Emily

Delightful Description of Life in Ancient Pompeii

Revisado: 08-27-19

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book, and it's clear that Mary Beard enjoyed writing it and Phyllida Nash enjoyed narrating it. The narrator enthusiasm perfectly conveys the author's earthy humor and wry observations. This isn't the pure, white-marble, idealized vision of ancient Roman art and culture. This book is a bawdy and gaudy description of a city whose people lived with gusto!

A few topics include: baths, brothels, banquets, gladiator games, gods and graffiti. The chapter on graffiti was my favorite. I also appreciate that Mary Beard doesn't shy away from often taboo topics like Roman slavery, the filth of ancient sanitation and the penises (some giant!) of Pompeii that are found in art and sculpture all over the city. She combines evocative topics with excellent scholarship and up-to-date archaeological finds.

Surprisingly, this book works well in an audiobook format. I didn't need to search online for photos due to the very descriptive writing. Listening was delightful and I recommend The Fires of Vesuvius even to people who don't (yet) have an interest in Classics or the ancient world.

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Finally! Ancient History Beyond the Mediterranean!

Revisado: 08-30-17

What did you like best about this story?

I’d recommend this series to students new to ancient world civilizations as well as established ancient history lovers in search of a true global perspective.

Unlike so many ancient history courses this course address civilizations outside of the Mediterranean and Near East! This series includes lectures on India, China, and the Americas. The professor even touches briefly on ancient cultures in Polynesia and Australia!

The course is organized chronologically, and that works well for emphasizing that multiple ancient civilizations were simultaneously flourishing in different parts of the world. The general history lectures give us a good basic knowledge overview of each civilization and that foundation supports the lectures where the professor makes cross culture comparisons.

These comparison lectures are where this course really shines. The full lecture list is below. Highlight lectures for me include: Homer and Indian Poetry, Confucius and the Greek Philosophers, Mystics, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians, Han and Roman Empires, Pots and Pyramids—Moche and Teotihuacán, Hunter-Gatherers and Polynesians, and Comparative Armies—Rome, China, Maya.


1 Cities, Civilizations, and Sources
2 From Out of the Mesopotamian Mud
3 Cultures of the Ancient Near East
4 Ancient Egypt—The Gift of the Nile
5 Pharaohs, Tombs, and Gods
6 The Lost Civilization of the Indus Valley
7 The Vedic Age of Ancient India
8 Mystery Cultures of Early Greece
9 Homer and Indian Poetry
10 Athens and Experiments in Democracy
11 Hoplite Warfare and Sparta
12 Civilization Dawns in China—Shang and Zhou
13 Confucius and the Greek Philosophers
14 Mystics, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians
15 Persians and Greeks
16 Greek Art and Architecture
17 Greek Tragedy and the Sophists
18 The Peloponnesian War and the Trial of Socrates
19 Philip of Macedon—Architect of Empire
20 Alexander the Great Goes East
21 Unifiers of India—Chandragupta and Asoka
22 Shi Huangdi—First Emperor of China
23 Earliest Historians of Greece and China
24 The Hellenistic World
25 The Great Empire of the Han Dynasty
26 People of the Toga—Etruscans, Early Rome
27 The Crucible—Punic Wars, Roman Imperialism
28 The Death of the Roman Republic
29 Augustus—Creator of the Roman Empire
30 Roman Emperors—Good, Bad, and Crazy
31 Han and Roman Empires Compared—Geography
32 Han and Roman Empires Compared—Government
33 Han and Roman Empires Compared—Problems
34 Early Americas—Resources and Olmecs
35 Pots and Pyramids—Moche and Teotihuacán
36 Blood and Corn—Mayan Civilization
37 Hunter-Gatherers and Polynesians
38 The Art and Architecture of Power
39 Comparative Armies—Rome, China, Maya
40 Later Roman Empire—Crisis and Christianity
41 The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire?
42 The Byzantine Empire and the Legacy of Rome
43 China from Chaos to Order under the Tang
44 The Golden Age of Tang Culture
45 The Rise and Flourishing of Islam
46 Holy Men and Women—Monasticism and Saints
47 Charlemagne—Father of Europe
48 Endings, Beginnings, What Does It All Mean?

