Kevin Magee
- 7
- reviews
- 0
- helpful votes
- 9
- ratings
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History's Great Military Blunders and the Lessons They Teach
- By: The Great Courses, Gregory S. Aldrete
- Narrated by: Gregory S. Aldrete
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 74
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 68
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 68
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.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Narrator is awful
- By Lachlan on 29-09-2019
A great find
Reviewed: 19-05-2018
By focusing the ‘bad practises’ of leadership and strategy that contributed to some of the greatest and most world defining military defeats rather than the practise of the victors, Professor Aldrete’s brings a fresh take on known events that shows them in a completely new light. His insights and explanation of from this new angle of the historic events and their background, circumstances, causes and consequences is fascinating, educational and at uplifting. This is a audio series I highly recommend.
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Badass
- By: Ben Thompson
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 2
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
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Story3 out of 5 stars 1
Throughout history - from the bone-crushing age of antiquity to the sack-tearing modern era - there have been larger-than-life ass-kickers with a natural talent for unleashing their epic bloodlust on anyone who crossed them. They built empires, smashed armies, and ravaged civilizations for wealth, glory, and ultimate supremacy. Sometimes villains, sometimes heroes, sometimes criminally insane, they had one thing in common: They were all Badass!
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3 out of 5 stars
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Love or hate how it’s told, it’s a Helluva good story
- By Kevin Magee on 08-05-2018
- Badass
- By: Ben Thompson
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
Love or hate how it’s told, it’s a Helluva good story
Reviewed: 08-05-2018
This audio book will generally fall into the love it or loath it category. I think only a few people will like me fall into the categories inbetween. Why you may love it... It shares over 40 rich tales of some of the most fascinating, inspiring, worth knowing yet often unknown feats of inspiring personal heroism and (uninspiring) villainy in history. The told in very rich in language that paints vivid pictures and make each story into a blockbuster action movie or superhero comic book. Exciting, engaging, FUN and educational all at the same time. Why you may loath it... “Some of the facts, historic detail and dare I say, empathy for the very real human beings killed or maimed by the protagonists in the stories (this last comment in particular goes against the whole theme of the authors narrative and using a pale version of the type of description you might find in the book he may call me something along the lines of a ‘soft, dough eyed, flaccid, fluffy bunny fearing, snot dripping snowflake) . Overall I liked but didn’t love this book. I suggest if your not easily triggered, offended, have a good sense of humour, can let go of your adult self, and political correctness and just want to enjoy fun like when you were a teenage - then you’ll probably love this book. Either way you’ll know after listing to the first 15 minutes of the first story (don’t judge it on the intro section only) .
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The World Was Never the Same: Events That Changed History
- By: J. Rufus Fears, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: J. Rufus Fears
- Length: 18 hrs and 13 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 13
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 12
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Story4 out of 5 stars 12
History is made and defined by landmark events-moments that irrevocably changed the course of human civilization. They have given us: spiritual and political ideas; catastrophic battles and wars; scientific and technological advances; world leaders both influential and monstrous; and cultural works of unparalleled beauty.
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2 out of 5 stars
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ra ra America.
- By John on 24-09-2016
Fact is more fascinating & enriching than fiction
Reviewed: 26-04-2018
Professor Fears weaves measurable moments, words and emotions from 1750 BC to 2001 into thoughts, learnings and actions that affect each of us today in our daily lives in a fascinating, mind blowing and thoroughly engaging list of stories that are not just stories but our history’s. A master story teller telling our stories.
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Living History: Experiencing Great Events of the Ancient and Medieval Worlds
- By: Robert Garland, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Garland
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 16
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 16
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 16
These 24 dramatic lectures examine key events from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome to medieval Europe and Asia. Spanning thousands of years and three continents, this course illuminates fascinating historical dramas on the individual scale.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good Great Courses stuff
- By Brian on 01-11-2016
Epic real stories that are richer than fiction!
Reviewed: 07-03-2018
A great collection of epic tales of past people and events that have shaped the world around us as we encounter it today and even to some surprising extent how we think. The history contains rich facts and references that make it educational and interesting BUT the author does well in the audio edition to bring these complex affairs together in a very human way so his retelling of feeds the mind, engages the imagination and stirs the soul. Very worthwhile for lovers of history, philosophy, action, adventure and thrillers!!!
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Mythos
- By: Stephen Fry
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 15 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,317
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,909
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,887
The Greek myths are amongst the greatest stories ever told, passed down through millennia and inspiring writers and artists as varied as Shakespeare, Michelangelo, James Joyce and Walt Disney. They are embedded deeply in the traditions, tales and cultural DNA of the West. You'll fall in love with Zeus, marvel at the birth of Athena, wince at Cronus and Gaia's revenge on Ouranos, weep with King Midas and hunt with the beautiful and ferocious Artemis.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Superb!
- By Anonymous User on 14-11-2017
- Mythos
- By: Stephen Fry
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
Great story telling gives new life to legends
Reviewed: 18-02-2018
Told as they should be, not by a scholar but by a story teller. Stephen Fry brings to life with enthusiasm, wit and emotion great stories that are all to often dulled down in their telling by are academics. He tells the legends of 3000 years ago in a way that again makes them exciting, shocking, funny, surprising, thoughtful and always enjoyable to hear. Thank you Mr Fry. I hope you will continue this series with more legends from the Greeks and others (Celts perhaps?)
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At Home: A Short History of Private Life
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 16 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 397
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 345
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 342
Bill Bryson was struck one day by the thought that we devote more time to studying the battles and wars of history than to considering what history really consists of: centuries of people quietly going about their daily business. This inspired him to start a journey around his own house, an old rectory in Norfolk, considering how the ordinary things in life came to be.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Best use of a credit
- By Rachel on 29-07-2015
- At Home: A Short History of Private Life
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
Entertaining, Engaging, Enriching
Reviewed: 31-01-2018
This was a delight to listen to. Inbetween appointments, driving to and from work and whenever I had a free moment I found myself turning to this book/audio and enjoying a meal of wonderful soul and brain food. So much better to listen to than the all to prevalent constant feed of bad news, everyday politics and negativity (I listened to this book age of Trump ). Mr Bryson delivers instead wonderful, fascinating, often amusing and constantly surprising insights into the everyday things around us. Thank you Mr Bryson, my life is richer for your work.
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A Short History of Nearly Everything
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: William Roberts
- Length: 18 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,385
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,932
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,917
A Short History of Nearly Everything is Bill Bryson's quest to understand everything that has happened from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization. He takes subjects that normally bore the pants off most of us, like geology, chemistry, and particle physics, and aims to render them comprehensible to people who have never thought they could be interested in science. In the company of some extraordinary scientists, Bill Bryson reveals the world in a way most of us have never seen it before.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Not what I expected but brilliant!
- By Michael on 27-11-2015
- A Short History of Nearly Everything
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: William Roberts
Extremely Enjoyable, Educational, Empowering & Uplifting
Reviewed: 02-01-2018
I've read this book twice in 10 years and now listened to the extremely well narrated audiobook and each time found it "Enjoyable, Educational, Empowering & Uplifting." This book uniquely explains the Big Bang, the universe, innerverse, history, biology and everything inbetween in interesting, understandable and often funny ways that leaves everyday problems and grumbles palling in contrast to the infinite and wondrous things around us that we often fail to consider. Perhaps just as wondrous to these things is how the people who discovered them did so and their stories, and "yes" this book covers that too! I can not recommend this book enough. It truly opens the mind to the countless wonders and possibilities around us .