Try an audiobook on us
The Foundations of Western Civilization
People who bought this also bought...
-
The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World
- By: Robert Garland, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Garland
- Length: 24 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 333
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 300
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 292
Look beyond the abstract dates and figures, kings and queens, and battles and wars that make up so many historical accounts. Over the course of 48 richly detailed lectures, Professor Garland covers the breadth and depth of human history from the perspective of the so-called ordinary people, from its earliest beginnings through the Middle Ages.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Nearest thing to time travel available
- By JL on 09-10-13
-
The Great Ideas of Philosophy, 2nd Edition
- By: Daniel N. Robinson, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Daniel N. Robinson
- Length: 30 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 163
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 148
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 141
Grasp the important ideas that have served as the backbone of philosophy across the ages with this extraordinary 60-lecture series. This is your opportunity to explore the enormous range of philosophical perspectives and ponder the most important and enduring of human questions-without spending your life poring over dense philosophical texts.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Well presented introduction to philosophy
- By Andrew on 02-12-13
-
The Philosopher's Toolkit: How to Be the Most Rational Person in Any Room
- By: Patrick Grim, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Patrick Grim
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
Taught by award-winning Professor Patrick Grim of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, The Philosopher’s Toolkit: How to Be the Most Rational Person in Any Room arms you against the perils of bad thinking and supplies you with an arsenal of strategies to help you be more creative, logical, inventive, realistic, and rational in all aspects of your daily life.
-
Language Families of the World
- By: John McWhorter, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 15 hrs and 54 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 17
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 16
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 16
Professor John McWhorter of Columbia University takes you back through time and around the world, following the linguistic trails left by generations of humans that lead back to the beginnings of language. Utilizing historical theories and cutting-edge research, these 34 astonishing lectures will introduce you to the major language families of the world and their many offspring, including a variety of languages that are no longer spoken but provide vital links between past and present.
-
The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 179
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 158
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 159
Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Spectacularly great history.
- By Johnny Midnight on 19-06-14
-
Ancient Mesopotamia
- Life in the Cradle of Civilization
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Amanda H. Podany PhD
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 35
Mesopotamia is the ancient name for the region that is now Iraq, a remarkably advanced civilization that flourished for two-thirds of the time that civilization has existed on Earth. Mesopotamians mastered irrigation agriculture; built the first complex urban societies; developed writing, literature, and law; and united vast regions through warfare and diplomacy. While civilizations like Greece and Rome have an unbroken tradition of written histories, the rich history of Mesopotamia has only been recently rediscovered, thanks to the decipherment of Mesopotamia's cuneiform writing less than 200 years ago.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent - I've learnt so much
- By Happy Shopper on 04-08-18
-
The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World
- By: Robert Garland, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Garland
- Length: 24 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 333
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 300
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 292
Look beyond the abstract dates and figures, kings and queens, and battles and wars that make up so many historical accounts. Over the course of 48 richly detailed lectures, Professor Garland covers the breadth and depth of human history from the perspective of the so-called ordinary people, from its earliest beginnings through the Middle Ages.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Nearest thing to time travel available
- By JL on 09-10-13
-
The Great Ideas of Philosophy, 2nd Edition
- By: Daniel N. Robinson, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Daniel N. Robinson
- Length: 30 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 163
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 148
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 141
Grasp the important ideas that have served as the backbone of philosophy across the ages with this extraordinary 60-lecture series. This is your opportunity to explore the enormous range of philosophical perspectives and ponder the most important and enduring of human questions-without spending your life poring over dense philosophical texts.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Well presented introduction to philosophy
- By Andrew on 02-12-13
-
The Philosopher's Toolkit: How to Be the Most Rational Person in Any Room
- By: Patrick Grim, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Patrick Grim
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
Taught by award-winning Professor Patrick Grim of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, The Philosopher’s Toolkit: How to Be the Most Rational Person in Any Room arms you against the perils of bad thinking and supplies you with an arsenal of strategies to help you be more creative, logical, inventive, realistic, and rational in all aspects of your daily life.
-
Language Families of the World
- By: John McWhorter, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 15 hrs and 54 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 17
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 16
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 16
Professor John McWhorter of Columbia University takes you back through time and around the world, following the linguistic trails left by generations of humans that lead back to the beginnings of language. Utilizing historical theories and cutting-edge research, these 34 astonishing lectures will introduce you to the major language families of the world and their many offspring, including a variety of languages that are no longer spoken but provide vital links between past and present.
-
The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 179
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 158
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 159
Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Spectacularly great history.
