The Modern Scholar: Journeys of the Great Explorers: Columbus to Cook

The American Civil War

• ORIGINAL (24 hrs and 36 mins)
• By The Great Courses, Gary W. Gallagher
• Narrated By Professor Gary W. Gallagher

Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.

1066: The Year That Changed Everything

• ORIGINAL (3 hrs)
• By The Great Courses
• Narrated By Professor Jennifer Paxton

With this exciting and historically rich six-lecture course, experience for yourself the drama of this dynamic year in medieval history, centered on the landmark Norman Conquest. Taking you from the shores of Scandinavia and France to the battlefields of the English countryside, these lectures will plunge you into a world of fierce Viking warriors, powerful noble families, politically charged marriages, tense succession crises, epic military invasions, and much more.

Words on the Move: Why English Won't - and Can't - Sit Still (Like, Literally)

• UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 1 min)
• By John McWhorter
• Narrated By John McWhorter
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

Words on the Move opens our eyes to the surprising backstories to the words and expressions we use every day. Did you know that silly once meant "blessed"? Or that ought was the original past tense of owe? Or that the suffix -ly in adverbs is actually a remnant of the word like? And have you ever wondered why some people from New Orleans sound as if they come from Brooklyn?

The Modern Scholar: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

• UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 22 mins)
• By Thomas F. Madden
• Narrated By Thomas F. Madden

In this informative and lively series of lectures, renowned history professor Thomas F. Madden serves as the ultimate guide through the fall of ancient Rome. Professor Madden correlates the principles of Roman conduct that would forever change the world. Rome was an empire unlike the world had ever seen, and one that will likely never be duplicated. Peopled with personages of great distinction and even greater ambition, the Roman Empire contributed many of history's proudest advancements.

The Foundations of Western Civilization

• ORIGINAL (24 hrs and 54 mins)
• By The Great Courses
• Narrated By Professor Thomas F. X. Noble

What is Western Civilization? According to Professor Noble, it is "much more than human and political geography," encompassing myriad forms of political and institutional structures - from monarchies to participatory republics - and its own traditions of political discourse. It involves choices about who gets to participate in any given society and the ways in which societies have resolved the tension between individual self-interest and the common good.

The Modern Scholar: World's First Superpower: The Rise of the British Empire, 1497 to 1901

• UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 16 mins)
• By Denis Judd
• Narrated By Denis Judd

This course will examine the growth and development of the largest empire in world history - the British Empire - beginning with the late 15th century Tudor dynasty in England and ending with the death of the Queen-Empress Victoria in 1901.

Elements of Jazz: From Cakewalks to Fusion

• ORIGINAL (5 hrs and 59 mins)
• By The Great Courses
• Narrated By Professor Bill Messenger

Jazz is a uniquely American art form, one of America's great contributions to not only musical culture, but world culture, with each generation of musicians applying new levels of creativity that take the music in unexpected directions that defy definition, category, and stagnation. Now you can learn the basics and history of this intoxicating genre in an eight-lecture series that is as free-flowing and original as the art form itself.

The Untold History of the Potato

• UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 52 mins)
• By John Reader
• Narrated By Martin Hyder
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

The potato - humble, lumpy, bland, familiar - is a decidedly unglamorous staple of the dinner table. Or is it? John Reader's narrative on the role of the potato in world history suggests we may be underestimating this remarkable tuber. From domestication in Peru 8,000 years ago to its status today as the world's fourth largest food crop, the potato has played a starring - or at least supporting - role in many chapters of human history.

White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America

• UNABRIDGED (15 hrs and 5 mins)
• By Nancy Isenberg
• Narrated By Kirsten Potter
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

In White Trash, Nancy Isenberg upends assumptions about America's supposedly class-free society. Poor whites were central to the rise of the Republican Party in the early 19th century, and the Civil War itself was fought over class issues nearly as much as it was fought over slavery. Reconstruction pitted poor white trash against newly freed slaves, which factored in the rise of eugenics. These poor were at the heart of New Deal reforms and LBJ's Great Society; they haunt us in reality TV shows like Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and Duck Dynasty.

Icons of the Iron Age: The Celts in History

• UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 2 mins)
• By Susan A. Johnston
• Narrated By Susan A. Johnston

Among the most famous peoples in ancient times were the Celts, who lived in Europe during the Iron Age, from about 600 BCE into the early centuries CE. They left behind an intriguing record of physical remains that have been recovered by archaeologists, and they have continued to hold our attention as modern populations claim a Celtic identity.

History's Great Military Blunders and the Lessons They Teach

• ORIGINAL (12 hrs and 12 mins)
• By The Great Courses
• Narrated By Professor Gregory S. Aldrete, PhD

Military history often highlights successes and suggests a sense of inevitability about victory, but there is so much that can be gleaned from considering failures. Study these crucibles of history to gain a better understanding of why a civilization took - or didn't take - a particular path.

The Modern Scholar: From Troy to Constantinople: The Cities and Societies of Ancient Turkey

• ORIGINAL (7 hrs and 17 mins)
• By Jennifer Tobin

From time immemorial, the region of modern-day Turkey has served as a crossroads between east and west. In this illuminating course, Professor Jennifer Tobin leads a compelling discussion of "Anatolia" from early archaeological sites and the Trojan War up through the Greeks, Persians, Alexander the Great, and the Romans. A land of immense cultural significance, Ancient Turkey has housed an amazing array of peoples - the study of whom shines light on the modern world.

