History of the Ancient World: A Global Perspective

De: Gregory S. Aldrete, The Great Courses

Narrado por: Gregory S. Aldrete

Duración: 24 h y 24 m

Resumen del Editor

The ancient world has cast a long shadow, influencing our customs and religious beliefs, our laws, and the form of our governments. It has taught us when and how we make war or pursue peace. It has shaped the buildings we live and work in and the art we hang on our walls. It has given us the calendar that organizes our year and has left its mark on the games we play.

Grasping the full scope of your bequest from the ancient world can't help but give you a more nuanced base from which to make decisions and choose pathways in your own life. These 48 lectures take you on a multidisciplinary journey that ranges across not only the traditional domains of politics and war that are normally the province of history courses, but also those of religion, philosophy, architecture and the visual arts, literature, and science, and more.

You'll examine the ancient world's greatest civilizations from the Mediterranean, Asia, and the Americas - including those of Rome, Greece, China, Persia, India, and the Maya - not in isolation but in the full context of where they came from, the cultures that flourished around them at the same time, and the civilizations that were to come from them. Taking a comparative approach, Professor Aldrete's course includes in-depth analyses of not only key individuals and historical moments, but also history's most important themes, from the nature of rulership and the evolution of religion and philosophy to the practice of warfare and the expression of power through art and architecture.

With its mix of nuanced interpretation, vivid description, and constant attention to exploring history as a coherent whole, this is sure to be one of the most informative and thought-provoking history courses you have ever taken.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2011 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2011 The Great Courses

Top 1% of All History Courses You'll Take

Would you consider the audio edition of History of the Ancient World: A Global Perspective to be better than the print version?

I bought this course after "striking out" with the courses "The Foundations of Western Civilization" and "Great Ancient Civilizations of Asia Minor" (i.e. I was extremely interested in learning about the time period and civilizations covered but was disappointed by the professors' teaching styles, wasn't engaged, and didn't take much from the courses).

This course was nearly perfect in exceeding all of my expectations going in.

This is a legitimate 5 star course that meets all of my criteria for such a designation:

1- The professor was easy to understand and listen to while at the same time prompting engaging discussions that led to me learning alot more than I knew going in.

2- The 24 hours of 48 lectures flew by. I would look at my phone and find out I had listened for large periods of time without even checking the remaining time or lecture number I was on. This is a rare experience even for the great ones I've listened to.

3- When the course concluded I was yearning for more and I scrambled to see if the professor taught any other courses. I was left wishing there would be a lecture 49 in which he would cover the next great civilization and just go on and on to the present time.

It has excellent historical narrative covering the following civilizations from aprx. 3500 BC-800 AD:
o Mesopotamia (Sumerians, Akkadians, Hittites, Babylon, Assyria, Chaldean/Neo-Babylonians, Persians)
o Ancient Egypt
o Ancient India (Lost civilization of the Indus Valley & the Vedics)
o Pre-Greek: Minoan and Mycenaean
o Ancient Greece
o China (Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, and Tong)
o Macedonians
o Ancient Rome
o Early Mesoamerica (Olmecs and Mayans)
o Early South America (Chavin, Moche and Teotihuacán)
o Aborigines of Australia
o Polynesians
o Byzantine
o Early Christianity
o Early Islam (the Umayyad & Abbasid caliphates)
o Franks (under Charlemagne)
o Mentioned but not discussed in great detail: Carthage, Sassanians, and African empires Axum, Ghana, and Mali

The professor is a clear speaker with a good pace (does not rush things nor uses lofty language). This is such a breath of fresh air in contrast with other professors I've listened to. Professor Aldrete is the model by which all history professors should be held to.

This course was great right up to the end. Lecture 48 has an interesting take on why Europe would rise and supplant the Islamic and Chinese empires in the centuries following 800 AD (when at the time it would’ve seemed highly unlikely) and attempts to explain the origin of when Africa, Asia, and Europe split into regions of distinct linguistic, religious, and cultural differences.

I read a negative review that mentioned the course was too simplistic and I can see how some individuals may consider the professor's style as such but I think the mark of a good historian and teacher is one who can teach in a straight-forward, easy to understand manner, and keep you entertained while not stretching the facts of history to fit into a certain "story".

A course covering such a breadth of time, land, and civilizations must leave some things out but I found it somewhat curious these were omitted:

1- How does a lecture on Greek theater not include even a quick mention of Oedipus?

2- Would've liked a little more coverage of the end phase of the Peloponnesian War including Sparta's final victory over Athens

3- While Julius Caesar, Pompey, Marc Antony and Octavius Caesar were discussed, there was no mention of the two Roman triumvirates that I could recall

4- While the professor did reference specific years when discussing a specific civilization or dynasty, it would’ve been good if he mentioned the contemporary dynasties that were ruling in other parts of the world to give some global perspective; For example when discussing a dynasty ruling in China, mention it was the same time as when the X civilization was dominant in the Mediterranean or the X dynasty was ruling the Roman Empire

Yes, these four items border on nitpicking when considering the success of this course. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in the rise of the world's earliest civilizations across the globe. Please bring back Professor Aldrete for another course preferably on medieval Europe focusing on the formation of current states like France, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, etc. I know there are some courses on 1600 Europe onward but I'd be interested in a course on political history of the major countries prior to that time period.

Engaging and interesting from the first minute

This was like a perfectly abridged and updated Story of Civilization by Will and Ariel Durant. Professor Aldrete presents the material with enthusiasm. He notes areas in which historians differ and why. He has overarching themes, which tie the materials together well. It all necessarily moves quickly, so for the areas that you know well, you will say "But wait, there is so much more to say!" But there will be lots of new material, even for those who took a class like this a decade or more ago. I highly recommend this class. I will gladly download any Great Courses class that this professor teaches. He has no annoying quirks. I have listened to many courses in audiobook format over many years (I have a 40 minute commute each way), and this might be the best of the best.

this guy is great

highly recommend. very informative and the presenter is entertaining and easy to understand, doesn't talk over your head

Outstanding course

I have listened to quite a few Great Courses by now and in general found them to be vey good. This course stands out even among the other courses. It offers just what the title says, a global perspective. Ancient civilisations are described and compared and the similarities and differences are highlighted. I will now start to listen to the courses on Rome by the same author.

Very knowledgeable books

Really enjoy every chapters of the book! It brings me a throughout blue print of how ancient history is and how it affect us in modern times!

Great peformance!

Gregory Aldrete did a fantastic job. If you want a brief history of the ancient world this is a great place to start. I would encourage anyone who enjoyed specific sections or are more curious about a place or people to look at the other great courses as there are more in depth lectures on things like the romans, egyptians, etc. that were very lightly touched on. Overall quite enjoyable.

The kind of teacher that makes you love history

places and events come alive and it feels more like a story than a dry account of events. great course!

All around great

Greg does an amazing job of drawing in the listener and teaching them many interesting perspectives on the subject matter. I think he has a great voice and a great way of expressing himself. I personally love the subject matter but he really brings an extra added benefit to it. I listen to this course often just because I like the way he speaks. If you are at least a little interested in the subject I highly recommend this lecture series.

Excellent fast paced crash course!

What made the experience of listening to History of the Ancient World: A Global Perspective the most enjoyable?

The content and the pleasant narration

What other book might you compare History of the Ancient World: A Global Perspective to and why?

This was my first Great Courses book. I expect the others to be similar.

Which scene was your favorite?

Greek and Roman history

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I went through it very fast

Wow!

You could feel the current of history.
BC tr gh I'm bi td re juju lol hhhhh gggg gggg. Bbb