Articles from the Great Courses to take Category


Human Prehistory and the First Civilizations

To explore: http://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/human-prehistory-and-the-first-civilizations.html Where do we come from? How did our ancestors settle this planet? How did the great historic civilizations of the world develop? How does a past so shadowy that it has to be painstakingly reconstructed from fragmentary, largely unwritten records nonetheless make us who and what we are? This course brings you the answers that the latest scientific and archaeological research and theorizing suggest about human origins, how populations developed, and the ways in which civilizations spread throughout the globe. It is a narrative of the story of human origins and the many ties that still bind us…Read More

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The American Civil War

Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles streams ran red with blood, and the United States was truly born. Leading Civil War historian Professor Gary W. Gallagher richly details the effects of the Civil War on all Americans. You’ll learn how armies were recruited, equipped, and trained. You’ll learn about the hard lot of prisoners. You’ll hear how soldiers on both sides dealt with the rigors of camp life,…Read More

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The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World

Explore this course Imagine you’re a Greek soldier marching into battle in the front row of a phalanx. Or an Egyptian woman putting on makeup before attending an evening party with your husband. Or a Celtic monk scurrying away with the Book of Kells during a Viking invasion. Welcome to the other side of history, the 99% of ordinary people whose names don’t make it into the history books—but whose lives are no less fascinating than the great leaders whose names we all know. Here you’ll encounter such diverse individuals as

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