The Modern Scholar: Archaeology and the Iliad: The Trojan War in Homer and History

• UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 31 mins)
• By Eric H. Cline
• Narrated By Eric H. Cline

The Trojan War, captured forever in Homer's epic poem the Iliad, resonates to the present day in the popular imagination. But did Troy actually exist? And if so, where is it located? Was the Trojan War actually fought? And why? In this course, professor Eric H. Cline examines the history of Troy and delves into the archaeological discoveries that help to answer the questions above. Through an incisive analysis of known data, Professor Cline provides a fuller, richer understanding of this historic clash.

Classical Mythology: The Greeks: The Modern Scholar

• ORIGINAL (8 hrs and 9 mins)
• By Professor Peter Meineck
• Narrated By Peter Meineck

Through the study of these time-honored myths, the Greek heroes and gods - including Heracles, Zeus, Achilles, Athena, Aphrodite, and others - leap from the page in all their glorious splendor. The following lectures are not only an entertaining guide to Greek mythology, but a fascinating look into the culture and time that produced these eternal tales.

Introduction to Judaism

• ORIGINAL (12 hrs and 4 mins)
• By The Great Courses
• Narrated By Professor Shai Cherry

As a religion, culture, and civilization, Judaism has evolved in surprising ways during its long and remarkable history. In this series of 24 lectures, Professor Cherry explores this rich religious heritage from biblical times to today. From the first lecture on the Torah to the last on the Jews as the Chosen People, this course is packed with truly fascinating information.

The Modern Scholar: Citadels of Power: Castles in History and Archaeology

• ORIGINAL (7 hrs and 58 mins)
• By Thomas J. Finan

Professor Thomas J. Finan conducts an enthralling series of lectures on a subject that is an enduring part of the popular imagination: the castle. Professor Finan examines the castle from a variety of contemporary perspectives, including those of history, archaeology, geography, and landscape studies. The course also covers the morphology of medieval fortifications and castles and considers the social and landscape natures of castles, as well as the role of the castle in Europe.

The Making of the Atomic Bomb: 25th Anniversary Edition

• UNABRIDGED (37 hrs and 23 mins)
• By Richard Rhodes
• Narrated By Holter Graham
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

Here for the first time, in rich human, political, and scientific detail, is the complete story of how the bomb was developed, from the turn-of-the-century discovery of the vast energy locked inside the atom to the dropping of the first bombs on Japan. Few great discoveries have evolved so swiftly - or have been so misunderstood. From the theoretical discussions of nuclear energy to the bright glare of Trinity, there was a span of hardly more than 25 years.

A Day's Read

• ORIGINAL (18 hrs and 24 mins)
• By The Great Courses
• Narrated By Professor Arnold Weinstein, Professor Emily Allen, Professor Grant L. Voth

Join three literary scholars and award-winning professors as they introduce you to dozens of short masterpieces that you can finish - and engage with - in a day or less. Perfect for people with busy lives who still want to discover-or rediscover-just how transformative an act of reading can be, these 36 lectures range from short stories of fewer than 10 pages to novellas and novels of around 200 pages. Despite their short length, these works are powerful examinations of the same subjects and themes that longer "great books" discuss.

The Italians before Italy: Conflict and Competition in the Mediterranean

• ORIGINAL (12 hrs and 8 mins)
• By The Great Courses
• Narrated By Professor Kenneth R. Bartlett

Take a riveting tour of the Italian peninsula, from the glittering canals of Venice to the lavish papal apartments and ancient ruins of Rome. In these 24 lectures, Professor Bartlett traces the development of the Italian city-states of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, showing how the modern nation of Italy was forged out of the rivalries, allegiances, and traditions of a vibrant and diverse people.

The History of the Medieval World: From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade

• UNABRIDGED (22 hrs and 45 mins)
• By Susan Wise Bauer
• Narrated By John Lee
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

From the schism between Rome and Constantinople to the rise of the T'ang Dynasty, from the birth of Muhammad to the crowning of Charlemagne, this erudite book tells the fascinating, often violent story of kings, generals, and the peoples they ruled.

The American Presidency: The Modern Scholar

• UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 6 mins)
• By Robert Dallek
• Narrated By Robert Dallek

This course explores the tenures of the men who held our nation's highest office during the 20th-century. The lectures look at each president and examine his strengths and weaknesses, as well as the times in which he served. Through this analysis, listeners will develop a better understanding not only of this supreme office and how it has taken shape, but also how it has shaped America and, indeed, the modern world.

The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World

• ORIGINAL (24 hrs and 28 mins)
• By The Great Courses, Robert Garland
• Narrated By Professor Robert Garland

Look beyond the abstract dates and figures, kings and queens, and battles and wars that make up so many historical accounts. Over the course of 48 richly detailed lectures, Professor Garland covers the breadth and depth of human history from the perspective of the so-called ordinary people, from its earliest beginnings through the Middle Ages.

Food: A Cultural Culinary History

• ORIGINAL (18 hrs and 22 mins)
• By The Great Courses
• Narrated By Professor Ken Albala

Eating is an indispensable human activity. As a result, whether we realize it or not, the drive to obtain food has been a major catalyst across all of history, from prehistoric times to the present. Epicure Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said it best: "Gastronomy governs the whole life of man."

The Modern Scholar: Empire of Gold: A History of the Byzantine Empire

• UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 19 mins)
• By Thomas F. Madden
• Narrated By Thomas F. Madden

In this course, Thomas F. Madden offers a history of the culture that developed out of the ancient Roman Empire throughout the Middle Ages. The story begins at the end of the Roman Empire in the third century AD and continues over the next 1000 years. Professor Madden leads a discussion covering the aftermath and influence of this extraordinary empire. Europeans now saw a world in which nothing stood between them as the last remnant of free Christendom and the ever-growing powers of Islam.