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  • The Horse, the Wheel, and Language

  • How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World
  • By: David W. Anthony
  • Narrated by: Tom Perkins
  • Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (23 ratings)

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The Horse, the Wheel, and Language

By: David W. Anthony
Narrated by: Tom Perkins
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Publisher's Summary

Roughly half the world's population speaks languages derived from a shared linguistic source known as Proto-Indo-European. But who were the early speakers of this ancient mother tongue, and how did they manage to spread it around the globe? 

Until now, their identity has remained a tantalizing mystery to linguists, archaeologists, and even Nazis seeking the roots of the Aryan race. The Horse, the Wheel, and Language lifts the veil that has long shrouded these original Indo-European speakers and reveals how their domestication of horses and use of the wheel spread language and transformed civilization.  

Linking prehistoric archaeological remains with the development of language, David W. Anthony identifies the prehistoric peoples of Central Eurasia's steppe grasslands as the original speakers of Proto-Indo-European and shows how their innovative use of the ox wagon, horseback riding, and the warrior's chariot turned the Eurasian steppes into a thriving transcontinental corridor of communication, commerce, and cultural exchange. 

He explains how they spread their traditions and gave rise to important advances in copper mining, warfare, and patron-client political institutions, thereby ushering in an era of vibrant social change. Anthony also describes his fascinating discovery of how the wear from bits on ancient horse teeth reveals the origins of horseback riding.  

The Horse, the Wheel, and Language solves a puzzle that has vexed scholars for two centuries - the source of the Indo-European languages and English - and recovers a magnificent and influential civilization from the past.

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

©2007 Princeton University Press (P)2018 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

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Magisterial

Very technical but required listening for anyone with an interest in the historical linguistics and archaeology of proto-Indo-European-speaking peoples

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Excellent book. Published 2007

Some heavy going but worth a second or third listen. The reader tackles the linguistically challenging type site names very well.

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Not a great read. Lots of detail no story.

Not a great read. Lots of detail but no story. More an academic book than one for the likes of me.

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