The Barbarian Empires of the Steppes

By: Kenneth W. Harl, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Kenneth W. Harl

Length: 18 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

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, LLC

unusual topic from a favorite professor

I loved this, particularly because it shone a light on an aspect of history that is around the edges of a lot of other lectures/books I've listened to, and this made me connect the links and understand more. If you have read about ancient Rome, medieval history, linguistics and pre-history, Chinese history, etc., this will help fill in the blanks. Prof. Harl was his typical enthusiastic, erudite self.

a few caveats:

1. I really felt the lack of maps in the accompanying PDF on this one. Yes, of course there are maps on the internet so I can google if I want to see where the Guptas were or something. But he's often talking about a really specific movement from one area to the other, to the point that I'm debating buying this on Great Courses in video form to see if that's more help. I really noticed it because I listen to these in the dark before bed, and over 20 or 30 courses this is the only one I have gotten up repeatedly to see if I can get more info in the PDF. If you listen during driving, you are probably going to be similarly frustrated. Admittedly, this is exacerbated by the nature of the topic, since I don't have a mental image of some of the cities or empires named as I would if this were more Eurocentric.

2. This one had much worse audio editing than other GC. I'm not sure what happened here, but there were times Harl yelled "pause!" or pronounced names a few different ways, and although there was clearly editing, the jumps and extra words were left in. Harl also a fair amount of "ums" and the like, so listen to an audio sample and see if it works for you. I was okay with it but I know some listeners are really sensitive and this wouldn't be a good place to start, if so.

Excellent

This course is a great overview of steppe people and cultures! It encompasses so much history!

Great Information on a Little Taught Subject

Awesome information on a subject that was really in-depth and we'll explained. The best part really is the professor's exhaustive knowledge and enthusiasm about the subject. Even if you don't have an interest in the subject, I would no hesitation recommending it.

This was one of my favorite audio books eveR...

I loved this audio book because the professor, his performance, style, and content were all great.

Asian History

Great insight into Asian History. It is very informative. The narrative includes the impact of middle Asian cultures on surrounding cultures.

Great intro course

loved it, the instructor was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about his subject
he was able to convey that enthusiasm in this series of lectures

great coverage of often overlooked subject

good stuff, covered alot of information which fills in many blanks left by other histories.

Europe and Science, Not Only Gunpowder

Great story. It would have been amazing to have seen a great cavalry army.

I would make the case that the five European countries were able to effectively conquer the world, not because they acquired the technology to make gunpowder from the Mongol, but because they made such great leaps in fundamental science and engineering.

(And, it was fun to watch the newish Netflix Marco Polo series. I hope they find a second season!)

interesting read

some biases present from the lecturer but interesting read nonetheless. worth the cost. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

these barbarians truly are fearsome!

easily one of the most sound educational vestments I have ever made. I enjoyed every minute of this amazing course. Check it out!