The Barbarian Empires of the Steppes

De: Kenneth W. Harl, The Great Courses

Narrado por: Kenneth W. Harl

The word "barbarian" quickly conjures images of Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan. Yet few people realize these men belong to a succession of nomadic warriors who emerged from the Eurasian steppes to conquer civilizations. It's a part of ancient and medieval history that's often overlooked, but for an accurate view of how the world evolved, it's essential.

Covering some 6,000 miles and 6,000 years, this eye-opening course illuminates how a series of groups - from the Sacae and Sarmatians to the infamous Huns and Mongols - pushed ever westward, coming into contact with the Roman Empire, Han China, and distant cultures from Iraq to India.

Along the way, you'll learn how these nomads caused a domino effect of displacement and cultural exchange; meet fascinating figures such as Tamerlane, the "Prince of Destruction"; witness struggles to control the legendary Silk Road; trace the spread of Buddhism and Islam, and more.

By looking past the barbarian stereotype, you'll understand who these people were, the significance of their innovations - which include stirrups, saddles, and gunpowder - and the magnitude of their impact. Of course, these warriors did wage campaigns of terror, and you'll hear many accounts of violence as well.

Led by an award-winning professor, these 36 lectures provide new insights on how the world was shaped and introduce you to cultures and empires you've likely never encountered.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2014 The Great Courses (P)2014 The Teaching Company, LLC

unusual topic from a favorite professor

I loved this, particularly because it shone a light on an aspect of history that is around the edges of a lot of other lectures/books I've listened to, and this made me connect the links and understand more. If you have read about ancient Rome, medieval history, linguistics and pre-history, Chinese history, etc., this will help fill in the blanks. Prof. Harl was his typical enthusiastic, erudite self.

a few caveats:

1. I really felt the lack of maps in the accompanying PDF on this one. Yes, of course there are maps on the internet so I can google if I want to see where the Guptas were or something. But he's often talking about a really specific movement from one area to the other, to the point that I'm debating buying this on Great Courses in video form to see if that's more help. I really noticed it because I listen to these in the dark before bed, and over 20 or 30 courses this is the only one I have gotten up repeatedly to see if I can get more info in the PDF. If you listen during driving, you are probably going to be similarly frustrated. Admittedly, this is exacerbated by the nature of the topic, since I don't have a mental image of some of the cities or empires named as I would if this were more Eurocentric.

2. This one had much worse audio editing than other GC. I'm not sure what happened here, but there were times Harl yelled "pause!" or pronounced names a few different ways, and although there was clearly editing, the jumps and extra words were left in. Harl also a fair amount of "ums" and the like, so listen to an audio sample and see if it works for you. I was okay with it but I know some listeners are really sensitive and this wouldn't be a good place to start, if so.

Excellent

This course is a great overview of steppe people and cultures! It encompasses so much history!

Great Information on a Little Taught Subject

Awesome information on a subject that was really in-depth and we'll explained. The best part really is the professor's exhaustive knowledge and enthusiasm about the subject. Even if you don't have an interest in the subject, I would no hesitation recommending it.

This was one of my favorite audio books eveR...

I loved this audio book because the professor, his performance, style, and content were all great.

Asian History

Great insight into Asian History. It is very informative. The narrative includes the impact of middle Asian cultures on surrounding cultures.

Great intro course

loved it, the instructor was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about his subject
he was able to convey that enthusiasm in this series of lectures

Fascinating

I came for Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, and the Silk Road, but what I got instead was a fascinating 6000 year-history of ancient nomad empires. The professor starts by asking us to turn the map upside down and view the world from the steppes perspective: the nomads live on the roof of the world, and down below them lies China to the left, India in the middle, and Persia/Greece/Rome to the right.

This is my favorite kind of history, the kind that shifts the angle of focus just enough to offer an entirely new perspective. In history class we studied classical China / India / Greece as separate entities. In this version they are surprisingly connected, where ideas and philosophies in China would ripple across the steppes and impact Greece, and vice versa.

There's also a lot of drama & action to keep the history moving forward. Highly recommended.

Fascinating walk through history

Amazing walk through many lands and the history that still lives with us today! Dr Harl never disappoints.

Fascinating

One of the most interesting books I have listened to in the Great Courses collection. Absolutely fascinating. Central Asia and the steppes have not made huge impacts on the world stage in several hundred years, but before the advent of firearms their endless waves of military campaigns impacted the entire known world. Chinese, Roman and the various middle eastern empires all faced perpetual threats - at some points such as during the Mongol era all three were being impacted almost simultaneously. The horse archers and their cavalry prowess represented a military technology few Generals in the urbanized settled world could counter. The brutality and carnage of some of the campaigns are still felt in the modern era as some locations never really recovered. Professor Harl is outstanding in delivering the course - well worth the credit.

Amazing.

Fascinating topic and a fantastic lecturer.

I am going out of my way to listen to other audio books by Professor Harl, even if the topics wouldn't otherwise be at the top of my list.