A History of Greece, Volume 1

By: Cyril Robinson

Narrated by: Charlton Griffin

A History of Greece is the thrilling story of the rise to power and influence of the greatest civilization the world has ever known. As Cyril Robinson's exquisite narrative unfolds, we find ourselves plunged into mankind's greatest and most magnificent adventure. The story begins in Minoan Crete, but quickly shifts to a dimly understood mainland culture. We follow the heroic deeds of the Mycenians and the Trojan War, the glorious artistic and intellectual triumphs of the Ionians, the turmoil of the Doric invasion and resultant dark age, the slow recovery culminating in the epic Persian wars and the renewed splendor of Periclean Athens. In the fifth century B.C., philosophy, literature, art, and architecture reach a pinnacle in Athens which no civilization has ever equaled. But civil strife soon follows and eventually embroils all of Greece.

©2001 Audio Connoisseur

To get the most out of this book...

To get the most of this book, you need to have a good map of Ancient Greece and the territory surrounding the Aegean Sea. Keep it handy. Also, it will be helpful to understand what the Isthmus and Acropolis are, look them up before hand.

The narrator was the same as in the book "Hannibal, One Man Against Rome" and he was so good I followed him to this book. I was NOT disappointed. The book started out slow and it wasn't until chapter 5 that I really took interest. It was amazing that, despite all the wars that were fought between their city-states like Athens and Sparta, Greece gave rise to experiments in democracy and serious philosophical and scientific inquiry.

The level of detail in this book can make it hard on the history novice. Despite that, someone new to Greek history can gain a lot by reading this book.

Easy to listen to

I liked the style of this narrator. Combined with skillful writing, this book is easy to listen to. The English accent is not as strong as in some other audio history books. It is very detail, not at all just an overview, so if a short history is what you are looking for, this book is not for you. If you are seeking greater insight into the history of Greece, I would definitely recommend this book.

Uninspired.

Because my initial impression was at odds with the reviews of others, I listened to this book a second time. The redux did not alter my initial assessment that the author failed to establish a meaningful vantage point from which to recount early Greek history. Except for the details of the many wars and skirmishes, there is little here to differentiate Greek civilization from any other Mediterranean society prior to 350 BC. The forces that led to the Greek?s extraordinary achievements in philosophy, science, art, architecture and politics remain as obscure as when I began. Undoubtedly, Griffin?s pleasant, intelligent and empathetic voice is the strength of this selection.

Fantastic!

After thoroughly enjoying a History of Rome, I couldn't wait to get to what I think now is Cyril Robinson's equally impressive work on Greece. I love the prose, but it may not be done justice better than anyone but Charlton Griffin. He is narration is crisp, like he memorized the whole book and is reading it as a soliloquy. It wasn't dry to me in any way. If you listen you will find an epic history of a fascintating people who still have a great influence on us today.

Greece as the Greeks saw it

It is nearly impossible to make it through the American educational system without learning the significance of ancient Greece to western culture, but Cyril Robinson brings this story to life through the (pompous and sometimes overly dramatic) portrayal of Greek history. Nevertheless, Robinson has a talent for placing the ?reader? behind the eyes of those who witnessed the rise of democracy, the mastery of trade in the Aegean and the Mediterranean, the generation-by-generation refinement of art to its simplest and barest essence, the intransigence of the Greek city states, the elation of the conquerors and the horror of the conquered. As the book progresses, you begin to see that our present way of life has been so polarized by the ancient Greeks that we must ask if it is possible for the modern mind to imagine a different way of life. Indeed, our civilization is still wrestling with many of the same dilemmas that ultimately lead to the demise of this remarkable group of people. In summary, Robinson?s book offers not only a clearer appreciation of the contributions of the ancient Greeks to our culture, but a specific recognition of where they went wrong.