Moghul Empire
- By: Diana Preston, Michael Preston
- Narrated by: James Adams
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
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While Galileo was suffering under house arrest at the hands of Pope Urban VIII, the 30 Years War was ruining Europe, and the Pilgrims were struggling to survive in the New World, work began on what would become one of the Seven Wonders of the World: the Taj Mahal. Built by the Moghul emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, its flawless symmetry and gleaming presence have for centuries dazzled all who have seen it.
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A broad perspective
- By Neil on 11-01-09
By: Diana Preston, and others
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Warlords of Ancient Mexico
- How the Mayans and Aztecs Ruled for More Than a Thousand Years
- By: Peter G. Tsouras
- Narrated by: Paul Christy
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
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Learn the unbelievable true history of the great warrior tribes of Mexico. More than 13 centuries of incredible spellbinding history are detailed in this intriguing study of the rulers and warriors of Mexico. Dozens of these charismatic leaders of nations and armies are brought to life by the deep research and entertaining storytelling of Peter Tsouras. Tsouras introduces the reader to the colossal personalities of the period.
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Written in 1996. Narration disrespectful
- By Amazon Customer on 04-30-20
By: Peter G. Tsouras
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Alexander the Great
- By: Philip Freeman
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
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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!
- By BadGuidance on 06-18-17
By: Philip Freeman
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Alexander the Great
- The Hunt for a New Past
- By: Paul Cartledge
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Paul Cartledge, one of the world's foremost scholars of ancient Greece, illuminates the brief but iconic life of Alexander (356-323 B.C.), king of Macedon, conqueror of the Persian Empire, and founder of a new world order. Alexander's legacy has had a major impact on military tacticians, scholars, statesmen, adventurers, authors, and filmmakers.
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NOT a Chronology of Alexander’s Life
- By Blane Richoux on 12-30-20
By: Paul Cartledge
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Cleopatra
- A Life
- By: Stacy Schiff
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 14 hrs and 16 mins
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Her palace shimmered with onyx, garnets, and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Above all else, Cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator. Though her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world. She was married twice, each time to a brother. She waged a brutal civil war against the first when both were teenagers. She poisoned the second. In a masterly return to the classical sources, Stacy Schiff here boldly separates fact from fiction to rescue the magnetic queen whose death ushered in a new world order.
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Approach this book with caution
- By GolfZilla on 12-02-10
By: Stacy Schiff
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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
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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 Rise of Rome
- The Making of the World's Greatest Empire
- By: Anthony Everitt
- Narrated by: Clive Chafer
- Length: 14 hrs and 18 mins
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Emerging as a market town from a cluster of hill villages in the eighth and seventh centuries B.C., Rome grew to become the ancient world's preeminent power. Everitt fashions the story of Rome's rise to glory into an erudite book filled with lasting lessons for our time. He chronicles the clash between patricians and plebeians that defined the politics of the Republic. He shows how Rome's shrewd strategy of offering citizenship to her defeated subjects was instrumental in expanding the reach of her burgeoning empire.
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Rome from the fall of Troy through Julius Caesar
- By Mike From Mesa on 12-11-12
By: Anthony Everitt
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In the fifth century BC, a global superpower was determined to bring truth and order to what it regarded as two terrorist states. The superpower was Persia, incomparably rich in ambition, gold, and men. The terrorist states were Athens and Sparta, eccentric cities in a poor and mountainous backwater: Greece. The story of how their citizens took on the Great King of Persia, and thereby saved not only themselves, but Western civilization as well, is as heart-stopping and fateful as any episode in history.
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What listeners say about Persians
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- Dominique
- 04-14-24
Excellent read!
This is a thorough examination of Persian (Achaemenid) history challenging traditional Western assumptions. The author brilliantly acknowledges how Greek sources inform our understandings of Persian history while tactfully preferencing the rich source materials of cuneiform tablets, inscriptions, and other archaeological sources.
Divided into three sections, the first and third detail Achaemenid history using a narrative chronological approach demarcated by each king’s reign. The second section focuses on Achaemenid culture. Readers can listen to just sections 1 and 3 for a more narrative reading of Persian history. However, when read in totality, section 2 is a nice reprieve helping to contextualize Achaemenid culture. Having this understanding prior to reading section 3 better situates the subsequent dynastic squabbles that would ultimately lead to the empire’s conquest.
I would strongly recommend this book.
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- Matthew C Clark
- 01-11-23
So enlightening!
As a history teacher, who delivers a large unit about the golden age of Greece, this book proved incredibly valuable. I have always taught the history of the Greeks without giving sufficient due to the Persian empire because I simply have not had enough exposure to the subject. In the case of this book, I find a treasure trove of tantalizing facts and stories that have already enhanced my unit on the Greeks. There is also much thought-provoking perspective delivered by the author, which will continue to shape my curriculum in coming years as I revisit this work, and further explore ancient Iran.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 08-06-22
A welcomed review of the Persian Empire
I was looking for a book with this contente.
The author collects various sources about the empire: inscriptions, greek accounts, clay tablets, etc... To flesh out a narrative of persian history.
It also discusses the administration of the empire.
A good pick if you are interested in Persia.
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- Khodadad Sirossi
- 06-26-23
Great narrative
Informative, interesting and enlightening. As an Archaeologist researching the time period, found this writing informative, fascinating and understandable. Well worth the read.
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1 person found this helpful
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- PEJMAN NOVIN
- 01-31-23
A must read
This has been the best book I have read on the topic of Persian Acheminid history. The author does an exceptional job in relying on evidence based research. I specially enjoyed learning about the personalities that dominated the king court: I hope the author proceeds with work on the Parthians and Sassanids as well. Thank you
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- David Mojica
- 10-03-23
Great read for anyone who wants a serious look at Persian history
A sober but fascinating exploration into the history of the worlds first superpower. As with all history, take with a grain of salt, but still excellent. I picked this up after reading Tom Holland’s “Persian Fire” and if that was the intro course, then this was the advanced course and I’m glad I read them both.
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- David A
- 04-19-22
Good History and Historiography
Good counter to the multiple Histories on Classical Greece.
It’s hard to see the Persians when most of our sources on them are Greek.
This book attempts to amend that. The author is clearly passionate about the topic and this shows in his book.
I wanted a good book on the Persian Empire in Audible format and that is what this book is.
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9 people found this helpful
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- Jacob M.
- 03-31-24
Wonderful review of history
This was a fantastic narration of a wonderfully written history. I thoroughly enjoyed it throughout.
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- Jed M. Shivers
- 10-20-24
Well written and performed history of the dynasty
I particularly liked the use of new archeological information to inform or deny aspects of older histories. Book also has a dramatize verve
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- Beth Nardi
- 06-14-22
good but not great
The information given is great and given well. The book comes off as somewhat apologist at times however. There is very much a sense of "yeah well the west did worse things than the Persians." There is a definite feeling that history is one-sided when it comes to the Persians and I mostly agree with that. But to paint them as a peaceful empire is a little too revisionist for me.
Sure they didn't force their own beliefs on conquered peoples but make no mistake they were conquered. The Persians violently absorbed their neighbors and we're brutal in their ability to keep there subjects in line and in Empire. Not really a peaceful way of doing things.
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1 person found this helpful