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The Decisive Battles of World History
- Narrated by: Gregory S. Aldrete
- Length: 18 hrs and 29 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Throughout history, military engagements have altered the course of historical events, causing major changes both on a global scale (the battles of Yarmouk & al-Qadisiyyah in 636 determined the religious/linguistic orientation of the Middle East that persists today) as well as within individual cultures (the 1836 battle of San Jacinto gave the United States nearly one-third of its continental territory). For these reasons and more, the study of pivotal battles is a highly useful analytical tool and an important component for understanding world history.
In these 36 dynamic lectures, Professor Aldrete leads you in discovering the military conflicts that have had the greatest impact in shifting the direction of events and defining our world. Across 4,000 years of history, you'll explore nearly 40 key military engagements, from the milestone battles of Western civilization to their counterparts in the Middle East, India, and Asia.
Through his dramatic and evocative descriptions, using special maps and animations, Professor Aldrete brings the events vividly alive, taking you through the moment-by-moment unfolding of each battle. Throughout the lectures, he uncovers fascinating background material that highlights the drama, poignancy, and scope of the experience of war. This engrossing course provides unique insights into world civilizations by revealing the profound impact of military battles in human history.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
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What listeners say about The Decisive Battles of World History
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- Anonymous User
- 01-09-2022
A very interesting listen!
Really makes you think about some of the pivotal points in military history, the known amd the lesser known battles. Highly enjoyed!
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- Tim Pate
- 20-09-2022
Better than I expected.
Very well presented. I was interested the whole way through. So much great content. This is worth a listen.
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- Martin Teasdale
- 26-07-2020
The audio equivalent of "a real page-turner"
A very enjoyable listen for a lay historian. Covering some 35 topics, it changed often enough to not get boring. However, I still found that the narrator did justice to each topic and I received a good feel for what was happening.
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- Icarus
- 11-01-2021
Superb narration and content
I strongly suggest pairing this book with the Brief History of the World, another Great Courses audiobook. Most societies have engaged in warfare, thus world history is very much the history of warfare. I find that the Brief History of the World gives you the overall context needed, while this book covers more of the granular aspects and sheds light on the lesser-known battles of history.
The narration is also superb. You will be hard-pressed to find any hesitation or mistakes despite the narration sounding very natural.
It will take a considerable amount of time to simultaneously complete both books, though I highly recommend it if your grasp of broader world history is weak.
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- Tomas
- 06-12-2017
Really Enjoyable
Covers plenty of battles that are well known to most fans of history bit Aldo goes into good detail on battles that you may not know much about. The battles themselves and the pivotal figures in those battles are covered in a narrative like fashion making the content far from dry. Interesting and enjoyable, I highly recommend.
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- James NZ
- 28-10-2022
Entertaining history.
Well presented and interesting selection. Easy to listen, and keeps the pace and attention. I winced a little in chapter 35 where the author repeatedly refers to the Soviet Union as Russia. It's historically incorrect, and ignores Ukraine and other nations.
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