Thucydides, a participant in and chronicler of the Peloponnesian War, the long contest between Athens and Sparta in the fifth century B.C., is one of the most influential early Western historians. His detailed study of the conflict, HISTORY OF THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR, is still pored over by students of war and political science, and the fact-based method of historical study that he introduced has been influential down to the present day. Kagan presents Thucydides the man and asks readers to reconsider the conventional notion of this ancient author as a completely objective reporter of history. Paul Hecht’s reading is a textbook example of good nonfiction narration: It’s clear, confident, and consistent in tone and volume, making for pleasurable listening even in relatively noisy conditions.
Pub Date: April 2, 2010
Duration: 9 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781440790799
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This is history for the modern listener, clear, efficient, and reliable.
There’s something calming about listening to ancient history, as this well-researched audiobook amply demonstrates. Mark Elstob’s polished, quietly nuanced narration maintains distance and balance while giving full weight to the narrative’s many fine details. Elstob has narrated two of Goldsworthy’s previous audiobooks, companion histories of the long competition between Rome and Persia. He perfectly matches this prolific popular historian’s lucid and impartial narrative style and his knack for balancing a panoramic view with a close recreation of place and action. The long, contentious rivalry between Athens and Sparta turned victory over Persia into division and civil strife.
This is history for the modern listener, clear, efficient, and reliable.Pub Date: May 12, 2026
Duration: 20 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781549135439
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: May 12, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
Author/narrator William Dalrymple shares his fascination with the remarkable history of India's profound worldwide intellectual influence. His idiosyncratic and charming British speech and manner, along with his amiability and intelligence, are engaging throughout. His pacing and phrasing are natural, unaffected, and dictated by the material. He varies longish pauses--which allow the listener to absorb the sometimes complex details--with shorter sentences expressing excitement. His emphasis and shading of words, and his occasional deeply felt reactions, mirror the sense of the text and, therefore, illuminate it. The clear, unpretentious narration that takes the listener through this wide-ranging story of the spread of Indian religion, art, philosophy, mathematics, and science makes for an educational pleasure.
Pub Date: April 29, 2025
Duration: 13 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781639734689
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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