The Decisive Battles of World History cover art

The Decisive Battles of World History

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Decisive Battles of World History

By: The Great Courses, Gregory S. Aldrete
Narrated by: Gregory S. Aldrete
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £30.99

Buy Now for £30.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

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.

©2013 The Great Courses; 2013 The Teaching Company, LLC
Military World War Thought-Provoking Suspenseful Imperialism Ancient History Interwar Period World History
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

History's Great Military Blunders and the Lessons They Teach cover art
The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World cover art
1066: The Year That Changed Everything cover art
The American Civil War cover art
The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome cover art
The Great Ideas of Philosophy, 2nd Edition cover art
The Iliad of Homer cover art
The Rise of Rome cover art
Thinking Like an Economist: A Guide to Rational Decision Making cover art
Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking Skills cover art
England: From the Fall of Rome to the Norman Conquest cover art
The Evidence for Modern Physics cover art
The Philosopher's Toolkit: How to Be the Most Rational Person in Any Room cover art
The New Testament cover art
The History of the Ancient World cover art
A War of Empires cover art

What listeners say about The Decisive Battles of World History

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    177
  • 4 Stars
    44
  • 3 Stars
    17
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    158
  • 4 Stars
    46
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    167
  • 4 Stars
    37
  • 3 Stars
    15
  • 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

riveting, thought provoking and enjoyable

Superb. The narrator knows his stuff and conveys it with passion, insight and clarity.

I learnt a lot from this, not just the broad sweep of historical forces and turning points but also the impact of things tangible at a personal level, such as a delay of 30 minutes, individuals acting on their own initiative and the impact of miscommunication.

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

Superb

Amazing performance of battles spanning history. Some battles may initially seem esoteric, but Professor Aldrete manages to weave them together into an endless compelling narrative.

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

extremely interesting audio book

strong narrative of each battle combined with picking apart the factors that caused the result of said decisive battle followed by what this meant/means for world history. excellent concisely presented lectures a thoroughly enjoyable listen

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

Entertaining and enlightening

I was particularly interested in this as I’m very well aware that I have a very limited European view and knowledge of military history and this did not disappoint covering the globe in its review and mindset. I also found it an enticing question to consider how we are to decide what makes a battle deserve a place on the list.

Entertaining and enlightening combined and highly recommend

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

Great Courses are GREAT

I like to read (or listen) about history and these Great Course series of books are very good.

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

Fantastic journey through history of warfare

Generally just an amazing journey through the history of warfare and wider world history. A must read.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

Americas Centric

Mexico Incas Civil war and Quebec

not that interesting if you are European

strange choices

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

Loved it, so interesting

It was fascinating to learn from history in this way and I loved being able to see what made good and bad strategies and how history could’ve been different at every turn. I found it hard to listen to his presentation style but he definitely makes the content interesting.


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

Spoiler alert. Aljubarrota is not included.

Well, any one who has an interest in history likes to play this game. Prof Aldrete plays it well. Erudite and convincing , he presents arguments why his choice differs from that of the reader. I learnt about some battles unknown to me.Equally I admired his ability to focus, in 30 minutes, on the key elements of battles which I understand very well, such as Vienna 1683 and Midway 1942.
As Aljubarrota is not included just check it out. It explains why Brazil speaks Portuguese and not Spanish

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

One of my favourite new books

As someone interested in military history, this book is exactly what I always wanted to read. It's very well written with historical background, solid research and interesting anecdotes. It is also very well balanced and not prejudiced in one direction or the other.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful