Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • The History of the Ancient World

  • From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome
  • By: Susan Wise Bauer
  • Narrated by: John Lee
  • Length: 26 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (589 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
The History of the Ancient World cover art

The History of the Ancient World

By: Susan Wise Bauer
Narrated by: John Lee
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £29.99

Buy Now for £29.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution cover art
A War of Empires cover art
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World cover art
The Fate of Abraham cover art
A Brief History of the Samurai cover art
Charlemagne, Genghis Khan, and Scipio Africanus cover art
Challenging Destiny cover art
Guns, Germs and Steel cover art
Ancient History cover art
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich cover art
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire cover art
Robin Hood: The History and Folklore of the English Legend cover art
Ancient Rome cover art
The Word of Promise Audio Bible—New King James Version, NKJV: Complete Bible cover art
Our Oriental Heritage cover art
The Story of Civilization, Volume I: The Ancient World cover art

Summary

A lively and engaging narrative history showing the common threads in the cultures that gave birth to our own.

This is the first volume in a bold new series that tells the stories of all peoples, connecting historical events from Europe to the Middle East to the far coast of China, while still giving weight to the characteristics of each country. Susan Wise Bauer provides both sweeping scope and vivid attention to the individual lives that give flesh to abstract assertions about human history. This narrative history employs the methods of "history from beneath" - literature, epic traditions, private letters, and accounts - to connect kings and leaders with the lives of those they ruled. The result is an engrossing tapestry of human behavior from which we may draw conclusions about the direction of world events and the causes behind them.

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

©2007 Susan Wise Bauer (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about The History of the Ancient World

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    326
  • 4 Stars
    158
  • 3 Stars
    77
  • 2 Stars
    13
  • 1 Stars
    15
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    314
  • 4 Stars
    129
  • 3 Stars
    56
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    9
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    282
  • 4 Stars
    150
  • 3 Stars
    52
  • 2 Stars
    22
  • 1 Stars
    10

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

More fairy tale than history...

I don't know much about Susan Wise Bauer I must admit and this was my first 'experience' with her writing. And experience it was!

Before I begin to destroy the book (!), I suppose it is only fair to say that much of Ancient History, by whomsoever dares to write it, is conjecture. Until you get to about 1500 BCE, there are snippets here and there which can be substatiated reasonably well, after 1500 BCE it improves but not significantly so until we get to around 1200 BCE.

However, that being said, any author who wishes seriously to be taken as a historian, really CANNOT swing between history which uses as its source, archaeological finds and proven, documented transcriptions or transliterations of tablets, or pieces of tablets, and 'history' which uses as its source, The Bible (with no other sourcing whatsoever!). It is absurd! She attempts, for example, to 'prove' parts of her 'history' by citing what the Old Testament has to say in Genesis! I mean, truly, it is utterly absurd! Don't get me wrong, there ARE undoubtedly proven events which happened (and are well-sourced geographically, archeologically and historically) which are also mentioned in The Bible, but it is totally unacceptable to try to pass of vague Biblical references as hard-edged history.

She also notes that she is using BC and AD as she objects to the use of BCE and CE as they seem, to her, to be somewhat pointless (she makes a fair point that BOTH go from the date of Christ and so what is the point of using BCE or CE) but, on the other hand, as a historian myself (a real one!), I have always used BCE and CE as they are commonly internationally recognized and do not rely on 'dog latin' as AD, for example, does. She also claims her history is not just written from a Judeo-Christian standpoint - I take serious issue with this as someone NOT remotely schooled in the Judeo-Christian ethos of the West (which nearly all educative systems DO use to be fair, even in a completely non-religious sense). From my perspective, she writes ENTIRELY from a Judeo-Christian standpoint, as her bizarre willingness to accept Biblical stories as historical fact without question (she literally quotes them and then goes on to say things such as "of course, Abraham would have taken this route because of ... insert totally pointless and implausible reason here" (OK, I'm paraphrasing a bit!)

I do not know what her historical background is but the frustration of dealing with her determination to take The Bible as 'fact' sent me running to Google to find out. It seems she is not a historian at all really! But, hey, she does have some post-graduate qualifications from a theological college! So there you go, all is revealed!

