Get Your Free Audiobook
-
The Industrial Revolution
- Narrated by: Patrick N. Allitt
- Series: The Great Courses: Modern History
- Length: 18 hrs and 11 mins
- Categories: History, Americas
Non-member price: $61.45
People who bought this also bought...
-
World War I: The Great War
- By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 18 hrs and 41 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Touched off by a terrorist act in Bosnia and spreading all too quickly beyond the expectations of those who were involved, World War I was an unprecedented catastrophe with a ghastly cost. After this first "total war"-the first conflict involving entire societies mobilized to wage unrestrained war, devoting all their wealth, industries, institutions, and the lives of their citizens to win victory at any price - the world itself would never be the same.
-
-
Kazablanka
- By Kazablanka on 12-03-2020
-
The Rise and Fall of the British Empire
- By: Patrick N. Allitt, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Patrick N. Allitt
- Length: 18 hrs and 9 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What were the forces that thrust the British Empire to its extraordinary position of greatness and then just as powerfully drove it into decline? And why is nearly every nation on earth, in one way or another, the consequence of the British Empire?In these 36 lectures, Professor Allitt leads you through four centuries of British power, innovation, influence, and, ultimately, diminishment-four profound centuries that literally remade the world and bequeathed the complex global legacy that continues to shape your everyday life.
-
-
brilliant
- By Alison on 23-01-2017
-
Victorian Britain
- By: Patrick N. Allitt, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Patrick N. Allitt
- Length: 18 hrs and 36 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This series of 36 fascinating lectures is a chronological journey into the story of Victorian Britain, from the unexpected ascension to the throne of teenaged Princess Victoria in 1837 to her death in 1901 as the Boer War neared its end.Presented with all of Victoria's strengths and foibles left intact by an award-winning teacher and author, the lectures invite you to reflect on both the positive and negative aspects of her reign.
-
-
Very enjoyable course
- By Alexandra on 20-12-2017
-
The Fall and Rise of China
- By: Richard Baum, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Richard Baum
- Length: 24 hrs and 8 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For most of its 5,000-year existence, China has been the largest, most populous, wealthiest, and mightiest nation on Earth. And for us as Westerners, it is essential to understand where China has been in order to anticipate its future. These 36 eye-opening lectures deliver a comprehensive political and historical overview of one of the most fascinating and complex countries in world history.
-
-
Absolutely fantastic! 9.9 out of ten! Would have been a 10/10 if it was updated to include the last 10 years.
- By Alex on 24-04-2019
-
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
- A History of Nazi Germany
- By: William L. Shirer
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 57 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since its publication in 1960, William L. Shirer’s monumental study of Hitler’s German empire has been widely acclaimed as the definitive record of the 20th century’s blackest hours. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich offers an unparalleled and thrillingly told examination of how Adolf Hitler nearly succeeded in conquering the world. With millions of copies in print around the globe, it has attained the status of a vital and enduring classic.
-
-
Outstanding!
- By Tigershark on 05-07-2014
-
Interpreting the 20th Century: The Struggle Over Democracy
- By: Pamela Radcliff, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Pamela Radcliff
- Length: 24 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Consider the intense and rapid changes that transformed the political, social, and economic struggles of the world during the 20th century: the first flight and space flight, the Manhattan Project and the Welfare State, Nietzsche and Freud, the Great Depression and inflation, moving pictures and home computers, the Cold War and terrorism - and war and peace.
-
World War I: The Great War
- By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 18 hrs and 41 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Touched off by a terrorist act in Bosnia and spreading all too quickly beyond the expectations of those who were involved, World War I was an unprecedented catastrophe with a ghastly cost. After this first "total war"-the first conflict involving entire societies mobilized to wage unrestrained war, devoting all their wealth, industries, institutions, and the lives of their citizens to win victory at any price - the world itself would never be the same.