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Best of Audible's "The Histories" by Herodotus

Revisado: 07-19-16

Any additional comments?

"The Histories," by ancient Greek historian, Herodotus, is full of myths, folklore, legends, historical facts and tall tales. Herodotus basically traveled around the ancient world asking people questions about their lives and cultures and histories, and then wrote down whatever they told him. Because of this reporting style he is known as both the Father of History and The Father of Lies. Whether he records true tales or tall tales, it is interesting to know what ancient people said and thought about their world.

He covers a lot of ground, figuratively and literally. His writing style flows like the Meander river; full of twists and turns. I've listened to all the versions available on Audible up to 2016, and I feel David Timson's narration is best suited to Herodotus' tangential asides. His conversational style is engaging and enthusiastic. It's nice to hear someone giving the proper excitement for topics like the Battle of Marathon, Persian Culture, Egyptian Culture, Peloponnesian War, Greek-Persian Wars, the Artemesium battle, the Amazons and the Spartans at Thermopylae.

The 9 books are named after the 9 Muses, so here's a breakdown of topics:

Book 1
Lydia, Medes, Persia, Cyrus

Book 2
Egyptian And African History, Customs, Geography

Book 3
Cambyses Conquers Egypt; Cambyses' Death; Smerdis;
Darius; 20 Persian Satrapies

Book 4
Europeans; Darius Fails To Conquer Scythia;
Greek Colonies In Libya (Cyrene, Barca); Persia Invades Libya

Book 5
Persia Conquers Thrace, Paeonians;
Ionian Revolt Under Aristagoras Of Miletus;
Former Athens-Sparta Conflicts;
Athenian Tyrants & Democracy;
Conflict Between Athens And Darius Begins

Book 6
Miletus Conquered & Ionian Revolt Quelled;
Thrace, Athos, Macedonia Fall;
Rivalry Between Spartan Clemenes & Demaratus;
Athens-Aegina Conflict;
Athens & Plataeans Defeat Persia At Marathon Under Miltiades

Book 7
Darius Dies--Xerxes King;
Invasion Of Thrace, Thessalia;
Athens And Sparta Unite;
Shipwrecks Of Persians;
Leonidas' Defeat At Thermopylae

Book 8
Battle At Artemesium;
Attacks On Phocis, Boeotia, Delphi, Plataea, Athens;
Victory At Salamis

Book 9
Greek Victories At Plataea (Mardonius Killed); Greeks Attack Thebes; Victory At Mycale, Siege Of Sestos

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The Pharaoh All-Star Team

Revisado: 07-06-16

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

In this lecture series Professor Bob Brier gives us a history of Egypt by focusing on the life and rule of its rulers. The Pharaohs in this course are the best of the best; a true All-Star Team. Here's the roster:

King Narmer—The Unification of Egypt
Sneferu—The Pyramid Builder
Hatshepsut—Female Pharaoh
Akhenaten—Heretic Pharaoh
Tutankhamen—The Lost Pharaoh
Tutankhamen—A Murder Theory
Ramses the Great—The Early Years
Ramses the Great—The Twilight Years
The Great Nubians—Egypt Restored
Alexander the Great—Anatomy of a Legend
The First Ptolemies—Greek Greatness
Cleopatra—The Last Pharaoh

This one's for the fans!

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Fact After Fact After Fact

Revisado: 05-15-16

Any additional comments?

This is a high quality recording of a textbook being read aloud. There were no ums, ahs or annoying & distracting noises, but neither was there any enthusiasm from a monotonous narrator. Both the data and presentation style are traditionally objective and the tone seems slightly removed from the subject matter. Facts about people and events are mentioned in passing without any indication from the author that they are links in a chain to future things. I felt it was organized as things just happen, one after another. It is 32 hours of who, what, where and how, but rarely any why. There was no indication that the author felt that any fact was more important than or related to any other, so it was difficult for me to place the facts into a comprehensive historical narrative. There wasn’t enough thematic structure for me and all the information ran together to become an unappealing and overwhelming fact blob.

