The Year 1000

When Explorers Connected the World - and Globalization Began

De: Valerie Hansen

Narrado por: Cynthia Farrell

A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice

From celebrated Yale Professor Valerie Hansen, a “vivid” and “astonishingly comprehensive account [that] casts world history in a brilliant new light” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) and shows how bold explorations and daring trade missions first connected all of the world’s societies at the end of the first millennium.

People often believe that the years immediately prior to AD 1000 were, with just a few exceptions, lacking in any major cultural developments or geopolitical encounters, that the Europeans hadn’t yet reached North America, and that the farthest feat of sea travel was the Vikings’ invasion of Britain. But how, then, to explain the presence of blond-haired people in Maya temple murals at Chichén Itzá, Mexico? Could it be possible that the Vikings had found their way to the Americas during the height of the Maya empire?

Valerie Hansen, an award-winning historian, argues that the year 1000 was the world’s first point of major cultural exchange and exploration. Drawing on nearly 30 years of research, she presents a compelling account of first encounters between disparate societies, which sparked conflict and collaboration eerily reminiscent of our contemporary moment.

For fans of Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel and Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens, The Year 1000 is an a “fascinating...highly impressive, deeply researched, lively and imaginative work” (The New York Times Book Review) that will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about how the modern world came to be.

©2020 Valerie Hansen (P)2020 Simon & Schuster Audio

Great Book and Read

This was very informative. The facts provided created a great perspective of why we are today.

Fun listen but not a deep dive into history

Loving stories about people, places, and things, I enjoyed listening to this book. The perspective it proposes and explores - that globalization is not a recent human trend, but a movement that began over a thousand years ago - is interesting. However, I am not sure what function the notion of the year 1000 being a hinge of history serves. Sure, it gives the book an arresting title. However, what was 1000 and whose 1000 was it? Then, as now, different civilizations and tribes have different calendars. Seriously, the events the author discusses happened over five or six centuries both before, during, and after what we think of as 1000, for no particular reason. The point is, humans ventured further afield, encountered each other, and trade and violence ensued. Interesting how that pattern repeats itself for over more than a thousand years. Nonetheless, this unscientific book told some travelers' tales I'd not encountered before, as well as repositioned the familiar ones. I enjoyed the float. Look elsewhere for a deep dive. The narrator has a smooth, engaging voice. However, pronunciation of place names stumped her several times. I really don't hold that against her. None of us can really know what the place names (even if those names were then used) sounded like a thousand years ago.

Important leaders: 1000–1400

Narration is clear.

Detailed, impressive descriptions of these lesser known leaders and cultures of the Middle East and Asia.

Fun listen

The narration could have been better but the contents of the book are fascinating even when the author admits she is speculating.

Dated history

Good information on trade details but the history is dated and does not reflect many facts uncovered in the 21st century.

So interesting

This book was so fascinating. I will probably listen to it in many more times because there was so much information it was new to me. Terrific reader as well.

Interesting Premise

The thing that sticks out most is how bad the narrator was. I thought it wss the author at first, because she sounded like a monotone professor. The idea that globalization start at year 1000 was interesting. I was skeptical at first, but her arguments are good.

couldn't get into it, not my favorite narrator.

i don't know where it lost me, but i just powered thru it because i didn't want to leave it unfinished.

Deeply informative and surprising

Dr. Valerie Hansen has achieved a major work of popular history writing. Her facts are surprising, well cited, and original, and the theories connecting the facts are logical and clearly structured. The thesis that globalisation is nothing new is convincingly argued, and it is a very fun and illuminating read.

Great Overview

This dip into history was easily- understood and well-read by the narrator. Learning about all the various trade routes and goods was interesting and gave me plenty of ideas for conflict and governmental set-up for my novels.