On the other hand, I am not too sure how one goes about writing this tome of an epic in one book (or even three as she does!) as so much of this period really IS based on historians building up pictures of things based on tiny bits of broken tablets and so, to be fair, she isn't necessarily any more useless than some of the others.

But what REALLY annoys me, is that she does not make clear which bits are FACT and which bits are FAIRY TALE. If you are a historian with a reasonable knowledge of this era then you will spot them instantly, they stick out not so much as a sore thumb but more of a dislocated hand!!

I love John Lee's narration, he is one of my favorite readers. Even if he does have the slightly odd habit of sometimes pronouncing really common words wierdly (eg pronouncing primer (as in a Latin primer) as "primmer" (like a prim old lady!)! But he makes the best of this sometimes ridiculous book.

If you want a gentle romp through this period of Ancient History and can stomach The Bible standing in for history (I can't!), then you will love it. If, like me, you know something of this period and like proper sources, you will hate it.

As they say, you pays your money, you takes your choice.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

456 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

interesting not riveting

narrator excellent but author relies too much on Suetonius who was great Roman gossip but certainly not a historian



Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

35 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

obsessed with royalty

Don't expect anything of human development, farming, or technology, just kings and queens. Even worst is that it's a grovelling interpretation of the role of royalty.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
  • CP
  • 04-12-14

Great read for fans of history

If you could sum up The History of the Ancient World in three words, what would they be?

Engaging, fascinating, long.

What other book might you compare The History of the Ancient World to, and why?

Honestly, I have not quite read a book like it. It takes history, which is often bloody and confusing and made it accessible without sacrificing quality.

What does John Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

How to pronounce most of the names! They are quite complex and I would not have been able to manage otherwise.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I liked the mentions of women, and how their history was more than likely written by someone who had not bothered to check with them if it was actually correct.

Any additional comments?

Really good read for fans of history. I particularly liked the inclusion of China and India, usually books like this are painfully European-centric. I also enjoyed the discussion on the history of writing.

Be warned this book is not really one for fans of social history, and the lives of everyday people. It concerns itself with rulers, wars and conquerers and their fights and deaths. Some mention is made of culture and traditions but the focus is elsewhere.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

23 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Well written and engaging

Covers a huge range of ancient history, linking events across Europe and Asia as they happen. The really ancient Mesopotamia is a bit dull and repetitive as the sources are fairly sketchy and generally describe incessant territorial struggles for dominance. Later events, where there is potentially much richer history to detail, suffer from being slightly rushed in places with massive issues omitted or glossed over. But what this book does do better than any other I've come across is to provide context, especially in a geopolitical sense. And it introduced me to lots of interesting topics that I intend to learn more about later. All in all I found the book very illuminating and interesting.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Just a fairytale pop history

The book has written mostly for laypeople with the purpose of entertaining. Clearly not an academic history. Filled with common misconceptions of its time. You won't get deep knowledge from it. But still much better than superhero comics. It might be fun to listen if you already have some historical knowledge also. The performance of John Lee is amazing.
Worth to buy with a discount.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Entertaining and informative

What did you like most about The History of the Ancient World?

I love Susan Wise Bauer's dry sense of humour, which crops up in the most unexpected places.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The book covers ancient civilisations around the world, based on stories, histories, writings on stones and bones ... and gives a clear insightful view of what can perhaps be considered 'true' history and what can't. There are some lovely insights into people's characters - my favourite being Zimri Lim and his relationship with his younger daughter.

What about John Lee’s performance did you like?

John Lee reads quietly and steadily, changing his voice subtly when he reads quotes.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Christian nonsense, not history

Should carry a clear warning that this is "Christian history" not "historians' history". Serves me right for not reading more reviews, but really, there is a difference.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

The bible is not a credible source of history

After plowing through ten hours, I never finished. What I thought was history turned out to be loaded with fairy-stories from the Bible. Unless that's your niche, I would not recommend this book to anyone, although the narration was wonderful.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating insight

An excellent book. I listen to it over and over again. We live in a complicated world yet the seeds were sown thousands of years ago. This book explains how great empires were born and evolved and eventually began to fall apart. Fully recommend it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful