
The Spartans
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Narrated by:
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John Lee
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By:
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Paul Cartledge
About this listen
Paul Cartledge, widely considered the world's leading expert on Sparta, engagingly examines the rise and fall of this singular society. In a narrative that resounds with the battle cries of the ancient Greeks, he takes a compelling look at the many illustrious Spartan figures from the worlds of history and legend, including Lycurgus, Lysander, King Leonidas, and Helen of Troy and Sparta.
©2002, 2003 Paul Cartledge (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"A fine overview of the rise and fall of a singular culture, spiced with anecdotes, quotations, brisk summary, and real insight." ( Seattle Times)
"Remarkable...Cartledge's crystalline prose, his vivacious storytelling and his lucid historical insights combine here to provide a first-rate history of the Spartans." ( Publishers Weekly)
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- Length: 18 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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The Achaemenid Persian kings ruled over the largest empire of antiquity, stretching from Libya to the steppes of Asia and from Ethiopia to Pakistan. 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.
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Good History and Historiography
- By David A on 04-19-22
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Gates of Fire
- An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae
- By: Steven Pressfield
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 14 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Gates of Fire puts you at the side of valiant Spartan warriors in 480 BC for the bloody, climactic battle at Thermopylae. There, a few hundred of Sparta’s finest sacrificed their lives to hold back the invading Persian millions. The time they bought enabled the Greeks to rally - saving, according to ancient historian Herodotus, “Western democracy and freedom from perishing in the cradle.” How did the Spartans accomplish this superhuman feat? This is what the King of Persia hopes to learn from the sole Spartan survivor.
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Hard to read
- By Mike From Mesa on 01-28-13
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Alexander the Great
- By: Philip Freeman
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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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
A good history but not too entertaining.
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The book is full of information and seems to be a pretty objective, comprehensive overview.
However, this guy has no idea what a timeline is and bounces back and forth by hundreds of years in such a constant manner I can barely track. I hope this improves as the book goes on. Would recommend if you can get over the ADHD factor.
Great narrator, good content, terribly written.
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Not for idle listening
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These characteristics are on display here in "The Spartans." Cartledge gives us a chronological overview of Sparta as well a sharply-drawn portrait of this very unusual society. It is just the right length to be a fully developed work, but not so involved that it feels like wading through minutia.
Narrator John Lee has a busy career in audiobooks, and seems to be a reliable reader for works dealing with the classical world. His pronunciation is spot-on almost all of the time and he varies his pacing and rhythm in a way that shows he is understanding the material and attempting to communicate the meaning of the sentences the author has written.
Overall a fantastic experience, one which I will definitely return to after a suitable period of time, to enjoy once again.
Well written and well read
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requires full attention
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I feel that whatever your vision of this culture is going in, you won't be disappointed as the author unfolds the real strength and tragedy of the people called SPARTANS.
Strength in the history.
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Fantastic
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They made me do this
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Not a place to go to learn about the Spartans
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Barely talks about Spartan lore
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