- By Johnny Midnight on 19-06-14
-
Ancient Mesopotamia
- Life in the Cradle of Civilization
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Amanda H. Podany PhD
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 35
Mesopotamia is the ancient name for the region that is now Iraq, a remarkably advanced civilization that flourished for two-thirds of the time that civilization has existed on Earth. Mesopotamians mastered irrigation agriculture; built the first complex urban societies; developed writing, literature, and law; and united vast regions through warfare and diplomacy. While civilizations like Greece and Rome have an unbroken tradition of written histories, the rich history of Mesopotamia has only been recently rediscovered, thanks to the decipherment of Mesopotamia's cuneiform writing less than 200 years ago.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent - I've learnt so much
- By Happy Shopper on 04-08-18
-
The Story of Human Language
- By: John McWhorter, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 18 hrs and 15 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 297
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 270
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 265
Language defines us as a species, placing humans head and shoulders above even the most proficient animal communicators. But it also beguiles us with its endless mysteries, allowing us to ponder why different languages emerged, why there isn't simply a single language, how languages change over time and whether that's good or bad, and how languages die out and become extinct.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
entertaining and interesting
- By Catriona on 05-12-13
-
The Italians before Italy: Conflict and Competition in the Mediterranean
- By: Kenneth R. Bartlett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Kenneth R. Bartlett
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 32
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
Take a riveting tour of the Italian peninsula, from the glittering canals of Venice to the lavish papal apartments and ancient ruins of Rome. In these 24 lectures, Professor Bartlett traces the development of the Italian city-states of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, showing how the modern nation of Italy was forged out of the rivalries, allegiances, and traditions of a vibrant and diverse people.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
excellent overview of interactions between cities
- By L Minnema on 23-07-17
-
Capitalism vs. Socialism: Comparing Economic Systems
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Edward F. Stuart PhD
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 53
Ever since we produced our course Thinking About Capitalism, customers have expressed interest in a follow-up course that could help them understand socialism in the same way. After much consideration, we determined that it actually would be more beneficial to create a course that compares and contrasts the two major global economic theories, examining them in ways that move past the polemics many of us are used to and looking at these systems as they relate to one another and the world at large.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A history of why capitalism was best all along!
- By G Douglas Whistler on 07-12-18
-
Renaissance: The Transformation of the West
- By: Jennifer McNabb, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer McNabb
- Length: 26 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 5
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 5
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 5
While it’s easy to get caught up - and, rightfully so - in the art of the Renaissance, you cannot have a full, rounded understanding of just how important these centuries were without digging beneath the surface, without investigating the period in terms of its politics, its spirituality, its philosophies, its economics, and its societies. Do just that with these 48 lectures that consider the European Renaissance from all sides, that disturb traditional understandings, that tip sacred cows, and that enlarges our understanding of how the Renaissance revolutionized the Western world.
-
The Iliad of Homer
- By: Elizabeth Vandiver, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Vandiver
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 51
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 51
For thousands of years, Homer's ancient epic poem the Iliad has enchanted readers from around the world. When you join Professor Vandiver for this lecture series on the Iliad, you'll come to understand what has enthralled and gripped so many people.Her compelling 12-lecture look at this literary masterpiece -whether it's the work of many authors or the "vision" of a single blind poet - makes it vividly clear why, after almost 3,000 years, the Iliad remains not only among the greatest adventure stories ever told but also one of the most compelling meditations on the human condition ever written.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Well read and informative
- By rbooler on 25-07-18
-
The Rise of Rome
- By: The Great Courses, Gregory S. Aldrete
- Narrated by: Gregory S. Aldrete
- Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 57
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 57
The Roman Republic is one of the most breathtaking civilizations in world history. Between roughly 500 BCE to the turn of the millennium, a modest city-state developed an innovative system of government and expanded into far-flung territories across Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East. This powerful civilization inspired America's founding fathers, gifted us a blueprint for amazing engineering innovations, left a vital trove of myths, and has inspired the human imagination for 2,000 years.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Lecture Titles
- By Lord Peridot on 11-07-18
Summary
Within this series of 48 lectures, you'll discover the many ways in which Western civilization has addressed those questions, from its first stirrings in the great river valleys of Iraq and Egypt in 3000 B.C to the beginning of the 17th century and the dawn of the modern world. Your learning will cover vast amounts of territory and thousands of years, beginning in the ancient Near East and moving to Greece and then Rome. You'll explore ancient empires, including those of Persia, Alexander the Great, and Rome.
You'll watch as western Europe gradually expands, both physically and culturally. And you'll examine the globalizations of Western civilization with the Portuguese and Spanish voyages of exploration and discovery.