-
-
Kazablanka
- By Kazablanka on 12-03-2020
-
The Rise and Fall of the British Empire
- By: Patrick N. Allitt, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Patrick N. Allitt
- Length: 18 hrs and 9 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What were the forces that thrust the British Empire to its extraordinary position of greatness and then just as powerfully drove it into decline? And why is nearly every nation on earth, in one way or another, the consequence of the British Empire?In these 36 lectures, Professor Allitt leads you through four centuries of British power, innovation, influence, and, ultimately, diminishment-four profound centuries that literally remade the world and bequeathed the complex global legacy that continues to shape your everyday life.
-
-
brilliant
- By Alison on 23-01-2017
-
Victorian Britain
- By: Patrick N. Allitt, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Patrick N. Allitt
- Length: 18 hrs and 36 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This series of 36 fascinating lectures is a chronological journey into the story of Victorian Britain, from the unexpected ascension to the throne of teenaged Princess Victoria in 1837 to her death in 1901 as the Boer War neared its end.Presented with all of Victoria's strengths and foibles left intact by an award-winning teacher and author, the lectures invite you to reflect on both the positive and negative aspects of her reign.
-
-
Very enjoyable course
- By Alexandra on 20-12-2017
-
The Fall and Rise of China
- By: Richard Baum, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Richard Baum
- Length: 24 hrs and 8 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For most of its 5,000-year existence, China has been the largest, most populous, wealthiest, and mightiest nation on Earth. And for us as Westerners, it is essential to understand where China has been in order to anticipate its future. These 36 eye-opening lectures deliver a comprehensive political and historical overview of one of the most fascinating and complex countries in world history.
-
-
Absolutely fantastic! 9.9 out of ten! Would have been a 10/10 if it was updated to include the last 10 years.
- By Alex on 24-04-2019
-
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
- A History of Nazi Germany
- By: William L. Shirer
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 57 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since its publication in 1960, William L. Shirer’s monumental study of Hitler’s German empire has been widely acclaimed as the definitive record of the 20th century’s blackest hours. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich offers an unparalleled and thrillingly told examination of how Adolf Hitler nearly succeeded in conquering the world. With millions of copies in print around the globe, it has attained the status of a vital and enduring classic.
-
-
Outstanding!
- By Tigershark on 05-07-2014
-
Interpreting the 20th Century: The Struggle Over Democracy
- By: Pamela Radcliff, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Pamela Radcliff
- Length: 24 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Consider the intense and rapid changes that transformed the political, social, and economic struggles of the world during the 20th century: the first flight and space flight, the Manhattan Project and the Welfare State, Nietzsche and Freud, the Great Depression and inflation, moving pictures and home computers, the Cold War and terrorism - and war and peace.
-
Understanding Japan
- A Cultural History
- By: Mark J. Ravina, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Mark J. Ravina
- Length: 12 hrs
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In an exciting partnership with the Smithsonian, The Great Courses presents these 24 lectures that offer an unforgettable tour of Japanese life and culture. Professor Ravina, with the expert collaboration of the Smithsonian's historians, brings you a grand portrait of Japan.
-
-
Fantastic broad coverage
- By Anonymous User on 12-08-2017
-
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
ra ra America.
- By John on 24-09-2016
-
The History of the United States, 2nd Edition
- By: The Great Courses, Allen C. Guelzo, Gary W. Gallagher, and others
- Narrated by: Allen C. Guelzo, Gary W. Gallagher, Patrick N. Allitt
- Length: 43 hrs and 23 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This comprehensive series of 84 lectures features three award-winning historians sharing their insights into this nation's past-from the European settlement and the Revolutionary War through the Civil War, 19th-century industrialization, two world wars, and the present day. These lectures give you the opportunity to grasp the different aspects of our past that combine to make us distinctly American, and to gain the knowledge so essential to recognizing not only what makes this country such a noteworthy part of world history, but the varying degrees to which it has lived up to its ideals.
-
-
EXCELLENT!!!!!
