Walls

A History of Civilization in Blood and Brick

By: David Frye

Narrated by: Arthur Morey

Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

In Walls historian David Frye tells the epic story of history’s greatest man-made barriers, from ancient times to the present. It is a haunting and frequently eye-opening saga - one that reveals a startling link between what we build and how we live.

With Frye as our raconteur-guide, we journey back to a time before barriers of brick and stone even existed - to an era in which nomadic tribes vied for scarce resources, and each man was bred to a life of struggle. Ultimately, those same men would create edifices of mud, brick, and stone and with them effectively divide humanity: On one side were those the walls protected; on the other, those the walls kept out.

The stars of this narrative are the walls themselves - rising up in places as ancient and exotic as Mesopotamia, Babylon, Greece, China, Rome, Mongolia, Afghanistan, the lower Mississippi, and even Central America. As we journey across time and place, we discover a hidden, thousand-mile-long wall in Asia’s steppes; learn of bizarre Spartan rituals; watch Mongol chieftains lead their miles-long hordes; witness the epic siege of Constantinople; chill at the fate of French explorers; marvel at the folly of the Maginot Line; tense at the gathering crisis in Cold War Berlin; gape at Hollywood’s gated royalty; and contemplate the wall mania of our own era.

A masterpiece of historical recovery and preeminent storytelling, Walls is alternately evocative, amusing, chilling, and deeply insightful as it gradually reveals the startling ways that barriers have affected our psyches. The questions this book summons are both intriguing and profound: Did walls make civilization possible? And can we live without them?

©2018 David Frye (P)2018 Simon & Schuster

very interesting historical perspective

very interesting book. moved along and stayed alive, despite the broad expanse of information. really enjoyed it.

Grit and Wit

Very interesting and engaging book, full of grit and wit. I enjoyed the blending and integration of histories and stories from around the world and across time, always coming back to the grand theme of walls as symptom and cause.
This would make a great documentary series!

narrator sounds not optimal at 1.5x speed

a little hard to hear the narrator at 1.5x speed, compared to other books. i just added volume, will listen again.

A Face-First Dive into the Importance of Walls

An excuisite examination of a simple structure standing strong as a text written of, by, and for the ages.
David Frye wields military, social, and environmental history like brick, mortar, and some as he constructs a comprehensive overview of walls' role as defender, civilizer, and pacifier. His argument is that Walls put a literal barrier between two peoples, those who cilvilized within their high enclosures, and those who remained outside.
This work breaches the barrier between various fields of study and invites it's readers to charge through the gap.

The code for history

This is how I wish I had been taught history. It's not about dates or leaders or which culture was smarter. It's about who felt safe enough to farm and invent and dream. Wonderfully written, and narrated by the truly amazing Arthur Morey.

Facinating!

Take a trip around the world and through history. To look at walls is to look at food, or shelter, or anything that is present in our very survival. It's an if/or/and approach as to who has used walls, who hasn't, and who has both walls and warriors. The story dives into when walls work, when walls don't work, and the psychology behind walls. If you love history you won't want to miss this awesome work.

Walls is a must read for any history lover.

A book has to really be something special for me to write a review, and this book is one of those rarities.
The enormous role walls have played throughout the history of civilization cannot be overstated.
Walls were as important as writing, perhaps more so at times. The contrast between those that build walls and those that live on the other side of the wall creates two very different types of peoples.
Read this book! Seriously, if you want to learn about something that is so important in shaping humanity, but is scarcely examined, you will learn things that will change your way of seeing history as a whole.
I think I’m going to listen to it again right now.

A must read.

A fast paced read with interesting detail. I didn't want it to end. Almost like a novel.

Yin and Yang

The perpetual battle of civilization against the barbarians at the gates, distilled down to it's essence as carried in the many, many walls we have built and continue to build. Walls lace their way through all eras of history with remarkable consistency. Great way to examine historical trends and tides through the walls we build.

Excellent book but audio a bit low

Really liked this book. Learned a lot from it. Narration is very professional. But audio level is lower than my other Audible books, ay least via my iPhone and earbuds. At top volume, it’s loud enough for at home but too low for the running trail. Audible should fix this.