Try free for 30 days

  • The History of the Medieval World

  • From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade
  • By: Susan Wise Bauer
  • Narrated by: John Lee
  • Length: 22 hrs and 42 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (30 ratings)

A 30-day trial plus your first audiobook free.
1 credit/month after trial—to buy any title you like, yours to keep.
Listen all you want to a selection of thousands of Audible Originals, audiobooks and podcasts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
The History of the Medieval World cover art

The History of the Medieval World

By: Susan Wise Bauer
Narrated by: John Lee
Free with 30-day trial

$16.45/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $44.99

Buy Now for $44.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

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. In her earlier work, The History of the Ancient World, Susan Wise Bauer wrote of the rise of kingship based on might. But in the years between the fourth and the 12th centuries, rulers had to find new justification for their power, and they turned to divine truth or grace to justify political and military action. Right thus replaces might as the engine of empire. Not just Christianity and Islam but the religions of the Persians and the Germans, and even Buddhism, are pressed into the service of the state. This phenomenon---stretching from the Americas all the way to Japan---changes religion, but it also changes the state.

©2010 Susan Wise Bauer (P)2010 Tantor

Critic Reviews

“[A] witty and well-written examination of world history...that is rich in detail and intriguing in anecdotal information.” ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about The History of the Medieval World

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    26
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    22
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    20
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

History in tasty bites

As a past student of European history, this book is a fabulous recap of the forgotten due to being no longer relevant to my present, like Susan Wise Bauer’s History of the Ancient World, her research into the Medieval World has produced results of excellence which she has kindly handed on for our erudition.
Thank you for your knowledgeable wisdom in words Susan Wise Bauer and your eloquent narration John Lee, very much appreciated. :-)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good detail

The information in this book is excellent but I did not enjoy the multiple ' Author's notes' which in many books would either have been foot notes or even absorbed into the text. The reader was almost too distant in his reading and reminded me a a history teacher who used to send me to sleep or a very ordinary Shakespeare actor and if anything sadly distracted from the content.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.