The War of the Three Gods
Romans, Persians, and the Rise of Islam
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Narrated by:
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James Lurie
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By:
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Peter Crawford
About this listen
The War of the Three Gods is a military history of the Near and Middle East in the seventh century - with its chief focus on the reign of the Eastern Roman Emperor Heraclius (AD 610-641) - a pivotal and dramatic time in world history. The Eastern Roman Empire was brought to the very brink of extinction by the Sassanid Persians before Heraclius managed to inflict a crushing defeat on the Sassanids with a desperate, final gambit. His conquests were shortlived, however, for the newly converted adherents of Islam burst upon the region, administering the coup de grace to Sassanid power and laying siege to Constantinople itself, ushering in a new era.
Peter Crawford skillfully explains the threeway struggle between the Christian Roman, Zoroastrian Persian, and Islamic Arab empires, a period of conflict peopled with fascinating characters, including Heraclius, Khusro II, and the Prophet Muhammad himself. Many of the epic battles of the period - Nineveh, Yarmuk, Qadisiyyah, and Nahavand - and sieges such as those of Jerusalem and Constantinople are described in as rich detail. The strategies and tactics of these very different armies are discussed and analyzed, while plentiful maps allow the listener to follow the events and varying fortunes of the contending empires. This is an exciting and important study of a conflict that reshaped the map of the world.
Download the accompanying reference guide.©2014 Peter Crawford. First published 2013 Pen & Sword Books Limited (P)2014 Audible Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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In God's Path
- The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire
- By: Robert G. Hoyland
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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In just over a hundred years - from the death of Muhammad in 632 to the beginning of the Abbasid Caliphate in 750 - the followers of the Prophet swept across the whole of the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain. Their armies threatened states as far flung as the Franks in Western Europe and the Tang Empire in China. The conquered territory was larger than the Roman Empire at its greatest expansion, and it was claimed for the Arabs in roughly half the time.
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Islamic conquest history from the outside
- By SAMA on 01-22-15
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God's Battalions
- The Case for the Crusades
- By: Rodney Stark
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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In God's Battalions, award-winning author Rodney Stark takes on the long-held view that the Crusades were the first round of European colonialism, conducted for land, loot, and converts by barbarian Christians who victimized the cultivated Muslims. To the contrary, Stark argues that the Crusades were the first military response to unwarranted Muslim terrorist aggression.
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A lively and useful introduction
- By Tad Davis on 01-06-10
By: Rodney Stark
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By the Spear
- Philip II, Alexander the Great, and the Rise and Fall of the Macedonian Empire
- By: Ian Worthington
- Narrated by: Phil Holland
- Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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For the first time, By the Spear offers an exhilarating military narrative of the reigns of these two larger-than-life figures in one volume. Ian Worthington gives full breadth to the careers of father and son, showing how Philip was the architect of the Macedonian empire, which reached its zenith under Alexander, only to disintegrate upon his death.
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Bueller..... Bueller...... Bueller...... Monotone
- By Jonathan Allen Beard on 02-15-15
By: Ian Worthington
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The Fall of the Roman Empire
- A New History of Rome and the Barbarians
- By: Peter Heather
- Narrated by: Allan Robertson
- Length: 21 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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The death of the Roman Empire is one of the perennial mysteries of world history. Now, in this groundbreaking book, Peter Heather proposes a stunning new solution: Centuries of imperialism turned the neighbors Rome called barbarians into an enemy capable of dismantling an Empire that had dominated their lives for so long. A leading authority on the late Roman Empire and on the barbarians, Heather relates the extraordinary story of how Europe's barbarians, transformed by centuries of contact with Rome on every possible level, eventually pulled the empire apart.
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A New HIstory but not a better history
- By Mario on 03-28-14
By: Peter Heather
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Genghis Khan
- His Conquests, His Empire, His Legacy
- By: Frank McLynn
- Narrated by: Tim Andres Pabon
- Length: 24 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Mongol leader Genghis Khan was by far the greatest conqueror the world has ever known. His empire stretched from the Pacific Ocean to Central Europe, including all of China, the Middle East, and Russia. So how did an illiterate nomad rise to such colossal power and subdue most of the known world, eclipsing Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon?
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Well Researched but Poorly Written
- By Sean V. Werner on 08-10-16
By: Frank McLynn
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Masters of Command
- Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, and the Genius of Leadership
- By: Barry Strauss
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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Too much jumping around
- By Nick on 03-12-17
By: Barry Strauss
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Wars of Scottish Independence: A Captivating Guide to the Battles Between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England, Including the Impact Made by King Robert the Bruce
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: David Patton
- Length: 3 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Explore the captivating events and people of the Wars of Scottish Independence. The borderland between Scotland and England has historically been a site of struggle, violence, and conflict. This was acutely so during the First Scottish War of Independence. The tumult during this medieval period was grand, presenting a historical stage filled with memorable larger-than-life figures such as Edward I, William Wallace, also known as "Braveheart”, and Robert de Bruce. In this audiobook, you'll discover the revolutionary events that formed both Scottish and English history.
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Good historical look at the borders of Scotland
- By Willy Staples on 10-04-18
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Afghanistan
- A Military History from Alexander the Great to the Fall of the Taliban
- By: Stephen Tanner
- Narrated by: Raymond Todd
- Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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For more than 2,500 years, the forbidding territory of Afghanistan has served as a vital crossroads not only for armies but also for clashes between civilizations. As a result of the United States' engaging in armed conflict with the Afghan regime, an understanding of the military history of that blood-soaked land has become essential to every American.