- By Anonymous User on 29-07-2020
-
Guns, Germs and Steel
- The Fate of Human Societies
- By: Jared Diamond
- Narrated by: Doug Ordunio
- Length: 16 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Having done field work in New Guinea for more than 30 years, Jared Diamond presents the geographical and ecological factors that have shaped the modern world. From the viewpoint of an evolutionary biologist, he highlights the broadest movements both literal and conceptual on every continent since the Ice Age, and examines societal advances such as writing, religion, government, and technology.
-
-
Book contains out of date information and opinions
- By Anonymous User on 14-11-2019
-
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Narrator is awful
- By Lachlan on 29-09-2019
-
An Economic History of the World since 1400
- By: Donald J. Harreld, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Donald J. Harreld
- Length: 24 hrs and 25 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Most of us have a limited understanding of the powerful role economics has played in shaping human civilization. This makes economic history - the study of how civilizations structured their environments to provide food, shelter, and material goods - a vital lens through which to think about how we arrived at our present, globalized moment. Designed to fill a long-empty gap in how we think about modern history, these 48 lectures are a comprehensive journey through more than 600 years of economic history.
-
-
I have learnt a lot
- By Anonymous User on 19-06-2018
-
A Brief History of the World
- By: Peter N. Stearns, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Peter N. Stearns
- Length: 19 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The construction of the great pyramids of Egypt, the development of democracy in ancient Greece, the glories of ancient Rome-these stories are familiar to students of history. But what about the rest of the world? How do the histories of China and Japan, or Russia, India, and the remote territories of Sub-Saharan Africa and South America fit in with commonly known accounts of Western traditions?Learn the rest of the story with these 36 riveting lectures that survey the expanse of human development and civilization across the globe.
-
-
World history thematic success
- By Stan on 08-12-2016
-
A History of Russia: From Peter the Great to Gorbachev
- By: Mark Steinberg, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Mark Steinberg
- Length: 18 hrs and 45 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's difficult to imagine a nation with a history more compelling for Americans than Russia. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, this was the nation against which we measured our own nation's values and power and with whom war, if it ever came, could spell unimaginable catastrophe for our planet.Yet many Americans have never had the opportunity to study Russia in depth, and to see how the forces of history came together to shape a future so different from the dreams of most ordinary Russian people, eager to see their nation embrace Western values of progress, human rights, and justice.
-
-
Didn't think I'd be into this but it's fascinating
- By christian on 05-06-2020
-
Great Minds of the Western Intellectual Tradition, 3rd Edition
- By: The Great Courses, Alan Charles Kors, Darren Staloff, and others
- Narrated by: Alan Charles Kors, Darren Staloff, Dennis Dalton, and others
- Length: 43 hrs and 41 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 3,000 years, mankind has grappled with fundamental questions about life. What is real? Who or what is God? When is it legitimate for one person to have power over others? What is justice? Beauty? This 84-lecture, 12-professor tour of Western philosophical tradition covers more than 60 of history's greatest minds and brings you a comprehensive survey of the history of Western philosophy from its origins in classical Greece to the present.
-
-
Some speakers better than others
- By Stacey on 23-01-2019
-
The Theory of Everything: The Quest to Explain All Reality
- By: Don Lincoln, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Don Lincoln
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the end of his career, Albert Einstein was pursuing a dream far more ambitious than the theory of relativity. He was trying to find an equation that explained all physical reality - a theory of everything. Experimental physicist and award-winning educator Dr. Don Lincoln takes you on this exciting journey in The Theory of Everything: The Quest to Explain All Reality. Suitable for the intellectually curious at all levels and assuming no background beyond basic high-school math, these 24 half-hour lectures cover recent developments at the forefront of particle physics and cosmology.
-
-
Bit complicated
- By Subodh Pradhan on 24-02-2019
-
The Vikings
- By: Kenneth W. Harl, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Kenneth W. Harl
- Length: 17 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As raiders and explorers, the Vikings played a decisive role in the formation of Latin Christendom, and particularly of western Europe. Now, in a series of 36 vivid lectures by an honored teacher and classical scholar, you have the opportunity to understand this remarkable race as never before, studying the Vikings not only as warriors, but in all of the other roles in which they were equally extraordinary - merchants, artists, kings, raiders, seafarers, shipbuilders, and creators of a remarkable literature of myths and sagas.
