Listen free for 30 days
People who bought this also bought...
-
The Story of China
- A Portrait of a Civilisation and Its People
- By: Michael Wood
- Narrated by: Michael Wood
- Length: 23 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
China is the oldest living civilisation on earth, but its history is still surprisingly little known in the wider world. Michael Wood's sparkling narrative, which mingles the grand sweep with local and personal stories, woven together with the author’s own travel journals, is an enthralling account of China’s 4000-year-old tradition, taking in life stationed on the Great Wall or inside the Forbidden City.
-
-
Hard to follow
- By Fernanda Valerio on 09-10-20
-
A Brief History of Life in the Middle Ages
- Brief Histories
- By: Martyn Whittock
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A fascinating new portrait of Medieval Britain that brings together the everyday and the extraordinary. Using wide-ranging evidence, Martyn Whittock shines a light on Britain in the Middle Ages, bringing it vividly to life. Thus we glimpse 11th century rural society through a conversation between a ploughman and his master. The life of Dick Whittington illuminates the rise of the urban elite.
-
-
Back in the dark ages.
- By Teresa Cooper on 07-05-15
-
Conquistadors
- By: Michael Wood
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Spanish conquest of the Americas in the sixteenth century was one of the most important and cataclysmic events in history. Spanish expeditions endured incredible hardships in order to open up the lands of the 'New World', and few stories in history can match these for drama and endurance.
-
-
Brilliant submersion into the New World
- By Grace on 21-06-16
-
Egypt, Greece and Rome
- Civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean
- By: Charles Freeman
- Narrated by: Jim Meskimen
- Length: 32 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Long sources of mystery, imagination, and inspiration, the myths and history of the ancient Mediterranean have given rise to artistic, religious, cultural, and intellectual traditions that span the centuries. In this unique and comprehensive introduction to the region's three major civilizations, Egypt, Greece, and Rome draws a fascinating picture of the deep links between the cultures across the Mediterranean and explores the ways in which these civilizations continue to be influential to this day.
-
-
filled in the gaps
- By Macfhelen on 11-07-20
-
A Brief History of British Kings and Queens
- Brief Histories
- By: Mike Ashley
- Narrated by: Roger Davis
- Length: 14 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is the whole of recorded British royal history, from the legendary King Alfred the Great onwards, including the monarchies of England, Scotland, Wales and the United Kingdom for over a thousand years. Fascinating portraits are expertly woven into a history of division and eventual union of the British Isles - even royals we think most familiar are revealed in a new and sometimes surprising light.This edition includes biographies of the royals of recorded British history, plus an overview of the semi-
-
-
Jam packed full.
- By Teresa Cooper on 12-05-15
-
London in the Nineteenth Century
- By: Jerry White
- Narrated by: Neil Gardner
- Length: 21 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jerry White's London in the Nineteenth Century is the richest and most absorbing account of the city's greatest century by its leading expert. London in the nineteenth century was the greatest city mankind had ever seen. Its growth was stupendous. Its wealth was dazzling. Its horrors shocked the world. This was the London of Blake, Thackeray and Mayhew, of Nash, Faraday and Disraeli. Most of all it was the London of Dickens. As William Blake put it, London was 'a Human awful wonder of God'.
-
-
Outstanding, fascinating
- By JWW on 12-06-20
-
The Story of China
- A Portrait of a Civilisation and Its People
- By: Michael Wood
- Narrated by: Michael Wood
- Length: 23 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
China is the oldest living civilisation on earth, but its history is still surprisingly little known in the wider world. Michael Wood's sparkling narrative, which mingles the grand sweep with local and personal stories, woven together with the author’s own travel journals, is an enthralling account of China’s 4000-year-old tradition, taking in life stationed on the Great Wall or inside the Forbidden City.
-
-
Hard to follow
- By Fernanda Valerio on 09-10-20
-
A Brief History of Life in the Middle Ages
- Brief Histories
- By: Martyn Whittock
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A fascinating new portrait of Medieval Britain that brings together the everyday and the extraordinary. Using wide-ranging evidence, Martyn Whittock shines a light on Britain in the Middle Ages, bringing it vividly to life. Thus we glimpse 11th century rural society through a conversation between a ploughman and his master. The life of Dick Whittington illuminates the rise of the urban elite.
-
-
Back in the dark ages.
