fabulous

listened to this because of an interest not studying it. found it enlightening and compelling

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Very worthwhile.

Clearly explained throughout. Enjoyable and deeply interesting. Definitely worth listening through more than once. Human history is characterised by power, religion and war, war, war!

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Well, despite myself, I loved it

Where does The Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Rise of Nations rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

For history right at the top. Not because it was the best history, or even particularly good, insightful history; but just because it was a rattling good story. And it was far better than a history book to listen to; I love history, but cannot get on with history audiobooks. So this was a real find.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Rise of Nations?

Monking. I howled. Andrew Fisk was describing the relationship between Luther and his Dad, and Andrew had his father cry out in outrage 'there's no money in monking!'. A real treat.

Have you listened to any of Professor Andrew C. Fix’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No I've not; this thing is I agree with another comment that there were hideous generalisations, inaccuracies, and a very traditional view - the view of the pre-reformation church, for example could have been written 30 years ago. And although Andrew Fisk rather stumbled and repeated himself - I really, really enjoyed his style in the end. I suspect repeating the same point is simply good teaching.

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

Monking.

Any additional comments?

Heartily recommended. Not the best history, but a superb way to get into the subject.

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7 people found this helpful

A very good attempt to run through an enormous historic period

I have listened to this while studying early modern history with the Open University. It provides much additional information which has been instructive to follow, and although some of the terms used inaccurate (Thomas Cromwell certainly not Henry VIII's Prime Minister) and Americanised, it has been well worth the time spent hearing the lectures.

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Detailed and Fascinating

This course covers (loosely) Western European history from the 14th-16th century. The central theme of the course is the reformation and the birth of protestantism and the fallout from this.

The first section of the course deals with a brief overview of the medieval period and the state the continent was in at the start of the renaissance. The renaissance lectures were like a scaled down version of the Great Courses on the Italian renaissance so I would suggest following up with that if you find it interesting. These lectures deal with humanism and are important for understanding the context of the reformation.

The main bulk of the course is the reformation. This means that some time is spent on the history of the Catholic church and the papacy, before going on to the various protestant sects that emerge around the continent. This is amazing stuff, well written and detailed without ever being dull. The descriptions of both the theology and the religious wars that follow are interesting and equally well laid out. There was no dull theology at all, all of the theology was kept simple and relevant.

A couple of times the course spends a few lectures on each of the major protestant European powers and how the reformation affected them. This was good but did not really live up to the 'birth of nations' in the title. If you want an understanding of the development of the theory of the nation state this course will leave you wanting.

The final section deals with the scientific revolution. This was a real change of pace but still fascinating and well worth knowing. It feels like it should probably have been a separate course and made longer though.

The lecturer is great, the writing is great, the content is great. Wholeheartedly recommend.

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5 people found this helpful

Gratifying

24 hrs of splendour insight of human history. This remarkable european achievment is worth to be read.
Narration of Andrew C. fix was perfect.

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Good overview of a key period

The course covers the period between the end of the Middle Ages to the end of the 17th century. It is a key period in the development of the modern world, and a period that I was quite ignorant of. The sections on the history of Europe in the reformation and 17th century I found particularly illuminating. The course covers a lot of ground and as consequence is quite high level, but it is very clear and easy to follow. The lecturer I thought took a bit of time to get into his stride but gets the points across well.

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Enlightening!

Where does The Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Rise of Nations rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Any additional comments?

It's a "101" kind of course but I found it informative and enjoyable. As a series of half hour lectures it's easier to complete than a book I think. The delivery is natural and the language is informal but the content is thorough and orderly, with the right balance between the amount of data and analysis. I wish I had more teachers like professor Fix at school.

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1 person found this helpful

An interesting overview

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

The lectures give a good overview of what happened and why. Some aspects are obviously simplified but a lot of ground is covered.

What aspect of Professor Andrew C. Fix’s performance might you have changed?

It takes some time to get used to the professor's voice, a bit of Bill Clinton. But after a while, it feels good.
The professor feels strongly about his subject an knows a lot about it but the references to modern times fall flat and are sometimes inaccurate. Still, the era in question is covered well.

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

As the lectures are a total of 24 hours, not a one-off book but I do recommend more than one lecture at a time as some lectures are closely related to each other and should be listened to in one sitting.

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Below standard

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

Someone with little grasp of any history and who enjoys a very homespun delivery with limited analysis.

What could The Great Courses have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

These courses could have been better written, the context better understood and conveyed to the listener. Analysis needed to reach a higher standard. There were a number of historical howlers and was very poor on the English Reformation.

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Professor Andrew C. Fix?

Not applicable for this work.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Very few.

Any additional comments?

Suggest the lecturer go back to basics and rewrite the whole thing.

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6 people found this helpful