Try free for 30 days

Preview

1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Barbarian Empires of the Steppes

By: Kenneth W. Harl, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Kenneth W. Harl
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $46.99

Buy Now for $46.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

The word "barbarian" quickly conjures images of Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan. Yet few people realize these men belong to a succession of nomadic warriors who emerged from the Eurasian steppes to conquer civilizations. It's a part of ancient and medieval history that's often overlooked, but for an accurate view of how the world evolved, it's essential.

Covering some 6,000 miles and 6,000 years, this eye-opening course illuminates how a series of groups - from the Sacae and Sarmatians to the infamous Huns and Mongols - pushed ever westward, coming into contact with the Roman Empire, Han China, and distant cultures from Iraq to India.

Along the way, you'll learn how these nomads caused a domino effect of displacement and cultural exchange; meet fascinating figures such as Tamerlane, the "Prince of Destruction"; witness struggles to control the legendary Silk Road; trace the spread of Buddhism and Islam, and more.

By looking past the barbarian stereotype, you'll understand who these people were, the significance of their innovations - which include stirrups, saddles, and gunpowder - and the magnitude of their impact. Of course, these warriors did wage campaigns of terror, and you'll hear many accounts of violence as well.

Led by an award-winning professor, these 36 lectures provide new insights on how the world was shaped and introduce you to cultures and empires you've likely never encountered.

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

©2014 The Great Courses (P)2014 The Teaching Company, LLC

What listeners say about The Barbarian Empires of the Steppes

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    40
  • 4 Stars
    9
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    29
  • 4 Stars
    13
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    35
  • 4 Stars
    8
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

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

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

Fascinating.

Can't get enough of this book - have listened to it several times. I have been know to fall asleep to it, I find it so relaxing but I always return and catch up with what I've missed.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

A sweeping narrative

Recommend this Great Course to anybody who enjoys history filled to the brim with interesting stories .

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

brilliant

before listening to this, i was fairly familiar with the huns and mongols, but this filled in a lot in between those two nomadic empires. interesting explanation on the interplay of east and west with nomads as the buffer and catalyst

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Engaging and thought provoking

Kenneth W Harl, the Yale professor who delivers this lecture, is certainly someone that I would have enjoyed studying with when I was a student.

He is engaging and thought provoking. He would be an amazing professor to study with.

However, his lectures have an interesting quirk where he seems to grow more nervous or passionate as he continues. This leads him to increase in volume. This leads to mispronunciation and a few mistakes.

However this is minor in the scheme of the whole presentation and it is overall a very good series of lectures.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Succinct yet thorough

An overview of the steppe cultures that greatly influenced world history and are often overlooked in favor of the 'civilized' empires they played an important part in molding. Essential listening for those interested in a balanced understanding of eurasian history or the steppe peoples themselves.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Exactly as described

It covered everything I wanted to cover, although having listened to the book I wouldn't have minded more on the end. The cossacks and russian expansion

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Just superb

Would you listen to The Barbarian Empires of the Steppes again? Why?

I did listen to it again, immediately. Even though I was familiar with most of the material, this synthesis of it is that good.

What does Professor Kenneth W. Harl bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Maybe the book would be just as good - except academics generally have a tendency to be more stilted in writing. In any case, I prefer to listen to such lecture course when engaged in exercise or physical work.

Any additional comments?

Pity this stops short of modern developments - the seasonal occupation of the steppes during the 16th century, formation of modern people like the Cossacks, their wars with the Crimean Khans and the final elimination of the steppes as a force with the Russian invasion.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

just as bad as his other stuff

this is so disappointing, this guy covers so many interesting topics, but so terribly. His voice i bad, his pacing is bad, his opinions are bad. His courses focus was too much on military aspects. He drones in an irritating monotone. This is much poorer quality than other things from The Great courses, Buy, something else, pretty much anything else. Just not something by this guy.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.