-
-
Some good information
- By Naomi on 16-01-2018
-
Turning Points in Middle Eastern History
- By: Eamonn Gearon, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Eamonn Gearon
- Length: 18 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Middle East is a critically important area of our world. And, with its current prominence in international affairs, media images of the Middle East reach us on a daily basis. Much media coverage, however, is incomplete at best, failing to take account of either the complexities or the historical background of this pivotal region. For most of us, the real story of the Middle East remains untold. What made this crucial geopolitical area what it is today?
-
-
good history
- By Brian on 05-09-2017
Publisher's Summary
From electric lights to automobiles to the appliances that make our lives easier at work and at home, we owe so much of our world to the Industrial Revolution. In this course, The Great Courses partners with the Smithsonian - one of the world's most storied and exceptional educational institutions - to examine the extraordinary events of this period and uncover the far-reaching impact of this incredible revolution. Over the course of 36 thought-provoking lectures, longtime Great Courses favorite Professor Allitt introduces you to the inventors, businessmen, and workers responsible for transforming virtually every aspect of our lives and fueling one of the greatest periods of innovation in human history.
The technological achievements of this era are nothing short of astonishing. Thanks to inventions such as the steam engine and processes such as large-scale iron smelting, industrial entrepreneurs were able to mechanize labor, which allowed for a host of new efficiencies such as division of labor, mass production, and global distribution.
You'll discover the science behind some of the most astounding inventions in modern history, including the spinning jenny, the incandescent light bulb, and the computer processor. You'll learn how these inventions came about and consider what effects these technologies had on every aspect of human life.
Get an inside look at the history of industrial innovation and explore the lives of engineers, inventors, architects, and designers responsible for changing the world - as well as ordinary workers who lost their livelihoods to new technologies and suffered from unsafe working conditions. The story of the Industrial Revolution is complex, and these lectures will leave you with a new appreciation for the amazing human achievements all around us.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.
More from the same
What listeners say about The Industrial Revolution
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 11-10-2020
Amazing
A great lecture series. Patrick Allitt is as engaging as he is knowledgeable. Highly recommended
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Quaker
- 03-12-2014
Incredibly entertaining, balanced, comprehensive
Any additional comments?
This was a spectacularly well-researched, comprehensive and entertaining look at what has arguably been most important driving force of modern history. Patrick Allitt beautifully balances this tour of the big picture forces and trends that drove massive societal change with the fascinating personal stories of many, many individuals who played pivotal roles in driving these changes in their respective societies (the focus is appropriately first on Great Britain and then shifts to the people and parallel developments in the U.S. and other parts of the world).
I listened to this course immediately after finishing another of The Great Courses called Big History (also very highly recommended). It was the perfect follow-up, as that title puts the human Industrial Revolution in perspective as the latest era in a 13 billion year trend of increasing complexity in our universe. But that's another course..
I have listened to 4 or 5 of Professor Allitt's courses from The Great Courses series and they are all uniformly excellent. He gifted both as a scholar and as a storyteller. Highly recommended. 5 Stars!
24 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jacobus
- 05-11-2014
The story of human progress through technology
In “The Industrial Revolution” lecture series Prof Patrick N. Allitt (professor of American History at Emory University) introduces the listener in 36 half hour lectures packed with information, to those technologies which - according to him - we all take for granted and never think about until it is lacking. Then we react with annoyance.
Ironically enough, while listening to this series, South Africa was forced into load shedding (the switching off of power grids for a certain amount of time) due to a coal silo that collapsed at one of the coal power plantations. This followed an event where Rand Water couldn’t provide water to great areas of the Gauteng Province because of some pump failures. I therefore can say, Prof Allitt’s argument hit home!