- By Teresa Cooper on 07-05-15
-
Conquistadors
- By: Michael Wood
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Spanish conquest of the Americas in the sixteenth century was one of the most important and cataclysmic events in history. Spanish expeditions endured incredible hardships in order to open up the lands of the 'New World', and few stories in history can match these for drama and endurance.
-
-
Brilliant submersion into the New World
- By Grace on 21-06-16
-
Egypt, Greece and Rome
- Civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean
- By: Charles Freeman
- Narrated by: Jim Meskimen
- Length: 32 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Long sources of mystery, imagination, and inspiration, the myths and history of the ancient Mediterranean have given rise to artistic, religious, cultural, and intellectual traditions that span the centuries. In this unique and comprehensive introduction to the region's three major civilizations, Egypt, Greece, and Rome draws a fascinating picture of the deep links between the cultures across the Mediterranean and explores the ways in which these civilizations continue to be influential to this day.
-
-
filled in the gaps
- By Macfhelen on 11-07-20
-
A Brief History of British Kings and Queens
- Brief Histories
- By: Mike Ashley
- Narrated by: Roger Davis
- Length: 14 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is the whole of recorded British royal history, from the legendary King Alfred the Great onwards, including the monarchies of England, Scotland, Wales and the United Kingdom for over a thousand years. Fascinating portraits are expertly woven into a history of division and eventual union of the British Isles - even royals we think most familiar are revealed in a new and sometimes surprising light.This edition includes biographies of the royals of recorded British history, plus an overview of the semi-
-
-
Jam packed full.
- By Teresa Cooper on 12-05-15
-
London in the Nineteenth Century
- By: Jerry White
- Narrated by: Neil Gardner
- Length: 21 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jerry White's London in the Nineteenth Century is the richest and most absorbing account of the city's greatest century by its leading expert. London in the nineteenth century was the greatest city mankind had ever seen. Its growth was stupendous. Its wealth was dazzling. Its horrors shocked the world. This was the London of Blake, Thackeray and Mayhew, of Nash, Faraday and Disraeli. Most of all it was the London of Dickens. As William Blake put it, London was 'a Human awful wonder of God'.
-
-
Outstanding, fascinating
- By JWW on 12-06-20
-
A Brief History of Britain 1660 - 1851
- Brief Histories
- By: William Gibson
- Narrated by: Roger Davis
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1660 England emerged from the devastations of the Civil Wars and restored the king, Charles II, to the throne. Over the next 190 years Britain would establish itself as the leading nation in the world - the centre of burgeoning Empire, at the forefront of the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. However, radical change also brought with it anxiety and violence. America is lost in the War of Independence and calls for revolution at home are never far from the surface of everyday life.
-
-
One damn thing after another
- By Anonimo Nonlodico on 19-02-18
-
A Failed Empire
- The Soviet Union in the Cold War from Stalin to Gorbachev
- By: Vladimir Zubok
- Narrated by: Nick Sullivan
- Length: 20 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Western interpretations of the Cold War--both realist and neoconservative--have erred by exaggerating either the Kremlin's pragmatism or its aggressiveness, argues Vladislav Zubok. Explaining the interests, aspirations, illusions, fears, and misperceptions of the Kremlin leaders and Soviet elites, Zubok offers a Soviet perspective on the greatest standoff of the 20th century.
-
-
Soviet Cold War History in an understandable form.
- By Adrian on 08-01-13
-
Dictatorland
- By: Paul Kenyon
- Narrated by: Hamilton McLeod
- Length: 19 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A vivid, heartbreaking portrait of the fate that so many African countries suffered after independence. The dictator who grew so rich on his country's cocoa crop that he built a 35-storey-high basilica in the jungles of the Ivory Coast. The austere, incorruptible leader who has shut Eritrea off from the world in a permanent state of war and conscripted every adult into the armed forces. In Equatorial Guinea, the paranoid despot who thought Hitler was the saviour of Africa and waged a relentless campaign of terror against his own people.
-
-
Some embarrassing lapses in research
- By Wilhelm Snyman on 20-08-20
-
The Plantagenets: The Kings Who Made England
- By: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: Dan Jones
- Length: 22 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England’s greatest royal dynasty, the Plantagenets, ruled over England through eight generations of kings. Their remarkable reign saw England emerge from the Dark Ages to become a highly organised kingdom that spanned a vast expanse of Europe. Plantagenet rule saw the establishment of laws and creation of artworks, monuments and tombs which survive to this day, and continue to speak of their sophistication, brutality and secrets. Dan Jones brings you a new vision of this battle-scarred history.
