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The Spartans
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
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Publisher's summary
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.
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"A fine overview of the rise and fall of a singular culture, spiced with anecdotes, quotations, brisk summary, and real insight." ( Seattle Times)
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When we think of ancient Rome, the first notion that comes to mind is the one of the empire, followed by the image of a mighty emperor, his legions, colossal buildings, and the Gladiators (or the rhetoric and poetry, depending on your preferences). Some may recall the image of a “unified” Europe under a single sovereign - the emperor of Rome. However, Rome did not become remarkable at this considerably late phase. In fact, many historians see the history of Rome under the Emperors as a long, gradual decline. It was during the republic that Rome gained an empire.
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SERIOUSLY bad, 3rd grade reading level.
- By Jake on 02-26-19
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The Rise of Athens
- The Story of the World's Greatest Civilization
- By: Anthony Everitt
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 16 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Filled with tales of adventure and astounding reversals of fortune, The Rise of Athens celebrates the city-state that transformed the world - from the democratic revolution that marked its beginning through the city's political and cultural golden age to its decline into the ancient equivalent of a modern-day university town. Anthony Everitt constructs his history with unforgettable portraits of the talented, tricky, ambitious, and unscrupulous Athenians who fueled the city's rise.
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Good but not great. With some disturbing opinions.
- By Anthony on 06-25-19
By: Anthony Everitt
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The War That Made the Roman Empire
- Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium
- By: Barry Strauss
- Narrated by: Jacques Roy
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
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Following Caesar’s assassination and Mark Antony’s defeat of the conspirators who killed Caesar, two powerful men remained in Rome—Antony and Caesar’s chosen heir, young Octavian, the future Augustus. When Antony fell in love with the most powerful woman in the world, Egypt’s ruler Cleopatra, and thwarted Octavian’s ambition to rule the empire, another civil war broke out. In 31 BC one of the largest naval battles in the ancient world took place—more than 600 ships, almost 200,000 men, and one woman—the Battle of Actium.
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Highly detailed accounts
- By LEE on 03-28-22
By: Barry Strauss
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Domina
- The Women Who Made Imperial Rome
- By: Guy de la Bédoyère
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero - these are the names history associates with the early Roman Empire. Yet, not a single one of these emperors was the blood son of his predecessor. In this captivating history, a prominent scholar of the era documents the Julio-Claudian women whose bloodline, ambition, and ruthlessness made it possible for the emperors' line to continue. Eminent scholar Guy de la Bedoyere, author of Praetorian, asserts that the women behind the scenes - including Livia, Octavia, and the elder and younger Agrippina - were the true backbone of the dynasty.
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Fills a Large Gap in Roman History!
- By John Allred on 12-01-19
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China
- A History
- By: John Keay
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 25 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Many nations define themselves in terms of territory or people; China defines itself in terms of history. Taking into account the country's unrivaled, voluminous tradition of history writing, John Keay has composed a vital and illuminating overview of the nation's complex and vivid past. Keay's authoritative history examines 5,000 years in China, from the time of the Three Dynasties through Chairman Mao and the current economic transformation of the country.
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Needs new narrator
- By Betty on 10-16-16
By: John Keay
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Carthage Must Be Destroyed
- The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization
- By: Richard Miles
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 14 hrs and 9 mins
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An epic history of a doomed civilization and a lost empire. The devastating struggle to the death between the Carthaginians and the Romans was one of the defining dramas of the ancient world. In an epic series of land and sea battles, both sides came close to victory before the Carthaginians finally succumbed and their capital city, history, and culture were almost utterly erased.
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Outstanding! This is THE book on Carthage.
- By Haakon B. Dahl on 01-21-13
By: Richard Miles
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Ancient Greece, Second Edition
- From Prehistoric to Hellenistic Times
- By: Thomas R. Martin
- Narrated by: John Lescault
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
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In this compact yet comprehensive history of ancient Greece, Thomas R. Martin brings alive Greek civilization from its Stone Age roots to the fourth century BC. Focusing on the development of the Greek city-state and the society, culture, and architecture of Athens in its Golden Age, Martin integrates political, military, social, and cultural history in a book that will appeal to students and general audiences alike. Now in its second edition, this classic work now features updates throughout.
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Just the way I like it!
- By TracyB on 07-25-18
By: Thomas R. Martin
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What listeners say about The Spartans
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jordan Parks
- 02-25-18
Great narrator, good content, terribly written.
The narrator does a really great job with this. I was starting to get frustrated with Audible narrators but this guy was good.
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.
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- JOSEPH
- 08-14-16
A good history but not too entertaining.
I guess whenever you hear of the Spartans you just assume it's going to be about their battles. This book is an encompassing look about their history and not just their battles won.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Euryleia
- 01-18-08
Not for idle listening
This was very good, with interesting subject matter and good narration, but it requires your full attention if you are going to be able to follow it. This is a history, not a historical novel or novelized history, and if your mind wanders while you are listening then you wind up being completely lost.
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12 people found this helpful
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- Richard Hayes
- 06-07-17
Well written and well read
Prof Cartledge is a well known scholar of Ancient Greece. I first noticed him as a relatively frequent guest on the BBC radio program "In Our Time" (which I listen to on podcast). He seemed like a very knowledgeable person who also had the ability to sum up complex situations and relationships between Greek poleis (plural form of polis or "city-state") in a way that was entertaining and memorable without talking down to his audience.
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.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall
- J. Clark
- 04-25-08
requires full attention
In school, we would have considered this a "tough read" because it's so historical. With that understanding, I would recommend this book for its detail and fact.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Gene
- 03-07-17
Strength in the history.
I was not sure how I would like listening to a history book. Many facts and name and various clarifications. I think the key is that I was interested to begin with. This people are fascinating and this book gave me what I needed....the facts.
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.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Gman
- 07-29-19
Fantastic
Great book! this is the second P. Cartledge book I have read, just as good as the other! Well balanced account of Spartan existence.
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- Lanimal X
- 01-22-23
They made me do this
Forced for rating. Minimum of 15 words. So I’m gonna go now. Have a good day.
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Overall
- James
- 10-22-07
Not a place to go to learn about the Spartans
While this book is obviously meticulously researched and painstakingly compiled, it is lacking in audio format, for the simple reason that it is extremely difficult to follow. The narration is well-done, but the story is hard to follow, lacks flow, and seems to be much more of a "scholarly history" without the narrative touch that makes history come alive in other audio books that I have enjoyed. I can't recommend this one.
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23 people found this helpful
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- Jason Bryce
- 08-24-16
Barely talks about Spartan lore
I purchased this book hoping to learn about Spartan culture and customs. Instead the book mainly talks about Spartan government and their interaction with other governments. I was extremely disappointed.
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1 person found this helpful