If you want to learn more about Egypt, Greece and Rome, I recommend that you use your credits to purchase 32 hours of the many other excellent ancient history books or courses available on audible. Audible has so many better choices!

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New Clues In The Etruscan Mystery

Revisado: 05-14-16

What did you love best about The Mysterious Etruscans?

So much is still unknown about the Etruscans, but this lecture series gives a nice overview of recent archaeological finds and academic scholarship (up through 2015).

The course focus is cultural and its organization is thematic, which works well and is appropriate based on our knowledge or lack thereof. I always appreciate how Professor Tuck discusses the generally accepted theories while including his own thoughts and presenting interesting alternative theories. Importantly, he also highlights areas that are still a total mystery.

We haven't yet solved the Etruscan puzzle, but I enjoyed this enthusiastic presentation of newly found pieces.

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Fascinating Truth Behind Medieval Legends

Revisado: 04-06-16

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I'm more of an ancient history person, so my knowledge of the Middle Ages is very basic. What I know about Medieval times comes from a general humanities education and "what everybody knows" from films and novels. Luckily, those are the topics he covers! Find out the truth behind the legends of:

1. King Arthur
2. The Holy Grail
3. Female Pope Joan
4. Dungeons, Witches, Inquisitions, & Torture
5. Sexual Myths – Chasity Belts & Right of the 1st Night Sex
6. Robin Hood
7. Belief in the Flat Earth
8. Shroud of Turin

We still talk about all of these subjects in modern pop culture, and I didn't need any additional outside knowledge of Medieval times to understand and enjoy the lectures. Watch out for me at my next cocktail party!

Have you listened to any of Thomas F. Madden’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I really enjoy listening to Thomas F. Madden. His courses are well organized, focused, and arranged in a way where the themes are easy to follow. His courses are wonderful for someone who is new to the subject matter. He presents me with what I need to know and doesn't go off on academic tangents. His lecture style is engaging while being neither over the top nor dull and dry. Also, the recording itself didn't have annoying vocal tics.

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Rise & Fall: Emperors, Army, Church & Barbarians

Revisado: 04-04-16

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Although the title says "Decline and Fall," this lecture series is not just a summary of Gibbons' famous work of the same name.

This series focuses on governance and political power. Military History, Scandals, the Arts, Religion, Famous Biographies, Technology, and the Culture of Daily Life are only mentioned if they have direct relevance or influence on the ebb and flow of power during the 500 or so Empire years.

Professor Madden presents a clear and easy to follow explanation of who held power in Rome from the death of the Republic to the Barbarian removal of the last Emperor of the West. He traces the rise and fall of dynastic imperial families like the Julio-Claudians, Flavians and Antonines. He explains the military's power to decide the Emperor of their choice. He explains how prominent Christians went from dying in the arena to living and ruling in the palace. And finally, he illustrates how Rome's international relations with Barbarians led to the final sacking and the end of imperial self-rule.

This lecture series isn't a bells and whistles account of all the crazy things that occurred during the Roman Empire. It's a clear and concise framework that puts the trivia into context. This is basic knowledge that will enrich listeners' understanding of any further encounter with information about the ancient Roman Empire. This is the bare historical foundation that's solid enough to let you build on it as high as you please.

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Do People Make a City or a City Make the People?

Revisado: 08-19-15

Any additional comments?

Archaeology generally explores what can be learned about people based on their personal or cultural objects, but this lecture series explores what can be learned about a group of people based upon their physical surroundings.

Why does a population to plan and design their city in a certain way? What do those choices tell us about the people? How does the design continue to influence and impact the population living there? How do cities from different eras compare? How do cities from the same civilization differ from each other? How do different social and economic classes differ within the same city?

The professor looks at things like geographic location, building materials, civil engineering, socio-economics of neighborhoods, zoning issues, municipal infrastructure and resource accessibility to gain knowledge about its inhabitants.

Each city lecture illustrates an aspect or universal theme of city living or lessons about the evolution of urban planning, or gives us insight about the inhabitants and what we can learn about them based on how they lived.