He also argues in this course that the early industrialists were seen as people with big fat purses who extorted the working labour class to live in luxury. While this might be the case in some instances the legacy of the Industrial Revolution are the upliftment of the living standard of the peasant population partaking in the project. He makes a striking statement in the beginning of the course that the kings of old were poorer than the peasants of today. The Industrial Revolution came up with the idea of continuous improvement.
If you want to know how and why things have changed so drastically over the last 250 years, this course seems a good place to start. While half of the lectures are focussed on the Industrial Revolution as it began and progress in 18th century Britain, the rest of the lectures are split up in the Industrialisation of the United States of America, Europe, Russia, Japan, India, Taiwan and China. I thought Prof Allitt’s focus on technology and how it impacted on who won the Second World War was very informative and interesting.
I was amazed that he thought of Sub-Saharan Africa as backwards and not yet there (my words). I am not completely convinced that he knows what is happening in Africa. Maybe his statement is too sweeping.
I was intrigued by the idea that different political systems saw the need for industrialisation, though it failed miserably if the state was too authoritarian. Though not mentioned by him, it seems to me that Apartheid in South Africa also had industrialisation as its driving force - another odd marriage partner of the Industrial Revolution.
With his British accent and all, Prof Allitt is an excellent presenter and has compiled a very informative, thought-provoking course. Generally he seems to be neutral in his presentation and comes to an appreciation of the progress of humanity through industrialisation. (One thing that bothered me, was when he talked about the Protestant groupings as sects. I wonder if he is Anglican or Roman Catholic?)
In general this is an excellent well-prepared and researched course that covers a vast array of subjects relating to the Industrial Revolution (as Fredrik Engels dubbed it). Any listener will be challenged by the amount of information that needs to be thought through. I can almost guarantee that it will help you to orientate yourself in terms of your own biases and blind spots towards technology and progress.
26 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Marcus
- 10-02-2015
Patrick Allitt doesn't disappoint!
What made the experience of listening to The Industrial Revolution the most enjoyable?
The focus on individuals is great, and something you can find throughout Patrick Allitts Great Courses recordings.
What did you like best about this story?
Learning about Isambard Kingdom Brunel. A fantastic engineer with great stories centered around him.
What does Professor Patrick N. Allitt bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He has a very pleasant and classroom-like way of speaking, something I very much enjoy. It's sometimes obvious that he reads from a script, but most of the time it's just like being told the story straight from the experts mind, and that adds a layer of social interaction-feel to the learning experience that is essential for taking in what you're taught.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No, it's best to split it up in 30 to 90 minute sessions to get the best out of the material. You need time to reflect upon what you've learned and connect it to what you already know.
Any additional comments?
I find Patrick Allitts courses to be very easy to follow. He often focuses on one individual at a time and this approach is really enjoyable.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Pandora
- 28-10-2014
And Excellent Read for Broader Historical Context!
For anyone educating themselves in history, this book as a great source of historical context, and a wonderful illumination of the threads that connect the past with today.
Allitt could go a little too far into details, dates, and specifics at times, information that no one but real enthusiasts will easily remember, and my mind would start to wander. However, I thought I had, as I think most people do, a reasonable grasp of the industrial revolution, and this course enlightened me to quite a lot of new insights.
It was fascinating to hear the revolution split and contrasted by region, Britain versus the United States, and again versus India and China. What was also very insightful was the the course carried on much longer than I had anticipated, from wrought iron to microchips, drawing a continuity between two revolutions that I'd never considered. Attill does well in demonstrating the importance of certain tiny elements, like standardized threads on screws, to the workings of the whole industrial machine. The information was also quite holistic, illustrating many different factors from cultural attitudes in antiquity to geopolitics.
Allit is clearly an advocate of industrialization, and makes a number of provocative anthropologically based arguments, but does not flinch from the hardships and controversies.
All in all, while this course could occasionally stray into droning, I would recommend it. It taught me much about something I thought I knew, and definitely enriched and deepened my understanding of history and the world today.