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A Great Overview
- By Colin on 10-16-08
By: Stephen Tanner
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Hannibal
- By: Patrick N. Hunt
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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One of the greatest commanders of the ancient world brought vividly to life: Hannibal, the brilliant general who successfully crossed the Alps with his war elephants and brought Rome to its knees. Hannibal Barca of Carthage, born 247 BC, was one of the great generals of the ancient world. Historian Patrick N. Hunt has led archaeological expeditions in the Alps and elsewhere to study Hannibal's achievements. Now he brings Hannibal's incredible story to life in this riveting and dramatic audiobook.
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A monotone mundane narration
- By Jeff Lacy on 05-22-20
By: Patrick N. Hunt
What listeners say about The War of the Three Gods
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- StephenH
- 08-22-21
Recommended listen for history buffs
Three Gods caught my eye because it treats a region and period often neglected in both popular and academic works - the area we might call the Middle East just before the arrival of Islam. Of no fault of Crawford, the work is uneven, and I found the contest between the Eastern Romans and Sassinids more satisfying. The sources are fairly limited to support the subject matter but they're more reliable then those addressing the rise of Islam. As Crawford moves to narrating the struggle against Islam and is dependent on all but hagiographical Muslim sources, the author can often provide no more than speculation. Crawford does weigh the sources, despite their nonsensical nature, and strives to provide balance. There's also a focus on the contributions of the Arabs and a recognition of their successes, rather than merely stressing the weakness of the Eastern Romans and Sassinids. All three - exhausted regional powers due to protracted wars, dynastic weakness, and well motivated Muslim forces led by gifted leaders - explain the triumph of Islam.
I'm usually very forgiving of readers / narrators unless their reading negatively affects my opinion of the book. Here, Lurie did influence my listening satisfaction. In terms of his reading, he's fine and his voice seems reasonably matched to the material. However, given the size of the empires discussed and wide range of "characters" his mispronunciations made it harder to follow a book already packed with perhaps unfamiliar places and people. As this is an avoidable problem, it's harder to forgive.
Three Gods is an insightful work which provokes questions about the validity of Eurocentric views of the "Dark Ages."
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- Eugen
- 11-08-20
a secularist writing about what he doesn't underst
his arrogance stops him from writing an objective history on this topic. at one point he refers to a debate about the Holy Trinity as a " Petty squabble"
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3 people found this helpful
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- Jeff in Oregon
- 04-02-21
An educational trip back thirteen centuries in time
A very well written overview of a period of history that defined the end of the ancient world and the beginning of the Muslim empire. The writer doesn’t get bogged down in detail and the reader is a pleasure to listen to.
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- Cory
- 10-19-15
Filled in some blanks
An interesting account of a period that I had little understanding and an all but forgotten empire. In total, very good but very heavy on battlefield tactics that I felt was at times unnecessary. Also at times the chronology jumps around a bit and I found it a little hard to keep up, but I recommend this book to the casual history non-fiction reader.
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9 people found this helpful
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- Forrest Barfield
- 12-03-14
Having trouble finishing this one...
I've been eagerly wating for Audible to release an audiobook on this subject since finishing Albert Hourani's A History of the Arab Peoples back in 2010. Popular history seems to be mostly silent when it comes to providing a Roman or Persian perspective on the rise of the Islamic Caliphate. I was hoping that this title would fill the gap.
The author strikes a good balance between creating an entertaining narrative and acknowledging when the historical sources are too spotty to be dogmatic about what actually occurred. Though not as compelling as similar titles in the genre, the book is well-written overall.
The narration of this book is nearly unbearable. The narrator has a professional voice and good pronunciation but doesn't project well, resulting in a whisper-like, grumbly, bass-heavy recording. This is problematic for me, since I do the majority of my listening while engaged in sometimes-noisy manual labor and almost always listen to my books at 2x or 3x normal playback speed. Even while driving, I've found it difficult to concentrate on the content unless I play the audio at high volume and at 1x or 1.25x speed.
I'm pleased that Audible has provided a PDF supplement with this audiobook, featuring political and battle strategy maps which have proved more fascinating than the book itself. This is a welcome change to the several books and lectures I have downloaded which advertise supplementary content but fail to deliver.
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3 people found this helpful
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- SAMA
- 06-22-15
Interesting book, a bit dry
This audiobook goes through the Roman and Persian histories leading up to the rise of Islam, and how it spread across the two empires. It is exactly what you'd expect.
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- Intellectual Warrior
- 05-07-15
Good historical narrative
This book is a good historical overview of the Romano-Persian wars of the seventh century, but overstates Muslim successes without addressing the growing schisms and fault lines that rapidly led to reverses and internal conflict. It points those out readily enough to describe Roman reverses and Persian collapse, but dismisses them to easily when examining Islam.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 12-25-20
Compare with Richard J Evans' the Pursuit of Power
This book just doesn't get into the depth of characterizations of the people of history or their times. Compared w/ Evans' work, it's just a list of battles and wars and this and that and it just doesn't flow. My god where are the good history writers?
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4 people found this helpful
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- Franz E. Rivera
- 12-29-21
Enjoyed immensely
As a history buff I already knew the background of these wars, but the detail that the author went into was very entertaining. One can’t help but cheer or despair or get angry at/for one side or another when listening. Excellent narration as well.
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- Adam M. Donaldson
- 02-11-21
A historical drama, but lots of facts
This book gives a great understanding of the romans, persians, and muslims at the time of the rise of Islam. It is very detailed and provides names, places, dates, and descriptions of battles in ways that was hard to remember. I still loved it though even with all the information being thrown at you, and as a muslim it was very interesting to see this history from a non believing perspective that was not biased either. If you love history, or your just interested in this era, the middle east, the rise of islam, fall of eastern rome, etc. then this book is for you.
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1 person found this helpful