The Barbarian Empires of the Steppes
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The Barbarian Empires of the Steppes
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Narrated by:
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Kenneth W. Harl
About this listen
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, LLCWhat listeners say about The Barbarian Empires of the Steppes
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- AM
- 08-07-2018
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.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 18-12-2022
A sweeping narrative
Recommend this Great Course to anybody who enjoys history filled to the brim with interesting stories .
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Adam
- 07-12-2017
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
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Blackfyre87
- 31-07-2019
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.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 14-11-2017
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.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Omar
- 03-05-2018
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
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Farevar Rami
- 11-05-2017
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.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- irtapil
- 12-03-2020
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.
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