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The Wisdom of History
- Narrated by: J. Rufus Fears
- Length: 18 hrs and 18 mins
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The Wisdom of History
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Summary
Do the lessons passed down to us by history, lessons whose origins may lie hundreds, even thousands of years in the past, still have value for us today? Is Santayana's oft-repeated saying, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it", merely a way to offer lip service to history as a teacher - or can we indeed learn from it? And if we can, what is it that we should be learning?
In this unflinching series of 36 lectures, a world-renowned scholar makes the case that we not only can learn from history, but must.
Drawing on decades of experience as a classical historian, Professor Fears explores history's patterns to conclude that ignoring them - whether by choice or because we've never learned to see them - is to risk becoming their prisoner, repeating the mistakes that have toppled leaders, nations, and empires throughout time.
In this personal reflection on history, Professor Fears has taken on the challenge of extracting the past's lessons in ways that speak to us today, showing us how the experience of ancient empires such as those of Rome and Persia have much to teach us about the risks and responsibilities of being a superpower.
He shows how the study of those who left their impact on an earlier world - Caesar Augustus or Genghis Khan, George Washington or Adolf Hitler, Mahatma Gandhi or Josef Stalin - can equip us to make responsible choices as nations, citizens, or individuals in a post-9/11 world where those choices are more crucial than ever.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
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What listeners say about The Wisdom of History
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Rob.
- 21-02-19
The distortion of history.
The narrator needs to stick to the facts and keep his personal opinions to himself, especially towards the end of the lecture.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 17-08-19
Wonderful and delicious
It is a very interesting approach to history. The lecturer reminded me of the inspiring teachers I had in university. This is not a course, it is an amazing experience.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Deus
- 19-01-17
A lecture by Uncle Sam himself
If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?
It will be enjoyed more by the jingoistic crowd from America. The America F&$k yeah type.
What could The Great Courses have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
Removing factual inaccuracies. His grasp of history seems very slim.
What about Professor J. Rufus Fears’s performance did you like?
Nice storytelling.
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Wisdom of History?
The later aspects involving Lincoln, Roosevelt and the Vietnam war.
Any additional comments?
Please do not label this as "The wisdom of world history". That is false advertising. This should be labelled as "An American perspective on world history" or something of the sort. This is the most biased course I've ever listened to. Even things I generally agree with come out as propaganda in the manner with which it is told.
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9 people found this helpful