This broad and panoramic series, ripe with the telling detail on which history can turn, will help you pull an enormous sweep of history together into one coherent - though by no means closed - framework as you watch history develop under the influence of such critical factors as ecology and environment, geography, and climate; government and economics; technology; religion; work and leisure; philosophy; literature; art and architecture; and virtues, values, and aesthetics.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
More from the same
What members say
Average customer ratings
Overall
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars64
-
4 Stars18
-
3 Stars6
-
2 Stars2
-
1 Stars0
Performance
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars51
-
4 Stars23
-
3 Stars5
-
2 Stars2
-
1 Stars0
Story
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars57
-
4 Stars18
-
3 Stars3
-
2 Stars2
-
1 Stars0
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- First Impressions
- 21-09-16
Loved it - I'll be ordering more
If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?
It's a series of 48 lectures, covering over 5000 years of history. I think it was well suited to me because I have some background knowledge of most of the period. But I'm not an expert, I still learned a lot and it helped connect everything together. If you are fresh to the subject don't be put off - just take it more slowly, perhaps repeat a lecture that you didn't connect with the first time.
What could The Great Courses have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
I was disappointed that it ended at 1600 (Early Modern Period). I would have liked it to continue beyond that. I will move on to "Foundations of Western Civilization II", but it's with a different lecturer. Perhaps that lecturer will be as good. Some people would prefer homework, visual material, study certificates etc. Not something I would want/need - but everyone will have to decide themselves.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
I thought Thomas Noble was excellent. He has his mannerisms, of course (asides, chortles, pauses) - perhaps that would bother some people. I found it added charm. It felt like I had a personal guide through history, not some Wiki-bot. I am considering getting his "Late Antiquity: Crisis and Transformation" series.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
A couple of feelings (1) I wish I'd had this overview when I was growing up. When studying more detailed history I would be better able to put everything in context. (2) This series shows that it is possible to creditably cover over 5000 years in 48 short lectures. A complement to, rather than a replacement for, serious study of more focused history.
Any additional comments?
I didn't know if a lengthy lecture series would be for me, but decided it was worth a gamble. It turns out that it suits me very well - indeed, I'm amazed - a whole new method of learning has opened up. This hasn't replaced my reading of books, but it supplements them nicely.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Karol
- 26-09-16
Lots of good stuff
I have been positively impressed by the amount of ideas that Prof. Noble managed to present. Not only that, but he's really good at showing similarities in ideas between different cultures living in different times. One can hear echoes of the ideas that were popular 3000 years ago even today. It teaches you humility, I'd say.
I was a bit disappointed by the fact that the course ends almost right after Columbus discovers America.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andy Allison
- 17-02-15
Well told and very interesting
If you're interested in history but never had the time to study it, curious about the Greeks, Romans, the church and just how Europe came to be how it is? If you kind of know the famous names and event and phrases but not really in any great detail or context then you'll love this relatively unbiased appraisal of western history. Brilliantly told and engaging.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tomas Puidokas
- 01-07-16
Great course indeed
Very refreshing if you got some knowledge of subject already and has lots of unexpectedly enlightening bits in it too.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- lilith_farrell
- 27-03-15
General Outline of western history
These lectures cover all the aspects of western history. Naturally they're not very detailed. By it serves as a start point so one can have a general idea of what time period what happens.
The downside for me would be some of the names are very difficult to remember, so it's kind of hard to remember whose idea is what at a later lecture. Another thing is, the narrator sometimes spoke too slow or even paused for no apparent reason (not like give audience time to think). On the topic front, it's probably just me, I was totally lost in the lectures about philosophy, the great thinkers.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 11-04-19
Really entertaining!
The lecturer has got the balance just right between detail and keeping the flow going.I was completely hooked as a absolute novice to most of the content. I thoroughly recommend it as great value!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mike Keith
- 08-08-16
Highly recommended
Where does The Foundations of Western Civilization rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
top 10
I loved the material but a history major may already know all this stuff.
I will proceed directly to Vol 2.
Who was your favorite character and why?
n/a
What about Professor Thomas F. X. Noble’s performance did you like?
This is the weakness. The Prof is a good lecturer but his dynamic range is large so the audio volume varies greatly making it at times a difficult listen in the car. I frequently needed to replay sections that had fallen to a near whisper.
A *dynamic range compressor* add-on to the audible app would be a great idea! This same problem appears in many other recordings.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
n/a
Any additional comments?
I thoroughly enjoyed this.
27 of 28 people found this review helpful
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Tommy D'Angelo
- 05-03-17
Not Engaging or Very Interesting
What disappointed you about The Foundations of Western Civilization?
I really wanted to like this course. I am a big history buff and this course covers so much history both in relation to time and place. But I just could not get into it. The professor’s general style was just not a hit with me and the following became increasingly annoying: his voice would fluctuate from high to low, his humor just wasn’t effective, he would talk fast, and I didn’t get the sense he was teaching as much as he was having a discussion.
