Rated 5 out of 5 by CuriousityDrive from I learned a lot. Excellent professor! I just wanted to give this course a quick 5-star review since it is well deserved. I have watched +200 GreatCourses and this one would seem to at least be in the top 25%.First, I learned a lot and thus, IMHO, it is worth the time invested. Thus, I highly recommend it and, respectfully, do not agree with some of the negative reviews I have read about this course/the professor's presentation.Second, I GREATLY appreciated the professor's approach to scholarship and teaching, as well the way he thinks more generally. He does his 'homework' (i.e.., seems to know what he talking about), presents various theories, and then explains why he believes one of those is correct (or at least likely correct) in a VERY LOGICAL manner.Accordingly, this style reflects beautifully what many, including myself, always appreciated about the GreatCourses in the PAST.Unfortunately, SOME of the NEWER courses on this site have teachers with little or no background (i.e., academic credentials) in the subject they are teaching and they inject various opinions that are often reflect bias and/or are simply unsupported by facts.Hopefully, as part of the name change from Wondrium back to GreatCourses (in 2024), the company will also go back to its 'roots' in this regard--e.g., ALWAYS hire professors that actually have degrees in the subject they are teaching (which, respectfully, is not asking a lot of a company that is called 'TheGreatCourses') and NOT PERMIT biased/unsupported remarks (e.g., by those who have some axe to grind and/or grievance to push WITHOUT facts to back such remarks up).Finally, the professor's passing at such a young age is a terrible loss.
Date published: 2024-06-03
Rated 5 out of 5 by MStoehr from Exceptionally well organized and thoughtful This is a real, serious course. Professor fa*gan covers the strategy and tactics of these battles clearly and effectively. He also examines how we know what we know and to what extent we should trust scholarly efforts to fill in blanks in the historical record. I would have loved a real live course from Professor fa*gan.
Date published: 2024-03-20
Rated 4 out of 5 by EngineerinVA from Battlefield, Not Warfare This is a compendium of battlefield accounts in the ancient Mediterranean from the origins of state warfare in the Mesopotamia to the Gothic defeat of the Romans in 378 CE. Note that this course looks only at what happened on the battlefield. It minimizes or overlooks such essential issues as the strategic situation, the political context, and the logistics supporting the battle. In other words, it looks at the battle but it ignores the war.As I mentioned, the course examines battles only in the ancient Mediterranean. Mostly, it focuses on Greece. The lectures break down this way:•2 lectures – Introductory material.•3 lectures – Mesopotamia and Egypt•11 lectures – Greece and Macedonia•7 lectures – Rome•1 lecture – Concluding materialDr. fa*gen is a good, although not elite, instructor. His Irish accent is pronounced but he is still easy to follow.The course guide is written in paragraph form, as opposed to bullet-format or outline-format as used in some other course guides. It contains many battle maps and graphics of weapons to illustrate the discussion. It also contains a timeline, a glossary, and biographical notes, in each case much more extensive and useful than in most course guides.I used the audio version. I wish now that I had gotten the video version. I believe that maps, pictures of weapons, etc. would enhance the learning experience. One can follow the audio version, for example while commuting or jogging, but I think that watching the course would be better.The course was published in 2005.
Date published: 2022-11-01
Rated 5 out of 5 by TP Jordan from Learned a Great Deal I enjoyed the course. I believe I have read something individually about almost every battle described in this lecture series; but Professor fa*gan did a super job of synthesizing all of the individual lessons learned into a coherent system that led to a deeper understanding.Not sure I understand his apparent antipathy toward Victor Davis Hansen, whom I also admire; but he did convince me to buy a copy of Carnage and Culture in any event.
Date published: 2022-06-27
Rated 5 out of 5 by Vance T from Great Battles Coverage I watched the first lecture (of 24) of Great Battles of the Ancient World. The lecturer for all 24 topics is Garret fa*gan. Topic is very engaging for the study I am interested in. I like his style. Walks around the front of "the class" without cameras jumping from angle to angle. No monotone. Makes you feel more like you are sitting in his classroom. No quizzes or test, just enjoyable lecture that i can do on my own time.
Date published: 2022-05-20
Rated 3 out of 5 by Gorvid from Great Battles, but Mediocre lecture I've lost count of how many programs I've purchased from this company. Most of them have been good, however, this one doesn't come up to the level expected. He talks more about what information is not available and the failings of other authors than interesting lectures on early warfare.
Date published: 2022-03-16
Rated 5 out of 5 by gwjazz from "War War War-Fiddle Dee Dee" Anyone who uses Victor Davis Hansen as a reference is a kindred spirit. fa*gan does an excellent job going through the history of Ancient Mediterranean warfare. Wisely, he gives multiple versions and interpretations of the causes and results, with his own opinion as to which he agrees with. My only caveat is that for some reason I only got the audio, which is frustrating as to figure out the archeology and battle formations. His last lecture summary of warfare is spot on, but his intro to why we war could have easily been answered if attended a Sunday School class-ie "Thou shalt not covet", Cain/Abel, King Ahab, etc. Highly recommended
Date published: 2022-03-05
Rated 1 out of 5 by Jim D from Sadly had to return I am a huge fan of the Great Courses and appreciate their money back guarantee. Sadly, this is the first time out of 12 courses that i had to take advantage of this. I am sure Professor fa*gan is knowledgeable and an expert in his field. I was very much looking forward to this course. I had to return it as I could not get past the Professor's accent. I spent more time trying to understand the words than i did focusing on their context. It is a shame as the professor seemed sincere; however, i was totally distracted and had difficulties making out the words. This may be my problem only as I haven't seen others comment on it. If so, please take it as an outlier. In any event I could not get past the first lecture. Thanks to the Great Courses for their total satisfaction policy. I will continue to be a strong proponent of the Great Courses as well as an avid user.
Date published: 2021-12-22