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Chris
- 07-05-2020
Conservative bias with no acknowledgement of such
The book is too conservatively focused and pollyannaish with respect to the industrial revolution for my taste. The author appears to have a blindly conservative bent; I could handle this better if he acknowledged his bias and explained other opinions before giving his; he just gives his opinions as fact. The author seeks to justify the industrial revolution in a way that feels unnecessary and distracting from the historical perspective. Specific items that I believe are wrong stick out in my mind: He said "Teddy Roosevelt never had to work a day in his life." Even if Roosevelt did inherit wealth, it seems to me that he worked hard every day, including to recover from near bankruptcy. I think many would classify Roosevelt's trust-busting as benefiting the American economy. Irritatingly, he implies that Westinghouse was the inventor of alternating current, and does not mention Tesla. He said that the reason that the US didn't sign the Kyoto accord in 97 is because India and China would not sign it. Of course if the US would have had the guts to do so, they could have brought those two countries in line. The US was much more powerful then in the world than now.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Nancy in Norway
- 25-02-2015
Terrific detailed overview
What made the experience of listening to The Industrial Revolution the most enjoyable?
The author really puts the Industrial Revolution in a larger context that gives you both a wonderful sense of the age, and the social and economic forces that enabled the Industrial Revolution to take place first in the UK and later in the US.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Industrial Revolution?
I never fully understood how important the changes in land ownership and advances in agriculture were to bringing about the Industrial Revolution. Now I do.
Have you listened to any of Professor Patrick N. Allitt’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I have not listened to his other courses but he is really fun to listen to!
Any additional comments?
If you liked Walter Issacson's The Innovators you'll like this too, I think.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- SJS
- 22-10-2014
Fascinating and very well presented
This is the third course by Professor Allitt that I've listened to. The courses are very well organized and I find his lectures extremely engaging. He does a good job of presenting a balanced picture of both the good and bad, the admirable and the deplorable effects of the Industrial Revolution, although he does share his belief that the benefits vastly outweigh the costs (which I agreed with before and after listening to the course). I particularly like how he incorporates primary sources-- letters, newspaper articles or fiction of the time.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- L. Tagrin
- 07-06-2016
Good overview from an industrialist supporter
Overall, the author provides a good overview of the Industrial Revolution and it's benefits to civilization. The stories about specific figures are excellent and his analysis of the overall effects are quite good. I would question, however, his dismissal of the importance of the New Deal after WWII and his cheer leading for free trade. He positions as fact benefits without giving equal time to harm caused by lax regulation and modern trade deals. He also provides absolutely false information about the consensus among the scientific community concerning global warming and the role industrialization has had and continues to have in this issue. So just realize that this is a Thatcherite / Reaganite talking and take his pronouncements on some issues with a large grain of salt.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Michael
- 14-03-2015
Great Edu-tainment. Thought-provoking series.
If you could sum up The Industrial Revolution in three words, what would they be?
Compelling. Relevant. Enlightening.
Compelling series that reveals the evolution of the industrial society. You can still see the outlines of this historic journey around us everyday. Very thought-provoking when you consider the information age transitions we are living through now. Not just historic data, but a story of the evolution of our societies.
At first, the heavily accented delivery was a distraction, but it grew on me quickly. I actually came to like it very much.
I was sad to reach the end of this series. Informative and entertaining.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Wolfpacker
- 14-05-2015
The Kind of Teacher We'd All Like to Have
Allitt does a great job of giving the essence of the Industrial Revolution. He takes a broad swing from the mid 1700's to the present. The first half of the course concentrates on England, but you'll get a good overview of Germany, Asia, and , in particular, the US. America's contributions of unceasing innovation and the assembly line are given full coverage as well as its contribution to 20th-century wars.
