History of the World, Updated

By: J.M. Roberts

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

Length: 54 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

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

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)

okey dokey

What did you love best about History of the World, Updated?

The narrator's pronunciation of English words.

What was one of the most memorable moments of History of the World, Updated?

That the rest of Europe felt bad for England when they executed King Charles but then later tried to oblitherate their Kings' entire families.

What does Frederick Davidson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The English language.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The Monroe Doctrine made me laugh.

Any additional comments?

Worth It.

Narrator speaks sloooowly. Listen at 2x speed.

Any additional comments?

I tried to listen to this book in normal speed and repeatedly gave up. Fortunately Audible's app provides the option to listen at different speeds. 2x works well for the narrator's cadence.

Bored to hell

What would have made History of the World, Updated better?

A different narrator. Period. The story, layout and overall structure is good. The narrator is boring. I could not finish listing.

Has History of the World, Updated turned you off from other books in this genre?

No.

This is not a history book

Let me tell you what you should expect in this book: while the book states this will be a history of the world, what is actually in the book is nothing of the like. What the book does is to spend most of the time ruminating facts about religious movements without any attempt to fit this into a social analysis, providing insights about why certain features of religion come to be and how this fit into the broader history.

Really, should the history be about complete parts of the Bible? The obvious intent of the book is to hide some religious message in the guise of a history book which I find almost dishonest. I do not have any preconceptions about fitting the history of mankind within the scope of religion, but I think that, if this is the thesis, it needs to be worked out as a documented thesis scientific manner rather than assumed as a way to ignore everything else.

I read a few reviews about the book, and some complained about the still strong focus on western history. I don't find anything of the like to complain about in the book; this is not the problem: the problem is that this is not a history book at all.

Disappointing

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Just inform on history, probably would have decreased length by 50%.

Any additional comments?

Too much author opinion

Insufferable narration

Plodding and insufferably pompous. I will probably try again some day to get through it but for now, it is way too tedious to contemplate.

Nice, if your British

This is a good history of the world. My only complaint is that Davidson's accent is so thick that I missed too much of the text to be able to follow the flow of the book. I had to listen to it several times to understand what he is saying. I hesitate to give it a three rating because so much is lost in the narration. With another narrator, I would give the book a five rating. Maybe it is just me.

Where is the book?

This book is only an excerpt which starts in the 19th century. Rip off.

Excellent Book but Impossible Narration

As far as I could tell, the book is an excellent work. While my American ear finds most British accents quite pleasing, Davidson's accent is so thick that I found it distracting and ended up missing quite a bit. In the end, I couldn't finish the listen. One of these days I will pick up the book at the library and am certain it will be a good read.

I would rather listen to crying babies.

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

This book isn't for anyone with ears. I am totally amazed that this was published, never mind the expense of making it audible.

What do you think your next listen will be?

I will be looking for something else that is history related, perhaps Winston Churchill.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Frederick Davidson?

I don't think anyone could save this book but Tom Parker, Dick Hill or Grover Gardner.

What character would you cut from History of the World, Updated?

The book is so poorly written but I feel the narrator sounds pompous.

Any additional comments?

Save your money, this is in my Top Five "Do not buy" list.