
Warriors, Queens, and Intellectuals: 36 Great Women Before 1400
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Narrated by:
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Joyce E. Salisbury
About this listen
Throughout history, women have played integral roles in family, society, religion, government, war - in short, in all aspects of human civilization. Powerful women have shaped laws, led rebellions, and played key roles in dynastic struggles. Some were caught up in forces beyond their control, while others manipulated and murdered their way to the top. However, unearthing their stories from the historical record has been a challenge, with the ordinary difficulties of preserving information across the generations increased by centuries of historical bias and gendered expectations. Women, when they were mentioned at all, often filled the role of virtuous maiden, self-effacing mother, or seductive villain. Imagine what you are missing when only half the story is being told.
In Warriors, Queens, and Intellectuals: 36 Great Women Before 1400, taught by Professor Emerita of Humanistic Studies Joyce E. Salisbury, you will experience another side of history, one that has often been overlooked. In these 36 lectures, women step out from the footnotes and sidebars of traditional history and into the spotlight, illuminating the dark corners of the pre-modern world along the way. From thwarted daughters and ambitious wives to fearless revolutionaries and brilliant philosophers, you will see how women have played diverse roles throughout history and why their influence is so vital to a fuller understanding of the world we live in today. Beginning at the start of the Roman Empire and carrying you through to the end of the Middle Ages, Professor Salisbury will introduce you to dozens of influential women from all across the globe.
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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Far more politics than fraternity.
- By Tp on 11-25-19
By: Professor Richard B. Spence, and others
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The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World
- By: Robert Garland, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Garland
- Length: 24 hrs and 28 mins
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Look beyond the abstract dates and figures, kings and queens, and battles and wars that make up so many historical accounts. Over the course of 48 richly detailed lectures, Professor Garland covers the breadth and depth of human history from the perspective of the so-called ordinary people, from its earliest beginnings through the Middle Ages.
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Tantalizing time trip
- By Mark on 08-21-13
By: Robert Garland, and others
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Great Utopian and Dystopian Works of Literature
- By: Pamela Bedore, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Pamela Bedore
- Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins
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Can literature change our real world society? At its foundation, utopian and dystopian fiction asks a few seemingly simple questions aimed at doing just that. Who are we as a society? Who do we want to be? Who are we afraid we might become? When these questions are framed in the speculative versions of Heaven and Hell on earth, you won't find easy answers, but you will find tremendously insightful and often entertaining perspectives.
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A very enjoyable and educational audiobook
- By NH on 04-06-17
By: Pamela Bedore, and others
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10 Women Who Ruled the Renaissance
- By: Joyce Salisbury, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Joyce Salisbury
- Length: 4 hrs and 59 mins
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The 16th century was a time of immense change across the globe. For many historians, it marks a massive shift in the way the world operated; it is often considered the beginning of modernity. We may regard the 16th century as the time of Shakespeare and the conquistadors, but women also played a powerful role in many of the major events around the world. In 10 Women Who Ruled the Renaissance, you will explore the lives of 10 extraordinary women who exemplified the spirit of the 1500s - an era dominated by adventure, discovery, and cross-cultural exchange.
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Fills Gaps in History
- By Amanda on 01-22-21
By: Joyce Salisbury, and others
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The Theory of Evolution: A History of Controversy
- By: Edward J. Larson, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Edward J. Larson
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
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Charles Darwin's theory of organic evolution-the idea that life on earth is the product of purely natural causes, not the hand of God-set off shock waves that continue to reverberate through Western society, and especially the United States. What makes evolution such a profoundly provocative concept, so convincing to most scientists, yet so socially and politically divisive? These 12 eye-opening lectures are an examination of the varied elements that so often make this science the object of strong sentiments and heated debate.
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Little mistakes here and there
- By Daniel on 06-21-16
By: Edward J. Larson, and others
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Powerful Women Who Ruled the Ancient World
- By: Kara Cooney, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Kara Cooney
- Length: 5 hrs and 45 mins
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What is power and who is allowed to wield it? Why is female power so rare and, often, so feared? What can the women who gained power in the ancient world teach us about the contemporary world and our modern ideas of gender, authority, and equality? Listeners will explore these and other questions as you travel back to the ancient world and uncover the stories of remarkable women who overcame a host of barriers to wield power in a male-dominated world.
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Informative
- By Red-Haired Ash on 05-02-20
By: Kara Cooney, and others
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The Iliad of Homer
- By: Elizabeth Vandiver, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Vandiver
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
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For thousands of years, Homer's ancient epic poem the
Iliad has enchanted readers from around the world. When you join Professor Vandiver for this lecture series on the Iliad, you'll come to understand what has enthralled and gripped so many people. Her compelling 12-lecture look at this literary masterpiece -whether it's the work of many authors or the "vision" of a single blind poet - makes it vividly clear why, after almost 3,000 years, the
Iliad remains not only among the greatest adventure stories ever told but also one of the most compelling meditations on the human condition ever written.
