John A. Manke

Excellent book

Revisado: 09-13-20

Very good work, perhaps not as good as Fall of Rome by the same author. The narrator is also good. He does not stumble over too many foreign words, which is the danger of audiobooks in ancient topics.

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Too scattershot

Revisado: 07-15-20

I love many of the great courses, and I was excited about this one, but I fear the structure led to rather shallow biographies of figures who deserve lengthier treatment. Additionally, there was very little to connect these figures besides the fact that they're all women. If you know absolutely nothing about these figures, it's not a bad intro, and maybe you'll be inspired to follow these introductions down the rabbit hole. But if you know something about many of these figures, maybe this entry is less than worthwhile. For example, many of the figures are from the Western Christian tradition. I did a PhD in medieval history and studied the history of the Church extensively, and I found myself not really learning anything.

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Well argued book with able narration

Revisado: 07-15-20

I loved this book. The synopsis above gives a fairly succinct summary of the argument. If the basic line drawn in the historical debate of the fall of the Roman empire is internal causes/increased regionalization vs. external causes, this is a full-throated argument for the latter. This position seems to have fallen out of favor of late (see, for example, Chris Wickham). Heather provides what he sees as a much-needed corrective. I'd have to delve into some of his citations to say whether or not I buy it completely, but the man clearly knows his stuff, and I think the work is required reading for anyone looking to understand the period.

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Wonderful book, godawful reading

Revisado: 07-15-20

The book is fantastic. I was so excited when I saw that audible had this title. I am not yet finished, but I find the argument persuasive, and it truly is a worthy magnum opus from the leader of the field. That said, the reader is a terrible fit--frustratingly so. He's a fine reader, don't get me wrong, but he simply cannot pronounce any of the words in foreign languages in this book--and the book is full of quotes in French, Italian, Latin, etc. For example, he pronounced the French word, même, may-may. He pronounces Italian plural definite object "i", as in "i ragazzi", as one would pronounce the english first-person pronoun, "I" (i.e., "I am an audible customer). The concept of "good giving/good works" in classical society--a very common idea used throughout the book--referred to as euergetism is pronounced euerjetism. Ambrose is pronounced amBROSE. And there are many others. I haven't finished the book, but I plan on doing so as the content is truly magnificent, but the reader leaves so much to be desired.

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Light on analysis

Revisado: 01-07-20

I was hoping for deeper analysis, but perhaps the problem is that the chronology is too near the present. Pointing out when the Colbert Report started is not really a novel piece of evidence. There were some good bits though that I appreciated, so I can’t give it less than 3.

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New favorite sci-fi novel

Revisado: 10-29-19

I love Dune, and I can say that that was my favorite Sci Fi novel for a long time. But I loved this book. Intriguing structure that puts itself in conversations about the nature of art and narrative in ways that transcend the story and the world. In particular, the Bard's Tale is excellent and the John Keats references are surprisingly well done. I plan on listening to the rest of the series. The cast recording is a good way to enjoy the story.

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Very strong great courses entry

Revisado: 10-29-19

I really loved this particular entry. McWhorter has a particular sense of humor. Not a good thing or a bad thing, but it is a thing. It worked for me.

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Wonderful novel.

Revisado: 10-29-19

Came here as an absolute fan of the film and was very pleased that there is an audio version. The film and novel seem to be that rare example of such a pair wherein each half works as a piece of art on its own and can stand in contrast to the other. If you experience one, I'd strongly recommend the other.

The story centers around a prince of the Bourbon empire in Sicily on the eve of unification. Though the omniscient narrator admires the Leopard (or, more accurately the "pard" admires the protagonist, he does not lament the fall of his order. Rather, Lampedusa uses his hero as a subtle critique of the modern, national order, The leopard is not allowed a tragic fate, and I think his acceptance of gradual obsolecesne. Readers have found wide-ranging meanings in this tale of transition and modernity, and I would it to anybody who wants an engaging portrait of an age.

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Excellent, best work of history on Audible

Revisado: 09-01-19

This is the best work of history on Audible. I got Audible because of the range of non-fiction books not really carried by my local library. This is by far the best that I have listened to. It's a wonderful book and in an age of rising nationalism in Europe today, it is no less relevant than ever.

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FANTASTIC

Revisado: 08-17-19

I truly enjoyed listening to this. It's almost as if the world and setting is the main character. That said, the actual protagonist is a fairly likable guy—if a bit idealized. That said, I thought the whole palace structure and government was really interesting. FInally, I like that it's a standalone. Addison is apparently going to write another one, but I found this single book to be a story arc. I understand the benefits of milking a concept, but I love a satisfying standalone fantasy novel.

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