History of the World, Updated Audiobook By J.M. Roberts cover art

History of the World, Updated

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History of the World, Updated

By: J.M. Roberts
Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
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In the History of the World, Updated, J. M. Roberts has revised his monumental previous work, History of the World, taking into account the great range of discoveries that have altered our views on everything from early civilizations to post-Cold War globalism. Large portions of text have been rewritten, addressing events as recent as the relationship between the Arab and Western worlds in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

As in his previous work, this is also a book of extraordinary ambition, clarity, and style that follows the central notion that human history is the story of change, a deliberate shaping of experience and environment. Among the elements that have made the book uniquely appealing are its powerful vision and voice.

Roberts's book is exceptional in its genuinely global and comprehensive nature, showing the development of different civilizations through the ages, from our origins on the African savannah to A.D. 2002. Like no other book, it succeeds in conveying the staggering diversity of the human experience across a vast range of circumstances and habitats.

If there is one book anyone truly interested in history should hear, this is it.

©2002 J.M. Roberts (P)2003 Blackstone Audiobooks World Middle East Africa Inspiring Middle Ages Imperialism Iran Colonial Period War Soviet Union World History

Critic reviews

"Davidson's reading of this behemoth is actually a nice match of text and reader. His voice is clear and easily understood." (AudioFile)

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I spread this audiobook out over many months listening to it in small pieces. It was much better than any comparable history textbooks you will find and if you want a great overview of the major historical characters and events this is a great source. I'd like to get a hardcopy just for reference and to see what charts, lists and maps I missed out on.

Takes a lot of time to finish but well worth it

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This is a good read covering significant periods of time. The "updated" version could perhaps use another updating. For instance the words "computer" and "internet" are never mentioned. Perhaps this can be excused by the vast period of time the book seeks to cover. The narration is very good.

a good read

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It's difficult to summarize a book this long because there were moments of sheer brilliance and hours of near tedium but, overall, the better parts made it worth the listen. My favorite narrator, David Case (a/k/a Frederick Davidson) recorded it with his outstanding British accent. It sounds like he also recorded the author's update shortly after 9-11-01 because his voice is nearly gone but still loveable. Shortly thereafter his vocal cords were removed from cancer, so this may be his final recording. If you want to get a comprehensive summary of world history from ancient pre-humans down to the present, this is the book for you. Just be prepared for some passages with "all you ever wanted to know and more". But hang in there and you'll consider it worth the effort, I believe.

Comprehensive world history

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The content was interesting and informative. one complaint regarding the narrator, toward the end of the book you can hear a definite change in his voice it was as if he had a cold. Beyond that a great book and narrator!

Enjoyable

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I've listened through the entire book, and I've definitely learned quite a lot from it. However, there's been a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that the book could have been just as good at about half the length. The author alternates between historical narrative (useful) and long editorial segments that ultimately don't provide much information (not so useful). Dr. Roberts appears to have a significant interest in cultural/societal trends throughout history, but commentaries on these subjects unfortunately suffer from a flair towards wordy expositions that don't offer much substance. Also, for better or for worse, the book is decidedly Eurocentric (and especially Anglocentric), which may be understandable given Dr. Roberts' background. For example, more is discussed of the British occupation of India, as of the entire history of modern Latin America.

Overall, it is worth listening to in order to achieve a greater understanding of the flow of history and the complex interactions between civilizations over time. But I almost wish I had instead chosen an abridged version. (I have the book form of his "A short history of the world", which is much more succinct, although it leaves out much of the historical narrative and leaves in too much of the editorial commentaries.)

informative but unnecessarily long

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