A.D. 381: Heretics, Pagans, and the Dawn of the Monotheistic State

after reading some of the reviews, I almost passed on this audio book-im glad I didn't! While some valid points were made in these reviews, after actually listening to AD 381, I don't think the narration is a deal breaker. Blumenfeld does tend to read a little fast, but he's a good, and professional narrator over all. So, if your on the fence with this one because you like the material but are afraid of the narration, I would say get it. I find no problems as far as immersion is concerned and the material is very very good

This identifies exactly why, where and what took place to the European mind set that religion affected completely to become Dark.
The finale leaves you wondering what could have happened!

This is a topic that I am greatly interested in, but the reading of this book is very dull. Even though the information is interesting, the reading lacks inflection and storytelling -- the reader pounds on and on and after I while I found myself tuning out. I quality reader would have made this book worthwhile.

Know more now

No all sounded the same. Was not big deal with the subject matter.

How Freedom Died

Charles Freeman's account of the events surrounding and following the First Council of Constantinople condenses an enormous amount of scholarship into accessible form. Unfortunately, Robert Blumenfeld seems to think he's reading a script for 1940's newsreel footage; I found his performance distracting and annoying, particularly in the first few chapters (Mr. Blumenfeld seems to have lost a bit of steam as the book goes on, taking some of the edge off his highly stylized (and inappropriate, IMO) "dramatization." Interesting book; lousy performance.

OK, so I've ONLY listened to the entire book once. I really feel I need to listen to it again to "get" the point fully. Lots of details, lots of people. The last chapter, summarizing the book's theme, should have come at the beginning to give more perspective and set up a framework for listening to the rest. My biggest criticism, however, is the narrator: he reads WAY TOO FAST, and with insufficient phrasing and inflection. This is very dense material, and while interesting, needs to articulated carefully to establish the point of each sentence. If you are interested in late antiquity and the early middle ages, the book paints a detailed arc of history, but you don't realize what that arc is until the summation at the end.

I've read Freeman before. This audible book is fine but LORD I want to smack the narrator! Is he trying to sound pedantic? He has this horrible habit of ending a sentence with an upWARD TONE?!?! It gets daMN ANNOYING! Seriously, he sounds like an obnoxious minor character in a Dickens's play. He has good timbre. But he really needs to change his style. Despite that the book is good. A lot of what's here can be found in "The Closing of the Western Mind."

Really enjoyed this book. I have always been interested in this subject. The pagans, early church politics, and heresies interactions are fascinating. This writer handles it all in a professional and well written manner. The narrator was masterful. Good listen.

I just want to give a star rating. If you force me to say more, I will give you this tripe.

I just want to give a star rating. If you force me to say more, I will give you this tripe.

I just want to give a star rating. If you force me to say more, I will give you this tripe.

I just want to give a star rating. If you force me to say more, I will give you this tripe.

I just want to give a star rating. If you force me to say more, I will give you this tripe.