It felt like the professor did not spend enough time “pulling it all together”. He only lightly touched on why certain civilizations like the ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, Persians, etc. are considered “western civilization”. A lot of times I was left wondering why certain peoples or topics were included in such a course or what defines the “western tradition”. While a huge expanse of history was covered there was almost no time spent on what the foundations were or how one would define "western civilization".
Lectures 25-26 finally felt like he was hitting his stride and connecting with me so I went back and re-listened to the previous 24 lectures thinking maybe I should give him another chance with an open mind. Alas I had the same reaction to his lectures and just didn't find much that was interesting in them. Here are the lectures I did find enjoyable:
18 (Roman expansion)
25-26 (Roman crisis and the Barbarian "problem")
30 (Byzantium)
31 (Barbarian kingdoms of Europe)
36-37 (political formations of European countries in medieval times)
However, your experience may be better. For those of you willing to give it a shot here are the basics: time period covered is generally between 3000 B.C. to A.D. 1600. Here are some of the general topics covered:
• Civilization begins at Sumer
• Ancient Egypt
• Ancient Hebrews
• Assyrians
• Neo-Babylonians & the Medes
• Persia
• Ancient Geeks
• Macedonia’s Hellenistic conquests
• Roman Republic and Empire
• Christianity and the church
• Islam
• Byzantine Empire
• Barbarian (Germanic, Celtic, Slavic) kingdoms of Europe
• The Franks under Carolingian rule
• England and France
• Germany and other European countries in the medieval period
• The Renaissance
• The Reformation
I am going to listen to Professor Harl's "Great Ancient Civilizations of Asia Minor" course hoping it engages me and succeeds where this course fails. I really wish The Great Courses would do a course on medieval Europe focusing on the formation of current states like France, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Poland, 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.
58 of 62 people found this review helpful
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- kdhsjdqw
- 18-01-16
Extremely annoying speaking style
I'm interested in the subject matter but can barely focus on what's being said because the speaker is so irritating. It's like he's trying to get a class of 8 year olds interested in history by being the cool professor, but all he is really succeeding in doing is dumbing material down and delivering information very poorly. I'm really struggling to make myself listen to this one.
16 of 19 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Josh Hopper
- 13-12-17
great
All of the Great Courses are fantastic. a problem occurs when the narrator constantly slides in the slanted left-wing viewpoint prevalent in academia. This is not the issue here however. Magnificently unbiased. Absolutely engrossing.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Star
- 07-06-15
loved it
an eye opening book! loved it. I highly recommend it. it inspired me to learn about a lot of other topics for which I had to stop this book and investigate those topics further..then I would return back to this book to continue.. as a result it took me a year to finish this book and 10 others (including : the persian empire , foundation of eastern civilization , off the edge of the map , a short history of nearly everything )
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tyler
- 04-03-14
Excellent course!
This is my second, all time favorite history course thus far. I have only been a patron of the Great Courses for about 7 or 8 months when my favorite podcaster mentioned they were now on Audible. I highly recommend this particular course. The professor is very good at what he does, captivating, interesting, and knowledgeable.
12 of 15 people found this review helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Ruby Dickson
- 20-02-18
Very annoying, somewhat informative
An interesting survey of thousands of years of history. Tracks some themes from ancient Mesopotamia through the early modern period. I would say that this series is good for giving an overview of the periods discussed, but in the course of the survey there are many serious over generalizations that will grate on anyone who already has an interest in history.
The professor has an extremely annoying and condescending way of speaking - - he will explain something very obvious, and make the reader feel like they're in a remedial class. Then in the same lecture, he will pretend like certain obscure facts are as obvious as could be, and frequently says things like "as you all know well, Clovis was not actually a carolingian leader," making the listener feel like a idiot who should know these things.
Overall, a good course with some serious flaws. Even as a huge history nerd, I learned some new things. But beware, the lecturer is certainly not for everyone.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sean
- 08-06-17
Fascinating
I enjoy the study if history and this pulled together so many other components that i have read about.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Zach (USA)
- 21-02-17
Dan Carlin-esque
If you could sum up The Foundations of Western Civilization in three words, what would they be?
This is a good summary course of a western development from early civilization up through late antiquity.
Any additional comments?
I'm not sure who influenced whom, or if it's simply a coincidental speaking style, but Professor Noble comes off like Dan Carlin in his start-stop, sometimes manically-rapid delivery and tone. It's not for everyone because it doesn't sound much like a lecture recorded in a lecture hall, nor is it going to delve deep enough into any one subject to enlighten true scholars, but fans of Carlin's "Hardcore History" will feel right at home with this course. I found it plenty entertaining and worth listening to.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Adrian Delatorre
- 14-05-16
Excellent Course!
Any additional comments?
I have listened to numerous courses from the Teaching Company, but this one is by far the best! Clear, concise and very engaging Professor
2 of 2 people found this review helpful