-
-
Entertaining and scholarly
- By Kirstine on 23-08-19
-
Conquerors
- How Portugal Seized the Indian Ocean and Forged the First Global Empire
- By: Roger Crowley
- Narrated by: John Sackville
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As remarkable as Columbus and the conquistador expeditions, the history of Portuguese exploration is now almost forgotten. But Portugal's navigators cracked the code of the Atlantic winds, launched the expedition of Vasco da Gama to India and beat the Spanish to the spice kingdoms of the East - then set about creating the first long-range maritime empire.
-
-
Conquistadors versus Sinbad
- By Jim on 16-01-16
-
Charles Dickens Classics Collection: A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol and The Chimes
- (Annotated) With a Historical Introduction and a Study of Themes
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Jim D. Johnston, Jessica Renfro, Drew Kallen-Keck
- Length: 21 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Unique to this title is: A historical introduction and a study of the themes present in A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol and The Chimes. Charles Dickens was an English writer and social critic. He was born in 1812 in Portsmouth. When his father was sent to jail because of unsettled debt, Dickens had to leave school and get a job in a factory. Dickens is believed to be the best novelist of the Victorian era and he became very popular during his lifetime. His novels are still widely read and translated.
-
-
Great compilation
- By Danny Moody on 23-02-21
-
France
- A Short History: From Gaul to de Gaulle
- By: John Julius Norwich
- Narrated by: John Julius Norwich
- Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Julius Norwich (at 88) has finally written the book he always wanted to write, the extremely colourful story of the country he loves best. From frowning Roman generals and belligerent Gallic chieftains to Charlemagne through Marie Antoinette and the storming of the Bastille to Vichy, the Resistance and beyond, France is packed with heroes and villains, adventures and battles, romance and revolution. Full of memorable stories and racy anecdotes, this is the country that has inspired the rest of the world to live, dress, eat - and love better.
-
-
A Love letter to France
- By Daniel Johnstone on 09-04-18
-
Spain
- The Centre of the World 1519-1682
- By: Robert Goodwin
- Narrated by: Jeremy Clyde
- Length: 21 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Golden Age of the Spanish Empire would establish five centuries of Western supremacy across the globe and usher in an era of transatlantic exploration that eventually gave rise to the modern world. It was a time of discovery and adventure, of great political and social change - it was a time when Spain learned to rule the world.
-
-
Enjoyable, clever, funny - but perplexing.
- By Mr. on 10-09-15
-
The Perfect King
- The Life of Edward III
- By: Ian Mortimer
- Narrated by: Alex Wyndham
- Length: 19 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Edward’s life is one of the most extraordinary in all English history. He ordered his uncle to be beheaded, he usurped his father’s throne and he started a war which lasted for more than a hundred years. He took the crown when it was at its lowest point and raised it to new heights, presenting himself as a new King Arthur, victorious across Europe. He was the architect of many English icons - from parliamentary rule to the adoption of English as the official language and even the building of a great clock tower at Westminster.
-
-
Fascinating
- By susanne H on 17-12-18
-
The Story of the Jews: Finding the Words, 1000 BCE - 1492
- By: Simon Schama
- Narrated by: Andrew Sachs, Saul Reichlin
- Length: 21 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is a story like no other: an epic of endurance against destruction, of creativity in oppression, joy amidst grief, the affirmation of life against the steepest of odds. It spans the millennia and the continents - from India to Andalusia and from the bazaars of Cairo to the streets of Oxford. It takes you to unimagined places: to a Jewish kingdom in the mountains of southern Arabia; a Syrian synagogue glowing with radiant wall paintings; the palm groves of the Jewish dead in the Roman catacombs.
-
-
Part of the history of the Jews.
- By Teresa Cooper on 15-01-16
-
Love, Poverty, and War
- Journeys and Essays
- By: Christopher Hitchens
- Narrated by: Anthony May
- Length: 19 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Love, Poverty, and War: Journeys and Essays showcases the Hitchens rejection of consensus and cliché, whether he's reporting from abroad in Indonesia, Kurdistan, Iraq, North Korea, or Cuba, or when his pen is targeted mercilessly at the likes of William Clinton, Mother Theresa ("a fanatic, a fundamentalist, and a fraud"), the Dalai Lama, Noam Chomsky, Mel Gibson, and Michael Bloomberg.