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Vandiver never disappoints
- By Machteacher on 07-23-13
By: Elizabeth Vandiver, and others
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Food: A Cultural Culinary History
- By: Ken Albala, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ken Albala
- Length: 18 hrs and 22 mins
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Eating is an indispensable human activity. As a result, whether we realize it or not, the drive to obtain food has been a major catalyst across all of history, from prehistoric times to the present. Epicure Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said it best: "Gastronomy governs the whole life of man."
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One of my top 3 favorite courses!
- By Jessica on 12-28-13
By: Ken Albala, and others
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The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
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Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.
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Excellent Series
- By Rodney on 07-09-13
By: Gary W. Gallagher, and others
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American Monsters
- By: Adam Jortner, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Adam Jortner
- Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins
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Grab a flashlight and go monster-hunting in the safe company of Adam Jortner, award-winning professor of religion at Auburn University. You’ll encounter chilling tales of living houses, sentient plants, psychotic toys, brain-eating zombies, and otherworldly beings whose mere name is enough to drive people insane. Along the way, you’ll learn how monster stories change how Americans think and what Americans do, how they shape the history of our country, and what secrets about human nature these inhuman monsters can share.
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Great entertaining listen
- By lindsayb on 06-22-21
By: Adam Jortner, and others
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London in the Time of Dickens
- By: Lillian Nayder, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Lillian Nayder
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
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In London in the Time of Dickens, you’ll get the unique opportunity to experience the British capital through the eyes of a literary master whose work is inextricably tied to the city and its rich history. Throughout 12 lectures taught by Professor Lillian Nayder of Bates College, you’ll tour the city of London in a time of rapid transformation through the life and work of Charles Dickens, uncovering the history of the metropolis, while also witnessing the everyday experiences of Londoners from all walks of life as Dickens represents them.
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The book read like an interesting Biography and at the same time it painted what was going on in London at that time !😊
- By miriam wismar on 12-02-23
By: Lillian Nayder, and others
Totally engrossing
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“Anonymous was a Woman” - no longer
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Excellent
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Interesting Perspective of History
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The author is clearly passionate about her subject but there are only so many times that a woman can be described as "remarkable" and her deeds "astonishing."
I didn't dislike the work and found myself looking up some additional history on the women discussed but I also found myself rolling my eyes at some hyperbolic descriptions of the often thinly documented accounts of some of their accomplishments.
Good but not Great
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My quibble is the same for most historians. Until you walk in their clothing you cannot comment on how comfortable or uncomfortable it could have been. Linen was the typical under shift because of its comfort against the skin and fairly ease of washing. Cotton wicks water. It can be a good or bad element depending on environment. Skirts are not necessarily cumbersome. Our ancestors were far more practical in their dress and this part of history is sadly neglected despite how much of the economy of a country is made up of clothing related industries.
Interesting and Informative
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Interesting histories
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A wide range of regions are covered including China, Japan, Vietnam, Africa, Europe, Asia Minor, Russia, the middle east, and India and a wide spectrum of empires and peoples including the Roman Empire, Shogun Japan, Han and Tang China, Visigoths, Islamic, Rus, Mongols, Franks, Anglo-Saxons, Byzantine, Vikings, and medieval France and England.
Professor Salisbury usually concludes each lecture with a summary of the legacy of that specific woman up until today. So in addition to understanding the woman’s impact in their own day we also get insight into how modern people of their native land view her (for example the professor will reference any statues created to honor the women, pilgrimages made in their honor by modern admirers, etc.).
My personal highlights were Lectures 3, 11, 16, and 18.
The hopping around from region to region and shifting from one empire or time to another can be disconcerting or jarring at times (until you get grounded in the time period and location shift) but I’m not sure Professor Salisbury could’ve done much to build continuity or cohesion between lectures (except maybe opening lectures by referencing that xxx time had passed since woman xxx from previous lecture had done xxx and the empire or region had changed by xxx).
But the shifts actually can be seen as a positive: it kept things fresh and exciting leaving you to wonder which region we'd be traveling to in the next lecture. And the professor provided good contextual background in each lecture on the time and region before diving too much into the personal stories of the woman of study.
Professor Salisbury was critical of nearly every male she discussed and while a lot of their behavior is in indeed abominable to us living in the modern day, it would’ve been better if their character/actions were compared to the standard of their day (i.e. were they more or less ruthless than the average noble/king of the day/region?).
But these are minor gripes indeed. I recommend this course to anyone interested in the lesser known side of history and everyone who thinks ancient history was only made by men. I suspect the majority of TGC customers will find this 18 hour listen well worth their time.
A very solid course worth your time
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I really liked it.
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Informative But Incomplete
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