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Ibn Saud
- The Desert Warrior Who Created the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Narrated by: Brian Bascle
- Length: 21 hrs and 52 mins
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Publisher's summary
Ibn Saud grew to manhood living the harsh traditional life of the desert nomad, a life that had changed little since the days of Abraham. Equipped with immense physical courage, he fought and won, often with weapons and tactics not unlike those employed by the ancient Assyrians, a series of astonishing military victories over a succession of enemies much more powerful than himself. Over the same period, he transformed himself from a minor sheikh into a revered king and elder statesman, courted by world leaders such as Churchill and Roosevelt. A passionate lover of women, Ibn Saud took many wives, had numerous concubines, and fathered almost one hundred children. Yet he remained an unswerving and devout Muslim, described by one who knew him well at the time of his death in 1953 as “probably the greatest Arab since the Prophet Muhammad.” Saudi Arabia, the country Ibn Saud created, is a staunch ally of the West, but it is also the birthplace of Osama bin Laden and 15 of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers. Saud’s kingdom, as it now stands, has survived the vicissitudes of time and become an invaluable player on the world’s political stage.
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Performed by Brian Bascle, Michael Darlow and Barbara Bray’s engaging, thorough, and decades-in-the-making biography of this mysterious and important ruler cover Saud’s life from his early years as a desert warrior to his overseeing of the oil boom that elevated his kingdom to the powerful position it holds today.
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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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Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
- By: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Jack Weatherford
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in 25 years than the Romans did in 400. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization.
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Golden Horde/Platinum Listen
- By Cynthia on 12-11-13
By: Jack Weatherford
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Napoleon
- A Life
- By: Adam Zamoyski
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 27 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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The story of Napoleon has been written many times. In some versions, he is a military genius, in others a war-obsessed tyrant. Here, historian Adam Zamoyski cuts through the mythology and explains Napoleon against the background of the European Enlightenment and what he was himself seeking to achieve. This most famous of men is also the most hidden of men, and Zamoyski dives deeper than any previous biographer to find him. Beautifully written, Napoleon brilliantly sets the man in his European context.
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Fascinating
- By Jean on 04-01-19
By: Adam Zamoyski
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Augustus
- First Emperor of Rome
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Caesar Augustus's story, one of the most riveting in western history, is filled with drama and contradiction, risky gambles and unexpected success. He began as a teenage warlord, whose only claim to power was as the heir of the murdered Julius Caesar. Mark Antony dubbed him "a boy who owes everything to a name," but in the years to come the youth outmaneuvered all the older and more experienced politicians and was the last man standing in 30 BC.
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You know my name...say it.
- By Steven on 12-10-14
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The Noodle Maker of Kalimpong
- The Untold Story of My Struggle for Tibet
- By: Gyalo Thondup, Anne F. Thurston
- Narrated by: Lane Nishikawa, Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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In December 2010 residents of Kalimpong, a town on the Indian border with Tibet, turned out en masse to welcome the Dalai Lama. It was only then they realized for the first time that the neighbor they knew as the noodle maker of Kalimpong was also the Dalai Lama's older brother. The Tibetan spiritual leader had come to visit the Gaden Tharpa Choling monastery and join his brother for lunch in the family compound.
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Very interesting
- By BlueSky on 12-07-15
By: Gyalo Thondup, and others
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Lawrence in Arabia
- War, Deceit, Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East
- By: Scott Anderson
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 23 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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A thrilling and revelatory narrative of one of the most epic and consequential periods in 20th century history - the Arab Revolt and the secret “great game” to control the Middle East. Lawrence in Arabia definitively overturns received wisdom on how the modern Middle East was formed. Sweeping in its action, keen in its portraiture, acid in its condemnation of the destruction wrought by European colonial plots, this is a book that brilliantly captures the way in which the folly of the past creates the anguish of the present.
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A Comprehensive, Compelling Biography
- By Lester Gesteland on 10-05-20
By: Scott Anderson
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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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Trail of Hope
- The Anders Army, an Odyssey Across Three Continents
- By: Norman Davies
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 15 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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In this remarkable work, renowned historian Professor Norman Davies draws from years of meticulous research to recount the compelling story of the Polish II Corps or "Anders Army", and their exceptional journey from the Gulag of Siberia through Iran, the Middle East, and North Africa to the battlefields of Italy to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with Allied forces. Complete with firsthand accounts from the men and women who lived through it, this is a unique record of one of the most fascinating episodes of World War II.
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Amazing story of Polish peoples and never giving up hope for free Poland.
- By Peter Chmiel on 09-24-19
By: Norman Davies
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Mao
- The Unknown Story
- By: Jung Chang, Jon Halliday
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 29 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Based on a decade of research and on interviews with many of Mao's close circle in China who have never talked before, and with virtually everyone outside China who had significant dealings with him, this is the most authoritative biography of Mao ever written.
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Fills many gaps! Very good..but!