-
-
Hitchens the Great
- By Edgar Lewis on 30-12-15
-
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
- Your Route out of Perfectionism, Self-Sabotage and Other Everyday Habits with CBT
- By: Avy Joseph
- Narrated by: Ruth Sillers
- Length: 6 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What happens to you in life matters less than the way you feel about life; that's the message of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). If you've ever tried to change something about yourself - your mood, your weight, your behavior - you'll have noticed that change often hurts, so you stop trying. CBT can help you when change starts to hurt. In the revised and updated edition of this best-selling title, professional CBT practitioner Avy Joseph shows you how to challenge negative thoughts and unhealthy beliefs to improve your outlook in your personal and professional lives.
-
-
great narrator
- By Amazon Customer on 28-12-17
Summary
Michael Wood weaves a spellbinding narrative out of the 10,000-year history of India. Home today to more than a fifth of the world's population, the subcontinent gave birth to the oldest and most influential civilization on Earth, to four world religions, and to the world's largest democracy. Now, as India bids to become a global giant, Michael sets out to trace the roots of India's present in the incredible riches of her past.
More from the same
Author
Narrator
What listeners say about The Story of India
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Paul McAviney
- 19-04-15
I wanted to learn where India came from and I did
I wanted to learn where India came from and I learned that and a lot more with it.
I also loved the reader.
Thank You
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Laks
- 03-04-11
Good one
There is definitely a great amount of research gone into this book to present India from the very early stages. Worth a read if you are interested in learning about different places or in history. This definitely worth a read if you are from Indian Subcontinent (India,Pakisthan, Srilanka & Afghanisthan). Gives a good amount f pride in the subcontinent..
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Andrew
- 23-02-10
The Story of India
Unlike other listeners I didn't find anything wrong with the narration. The book itself is quite "difficult" and perhaps those who come to it from the TV series will be disappointed.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Vee
- 16-02-19
Engaging, Empowering and Epic.
A fantastic telling of the story of a great civilisation by a Westerner who has done justice to its natural complexity, generally misunderstood by the world at large.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- UMAGA
- 31-08-17
wring title
if anyone would like to listen to a collection of hindu myths, read this book.
not what i was looking for. i was hoping it would focus on the politics, landscape, recources; way of life etc. of the region.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Hayley
- 03-05-15
Absolutely fascinating
A colourful journey through the rich tapestry of Indian history. An especially good listen for travellers wanting to deepen their knowledge about the events that shape the landscape of today.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Philadelphus
- 28-12-07
Good book, stupefying reader
This book would be as interesting as the TV series it accompanies if it weren't read by someone who sounds like an elderly teacher dragging his way wearily through course material that he's been reading out for the last 10 years to classes who'd rather be anywhere else.
26 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ad
- 09-01-17
Fascinating read
A great book about the history of India and a great accompaniment to a trip there. It could have been a little more clear in marking out who historical figures were and what the really big events in history were but if you listen closely you can get an interesting insight.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- PeterB - MK
- 05-06-09
India, look elsewhere!
I had this as a present on CD, I have an interest in history and was looking forward to hearing "The Story of India".
I regret to say that 6 months on I only listened for half an hour, the narrators voice is boring and flat, which is a shame because I would really like to listen to the history of India. Perhaps one day someone else will record this potentially interesting saga and bring it to life, as is justly deserves.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ib
- 15-06-18
Great but brief book.
Great book. Its a brief overview of different eras - good foundation for further reading.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall

- Kindle Customer
- 16-10-09
It's a story not a history
Once you realize that this is a "story" and not a "history" of India it goes along quite well. It is the story told through a combination of references to India's ancient literature, archaeology, interviews and a bit of scholarly writing. It took me a while to get my head around the fact that I wasn't listening to what I would strictly call a history book, but it was a good introduction to a subject that I knew nothing about--and now know a bit more about.