The professor’s lecture style is more conversational than academic and occasionally he is more enthusiastic than organized. Even so, I thought his delivery worked well with the subject matter, which might be very dull with the wrong type of narrator. I found his enthusiasm contagious and enjoyed thinking about how my modern city life compares and contrasts with those in some of the ancient cities.

Ancient Cities Featured In This Course

Çatalhöyük—First Experiment in Urban Living
Jericho and Its Walls
Uruk—City of Gilgamesh
Mysterious Mohenjo-daro
Kahun—Company Town in the Desert
Work and Life at Deir el-Medina
Amarna—Revolutionary Capital
Knossos—Palace, City, or Temple?
Akrotiri—Bronze Age Pompeii
Mycenae, Tiryns, and the Mask of Agamemnon
Athens—Civic Buildings and Civic Identity
Athenian Domestic Architecture
Hippodamian Planning—Miletus and Ephesus
Olynthus—A Classical Greek City Preserved
Wonder and Diversity at Alexandria
Pergamon—The New Theatricality
The Good Life in Rome
The Lives of the Poor in Rome
Ostia—Middle-Class Harbor Town
Timgad—More Roman Than Rome
Karanis—On the Fringes of the Empire
Constantinople—The Last Ancient City

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University Level Lecture Series

Revisado: 08-18-15

Where does Ancient Empires before Alexander rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I listen to a lot of ancient history lectures. Some are broad, some are basic, some are thematic, some are popular, some are casual. This series is serious. This isn't an "aren't-the-Greeks-amazing," "how-the-Romans-are/aren't-like-us," "Egypt-is-cool" lecture. Don't get me wrong, I love those lectures, but this is University level serious.

This is a deep dive into the ancient bronze age superpowers of the Mediterranean and Near East. Every lecture has so much critical information packed in. I needed to stop more than once and consult maps or just pause to take it all in. The lectures are organized chronologically by civilizations. Some time periods overlap as he follows each empire's timeline from rise to fall. It was helpful for me to listen to a set of lectures for one empire and stop rather than binge on them right after another.

I've listed the lecture outline below. Standouts for me were the Kingdom of David and Solomon, The Mitanni, Every Lecture on Hatti (the Hittites), The Collapse of the Mycenaean World (interesting Sea Peoples ideas), Every lecture on the Assyrians, and the Carthage and early Rome lectures (interesting from the Carthaginian point of view). All lectures are rich with essential details and not much fluff. If you are new student of the ancient world, I'd recommend another Audible introductory course/book first as a framework context so you don't become lost or overwhelmed and end up hating hate this. If you are into the ancient world, I recommend Ancient Empires before Alexander as *THE* advanced course. I absolutely love this series and it's the one I refer back to for comparison to any new ancient world media I come across.

Any additional comments?
Lecture Table of Contents
1 A Meditation on Empire
2 Lands, Seas, and Sources
3 Sargon and the Dawn of Empire
4 The Third Dynasty of Ur
5 The Empire of Hammurabi
6 Mitanni and the Kassites
7 The Rise of Hatti
8 The Government of Hatti
9 Hatti at War
10 The Climax and Collapse of Hatti
11 The Rise of the Egyptian Empire
12 The Imperial Army and Administration
13 The End of the Egyptian Empire
14 The Minoan Thalassocracy
15 Mycenae and the Dawn of Greece
16 The Collapse of the Mycenaean World
17 The Birth of Israel
18 The Empire of David and Solomon
19 The Dawn of Assyria
20 The Rise of the Neo-Assyrian Empire
21 The Government of Assyria
22 Assyria at War
23 The Climax and Collapse of Assyria
24 The Neo-Babylonian Empire
25 The Rise of the Persian Empire
26 The Outbreak of the Greek Wars
27 Xerxes and the Invasion of Greece
28 From Plataea to the Peace of Callias
29 The Persian Empire from 450 to 334
30 The Government and Army of Persia
31 Alexander and the Fall of Persia
32 The Origins of Carthage and Its Empire
33 Ruling and Defending Carthage's Empire
34 The First War with Rome
35 Hannibal and the Fall of Carthage
36 Ancient Empires before Alexander, and After

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