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The World Was Never the Same: Events That Changed History

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The World Was Never the Same: Events That Changed History

Written by: J. Rufus Fears, The Great Courses
Narrated by: J. Rufus Fears
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About this listen

History is made and defined by landmark events - moments that irrevocably changed the course of human civilization. They have given us

  • spiritual and political ideas;
  • catastrophic battles and wars;
  • scientific and technological advances;
  • world leaders both influential and monstrous; and
  • cultural works of unparalleled beauty.

Now a series of 36 captivating lectures explores some of the most important and definitive events in the history of the world - events after which our world would never be the same.

Taught by a remarkably gifted teacher with more than 25 teaching awards to his credit, these lectures form an intriguing and engaging tour of thousands of years of human history, from the creation of the Code of Hammurabi to the Battle of Lexington to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and beyond. It's a chance for you to gain new insights about world history from a truly riveting historian.

Using his expert knowledge and impressive ability to draw out invaluable lessons from the past, Professor Fears has chosen the events he discusses based on three criteria: how the event in itself fundamentally changed history, how the aftermath of the event changed history, and how the event and its impact still resonate with us today.

The result is a comprehensive and authoritative selection of subjects, each of which played a crucial role in transforming human civilization. Whether the event is an obvious or not-so-obvious choice, Professor Fears takes great care to tie each to the 21st century, pointing out just how influential these and other moments were in shaping who we are and how we live.

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

©2010 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2010 The Great Courses
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What listeners say about The World Was Never the Same: Events That Changed History

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Biased and Inaccurate

From some basic things like wrong dates, to larger things like a clear bias in the lens with which he views history, this wasn’t what I hoped. Some good insights but bear in mind it’s far from perfect

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Not up to the standard of other courses

I returned this audiobook after finishing less than half of it.

First, the course is entirely focused on European and American history: no Egypt, no Genghis Khan, no Inca Empire, nothing at all from Africa or India. Instead we get long treatises on Dante's poetry and the Sistine Chapel. I fully endorse taking time to explore achievements in science, art and culture, but this is a very restricted view of world history.

Second, the lecturer wears his Christianity too much on his sleeve for what is supposed to be a course on history, rather than religion. He treats Old Testament mythology as historical fact (such as the parting of the Red Sea), and manages to work his way around to sermonizing on Christian principles in almost every lesson. Religion has been a fundamental of human experience from the beginning, but specific religious claims should not be treated uncritically, especially when doing so puts the teacher well outside the mainstream. The final straw for me was the lesson on Michaelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel - more time was spent on retelling Genesis and parsing its meaning than the historical and cultural context behind the art. Stick to the history, please.

Professor Fears has a good voice and an engaging manner, I have no complaints about the delivery. It's just too bad the content of the course was so blinkered.

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Needs to be re-titled or updated

I was really interested in the subject matter, however I feel there is a heavy American-Christian bias and I don't need to be a history expert to notice a failure to separate opinion from fact. In my opinion, the author missed out on critical events, and over-emphasized others, as a result of his world view.

I find the voice of the narrator uncomfortable in sound and diction. I prefer not to be preached to in the context of a historical account. If I want to read the bible or listen to a homily then I will do so. The book needs to be re-titled to reflect "from a American-Christian point of view", or revised to include a truly global perspective and some of the current content edited out.

The subject has a large scope, and the author's opinions have merit: they are merely biased. For a 2nd Edition collaborating professors in other fields, such as history of science & technology, could be brought on board to effectively round out the knowledge base and opinions.

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