Ancient Greece, Second Edition

From Prehistoric to Hellenistic Times

By: Thomas R. Martin

Narrated by: John Lescault

Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

In this compact yet comprehensive history of ancient Greece, Thomas R. Martin brings alive Greek civilization from its Stone Age roots to the fourth century BC. Focusing on the development of the Greek city-state and the society, culture, and architecture of Athens in its Golden Age, Martin integrates political, military, social, and cultural history in a book that will appeal to students and general audiences alike.

Now in its second edition, this classic work now features updates throughout.

©2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Mispronuncing names

The narrator obviously has something against Alexanders wife Roxanne.He mispronounces her name wrongly over and over again.Surprising since its still a common name.

Good easy listenimg

A good book for listening at low volume, a good put to relax to whole trying to good to sleep. the topuc was broad enough and the narrator voice was perfect.

Good introduction on the subject

The story itself is not bad, it provides a good overview of and introduction to ancient Greek culture. The narration is not the best. It frequently sounds robotic. That being said, I never had any issues understanding what was he was saying, it was just a little boring to listen to.

A verbal time machine to ease the mind.

The author touches on a plethora of interesting facts. I really enjoyed the sections that addressed Greek interpersonal communication.

Comprehensive

Exhaustingly deep. I loved it. It paints a vivid picture of the history. I recommend this title for those wanting a good overview of Greek history during this period.

A Masterful Review

This is a masterful review of Ancient Greek history with particular relevance to our current time. I found it well written and absorbing. The discussions of the development of democracy in the city states, the status of women, slaves, ‘outsiders’ and the decline of the Classical Era were very well done.

Poor audio quality and reading detracts

I've always been deeply fascinated by history, so I was full of high hopes when I downloaded Ancient Greece by Thomas R Martin as an audiobook as part of my Audible subscription. I'd say that this is most certainly more geared towards an academic overview of the different Grecian eras, from the prehistoric all the way through to Alexander's conquests, and gives a solid overview of Greece's political structures, the civilisation's social organisation, as well as arts and culture.

But.

There was going to be a but.

I am no great fan of the narrator, and the audio quality leaves much to be desired. Firstly, John Lescault's reading is dull and lifeless, and renders what might be quite fascinating text into a dull, monotonous drone. Not only that, but it's obvious where content has been spliced in – there are clear shifts in clarity/volume that jolted me out of the listening experience. I mean, it was not a complete deal breaker, but considering that I listen to many audiobooks, I've gained an ear for this sort of thing enough so that it annoys me. Not a fan of this narrator, and I'll probably think twice before picking up anything else he reads.

But onto what makes this work good – if you're looking for a refresher or introduction into Greek history, then this will give you a great bird's eye view, especially in terms of getting a handle on the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures that played such a large part in the establishment of the Classical and Hellenistic periods. One thing that I do carry away from this is how Greek culture as a whole played such an important part in shaping even modern Western civilisation in how its philosophy, art, architecture, and literature had such a influence handed down through the years.

Overall, this is a solid read and it's definitely kindled more curiosity on my part to try to find works that are more specialised and perhaps somewhat more detailed.

Great Read for the Casual & Scholarly Reader

I grabbed this book because it was a required reading for one of my college courses, and why wouldn't you choose an audio book versus reading the physical book. After listening to this and getting what I needed out of it I was surprised to find that I actually enjoyed the book on a casual level as much as a scholarly level. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in ancient history.

Solid and Colorful Introduction

Martin provides an excellent introduction in Greek history, useful to both the new student and the more specialized historian. Well written, free of jargon, this work provides great background and a solid starting point for those wishing to know more about these fascinating people and remarkable era that has shaped the history of much of the western world and the Middle East. The expert will find in it a solid review and primer with enough details and discussion of newer scholarship to reawaken their interest in Greek history from the Minoan and Mycenean eras through the Hellenistic Age. Highly recommended, with a solid (and mostly error free) reading by the warm-voiced narrator.

Great Greek Overview

Narration started out dry, but it gets better about 45 minutes in. worth the wait.