This is a very worthwhile learning experience.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Olly Buxton
- 11-12-2016
really enjoyed this, though I want expecting to!
this course covers a far greater period than I had realised was part of the Industrial Revolution. professorAlitt has a jaunty tone (though sounds a tad like Alan partridge!) and kept me interested for the whole course. there are some fascinating insights, especially as to path dependency: many seemingly insignificant inventions and developments were completely game changing.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Chris
- 04-07-2016
Fascinating and detailed account
This course covers nearly two hundred years of development in technology, society and living standards. With such a huge topic I was expecting to either get not enough detail, or too much concentration on minor topics. I was wrong on both accounts.
The lecturer manages to find the perfect balance between the technical achievements themselves and their impact on people's lives. Starting with agriculture, the prof. discusses how small improvements in farming techniques and tools led to huge increases in productivity.
These ideas of tool making soon were turned on other areas, such as textile manufacturing. The course really takes off when the discussion turns to transport. The impact of first the canals and soon after the railways on life in Britain is astounding. The lecturer paints the picture vividly of how different life became in the wake of these achievements.
The course also covers industrial progress in the USA which I knew nothing about and was very interested about. Automobiles and planes both get their own lectures, and are extremely interesting topics.
My favourite parts of the course were when the lecturer discussed worker's rights and the impacts on the environment of the revolution. It is an amazing history that everyone should know about as it is so relevant to us. From working hours to weekends, everything was forged by a long battle against some pretty horrible bosses in factories. The lecturer really manages to bring this alive.
Overall I would say this course is fantastic and definitely worth a listen. What could have been a dry topic is covered in a very interesting and enthralling way.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- P. B. Hall
- 20-03-2019
Satisfying
A solid overview of this large topic, focussing first on the pre-machine origins of the British industrial phenomenon and its subsequent explosion, then shifting to America and the wider world. Dr Allitt is pleasing to the ear, delivering a well-constructed narrative at a measured pace in his Derbyshire accent.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jan
- 23-07-2015
Not perfect but very informative
A little too much data and not enough analysis but still fascinating and a good listen.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Peter
- 17-04-2015
Very good general introduction
Sweeping overview the development towards the modern economy, which provides a very powerful introduction to the subject to anyone wanting to learn the subject. The economist, such as I, would expect more focus and detail. Though the subject is industrial revolution the lecture goes on into post WWII economic development, and it never fully provides a fully and convincing explanation for why the revolution happened in England and at that particular point in time.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- cam
- 01-01-2021
An interesting and educational
I would definitely recommend listening to these lectures, it is factual yet fun and presenter has a enthusiastic tone which makes it even better.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kindle Customer
- 02-12-2020
Fascinating and engaging
I've now listened to a few of Prof. Allitt's courses and he's probably my favourite lecturer from The Great Courses. His presentation skills are spot on, a warm and friendly voice (reminds me of Jack Davenport), pleasant to listen to. With regards to the content, this was thoroughly enjoyable, especially for someone like myself who lives in the North of England where much of the content references. The course rattles along at a good pace, neither feeling rushed or light on details. Possibly the best Great Courses I've experienced so far.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Chris
- 21-11-2020
Good overview
This is a good overview of the Industrial Revolution and the lecturer is very good. My only reservation is that it keeps progressing forward in time way past what is normally considered the industrial revolution. I am near the end and we are practically at the present day. I would have preferred it end around 1900 at the latest and gone into more depth on the critical period from around 1750 - 1850.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Brett Hinsley
- 31-07-2020
Five stars from me
Five stars from me, fantastic well read really opens up your mind think where we would be without these incredible inventions well read didn’t lose interest great lecture
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 28-04-2020
Very good
An excellent account delivered in a vivid and engaging way. One of Audible’s best non fiction titles!
16 Best Audiobooks by Aboriginal Authors
Across genres, there’s no shortage of brilliant titles from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers of Australia.



25 Best Celebrity Audiobooks
It’s always a pleasant surprise to pick up a familiar story and find an unexpected famous friend in the narrator’s booth.



Best Audiobooks of 2020
We've crunched the numbers, heard from our listeners and gotten expert opinions to round up the best listens of 2020.


