I listen to podcasts all the time. They are fantastic entertainment while cleaning, pulling weeds, or doing other semi-mindless activities. I will frequently load up on favorite podcasts and listen for several hours at a time.
One of my all-time favorites is this one: 12 Byzantine Rulers, by Lars Brownworth.
It is a history of the Byzantine Empire told through the lives of 12 of the greatest Byzantine rulers. I was absolutely riveted to this podcast. The second to last episode (the one about the sack of Constantinople) almost made me cry. I've listened to the series at least twice now, and talking about it makes me want to listen again :)
Brownworth tells the history like a story. That is the way it should always be told, IMO. After all, what is history but a bunch of significant stories handed down through time. Brownworth knows his facts, and he delivers them with context and feeling.
Aside from the narrative quality, one of the things I really love about this podcast is Brownworth's understanding of the important role Christianity played in the history of the empire. You can't really talk about Byzantine history without talking about Christianity. It was the Byzantine Empire that birthed the Eastern Orthodox Church.
The other great thing about it: it is completely free!
You can download the audio files from the website or look it up in iTunes. The audio and narrative quality improve as the series progresses, so don't give up after the first couple episodes :)
Happy listening!
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3 comments:
Sounds interesting! I'm not much of an auditory learner, but this sounds like it's creative enough to actually "click" for me.
Thanks for the recommendation. I sent it to my husband. He's addicted to Podcasts and this sounds like one he'd like.
I'm loving your blog! I hope you keep it up. Thanks for the info on the podcasts, I'd love to listen to the one on the Byzantine Rulers. We're doing world history right now, so it'g great timing!
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