23 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Susan
- 24-07-09
Fabulous, sweeping journey through India's history
This is one of my all time favorites. I started with the audiobook, then bought the paperback and the DVD set! Michael Wood's tremendous enthusiasm for the subject and the narrator's delightful British accent and perfect pronunciation of Indian names and places adds to the trip like a wonderful guide adds to a real journey. Considering that India will soon be the most populated country on Earth and will soon surpass the GDP of the US, it behooves all of us to know more about the subcontinent. This is so much more than a litany of facts; it is exuberant with the colors, tastes, smells, gardens and incredible longevity of this fascinating country's history. Pure joy from start to finish; now I must save money to go there myself and visit the places mentioned in the book. But if I never make it there, this is surely the next best thing!
20 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- A. Baker
- 20-11-11
Very Thorough
This is really about the history of India. It's not a travelogue. I bought it in preparation for our trip to India and it was not exactly what I had in mind. But it is a very well written book and it's fun to listen to. I'll probably give it another try (I stopped 3/4 of the way through) now that we're back and I have some context for it.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Dilpreet
- 21-12-13
An Execellent Analysis of India
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, I would recommend the book. The author has subtly intertwined the past as well as the present of India with perfection. It takes us on a journey called INDIA, painting the canvas with its rich history & enlightening the reader with the diverse aspects of the nation and finally closing the masterpiece with the present.
It a great work, which makes the reader (or listener) well acquainted with the history, culture & the political situation of India both in the past as well as the present.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Story of India?
The exploration of the Indian political scenario at the time of Independence & the secret delicate affairs of the fore-front Indian leaders. In addition, the author has also appropriately analyzed the current sociopolitical situation of India in the new millennium.
What does Sam Dastor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Sam Dastor's voice modulation along with appropriate emotional touches at the right places, has made the listening pure joy.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Many such moments...
Any additional comments?
I would recommend this book to those persons who have a passion for World History or interested in India.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- fxboyle@aol.com
- 23-04-10
Way beyond dates and facts!
A compelling and entertaining compilation of history, geography, geology, genetics, anthropology, religion and linguists. Reaches back to the beginning of modern man and reaches forward to the end of the Raj. Depth and breadth, beauty and horror. A great survey of the sub-continent.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- CB
- 27-07-09
Superb!
I agree with the previous reviewer, this is a wonderful piece of work for someone interested in the history of India. The DVD is also exceptionally well done. It is colorful and very interesting and engaging, covering spiritual and political aspects. India is a fascinating country and this is a great overview. It is educational without being boring -- Michael Wood does such a good job. I've listened to it several times and enjoyed it each time.
All in all, an listening excellent choice for non-fiction.
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- bettreau
- 25-04-16
See the TV show instead
What did you like best about The Story of India? What did you like least?
The story of India has many fascinating elements; however, this version is not so successful as an audio book. I read history all the time and accept that I will miss 20-30% of the information. In this case it was more like 75-80%. If, like me, you are a novice in Indian history and culture, I suspect you will also be frantically consulting maps and Google to fill in the gaps. He skips around the country with few markers and introduces new names with insufficient context or backstory.
What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?
The story/history of this subcontinent is too little known (by me, at least) and deserves much more attention. I do not doubt Michael Woods' expertise and he is a well-known populizer in Britain on historical subjects (like Ken Burns in the US), but he demands more pre-knowledge of the geography and history than I possess. Perhaps Britains have more knowledge of this former colony.
What about Sam Dastor’s performance did you like?
In general, I found him a good presenter. He certainly seemed to be comfortable with people and place names. I found his Indian and American accents annoying and stereotypical. Do all Indians speak alike, regardless of region or class? He certainly seems to have only one accent for all Americans.
Could you see The Story of India being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?
Definitely should be a TV miniseries. I've seen his series on China, and it was very good. This book would definitely improve with visuals of all the antiquities he describes, all the locations I've never seen and all the map points with which I am unfamiliar. .
Any additional comments?
This was disappointing. I feel I still need to read a comprehensive history of India. This was not that.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Andy
- 20-01-11
scattered, before coming together at the end
Great narration and some interesting stories, but very difficult to follow the chronology and geography. Perhaps this is an audio book where you just need an ancient map at your side to really follow what the author is saying.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 08-02-20
isn't this optional?
bad..very boring I find. don't recommend if your goal is to understand India better. it's just a bunch of disjointed stories..
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall

- Roger
- 09-08-10
Engaging
This is a lovingly told overview of India’s history, touching on the interactions of geography, geology and cultures. As with all good introductions, it leaves you wanting more.
4 people found this helpful