- By Jene on 08-07-06
By: Jung Chang, and others
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The Zulus at War
- The History, Rise, and Fall of the Tribe That Washed Its Spears
- By: Xolani Mkhize, Adrian Greaves
- Narrated by: Kevin Free
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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By tracing the long and turbulent history of the Zulus from their arrival in South Africa and the establishment of Zululand, The Zulus at War is an important and readable addition to this popular subject area. It describes the violent rise of King Shaka and his colorful successors under whose leadership the warrior nation built a fearsome fighting reputation without equal among the native tribes of South Africa.
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Great account of Zulu history
- By Lwazilwenkosi on 08-14-15
By: Xolani Mkhize, and others
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The British Empire
- By: Stephen W. Sears
- Narrated by: Corrie James
- Length: 30 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Here is the story of how the English acquired their vast domain; how they ruled, maintained, and exploited it; and how, within decades, they presided over its dissolution. Here are Britain's triumphs and also her stinging defeats, her heroes and her scoundrels. It is a full and fascinating chronicle of the growth of the British Empire and its people and of the impact that empire had on the rest of the world.
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Great presentation of a broad historical narrative
- By MiamiMe on 03-27-18
By: Stephen W. Sears
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What listeners say about Ibn Saud
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- engineeringstudent
- 05-16-22
This is what I feel Biographies should be like
This is an excellent book I've always lacked knowledge about Saudi Arabia and this book has really taken it to the next level. the stories are excellent and very engaging. information about the kingdom seems quite unbiased and well presented.
The narration is also really spot on, with Arabic sounding westernized but not completely unnatural.
if you like historical biographies I would say this is a must read.
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- qwerty
- 03-27-15
Recommended book
Wellwritten and wellresearched. The reading performance and soundwas really bad. Monotone and robot-like performance and please let someone read who can pronounce arabic names.
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- Linda D
- 09-17-20
Shakespeare?
Can anybody tell me is they call Gertrude Bell in this book “ Shakespeare “??? Why would that be so
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- Majed S
- 07-24-21
A Review
Avery interesting to read and learn about the recent history of Saudi Arabia. I had a problem understanding the pronunciation of the Arabic words and names of places. This made hard for an arabic speaking person to relate them to his knowledge of saudi history.
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- Brian Hayward
- 01-17-23
Fascinating history of the Saud family
A sympathetic, yet critical history of the formation of Saudi Arabia, and particularly Ibn Saud, its founder. Though I have a good background with Arabs, I learned a lot about bedouin culture and history through listening to this well told narrative.
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- Kaidong
- 07-01-22
I Appreciate This Book
The topic of this book is one that eludes Western audiences a lot, so I appreciate this book for giving me an opportunity to understand Saudi Arabia not just as a rich, theocratic, brutal oil producer in the middle east. There are nuances in every geopolitical entities, and I am thankful that I get to know more of them.
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- AKM
- 01-28-22
Great story, bad narration
Whoever narrated this was obviously looking to wrap it up quickly.
For the first time ever, I had to slow the narration speed just to catch his words.
It was also very monotone, with no feeling, and frankly could’ve been a robot.
Despite all that, I loved the story. Very fair and informative portrayal of Ibn Saud.
The author does an excellent job describing the context of the world in which Ibn Saud operated, something which is very important in attempting to understand his motivations.
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- Dr.
- 03-18-23
Awesome book.
Killing in the name of religion and peace. The struggle of humanity to survive and thrive. Wow.
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- Jeff
- 11-26-13
A Captivating Portrait of the Man and His Times
What did you love best about Ibn Saud?
This work feels like it was meant for Audible. During the several days it took me to finish listening, I never felt bogged-down by names, dates or factoids. Instead, the author gives us almost lyrical descriptions of the Arabian landscape and paints a living portrait of Ibn Saud as well as figures instrumental in his rise to power. The book is filled with entertaining anecdotes and personal details that help the reader/listener become emotionally invested in the narrative.
What did you like best about this story?
I was impressed by how accessible and easy to follow the narrative Was considering the vast scope of the work. Beyond covering the life of Ibn Saud, this work goes into great detail on Bedouin customs, the formation of Islam and the geopolitical climate of the era. Even though they wern't central to the story, I felt like I better understood the importance of figures such as T.E. Lawrence, Churchill and the Hashemite kings in shaping the modern Middle East after finishing this work.
Which character – as performed by Brian Bascle – was your favorite?
This wasn't that kind of book, but if I had to pick a favorite person portrayed in the narrative it would be Captain William Shakspear. He seemed worthy of the veneration that figures such as T.E. Lawrence were later to inspire more through publicity than by actual exploits.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, it was that good.
Any additional comments?
Certain passages of this work, especially of those related to Ibn Saud's personal religious beliefs and his control (or lack therof) on some of the more fanatical Wahabis in his service seemed a bit biased. But no book is perfect.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Thoughtful Learner
- 03-15-19
Excellent historical background for insight.
Excellent historical background for insight into today's (2019) Saudi Arabian culture and challenges. Worth your time.
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