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The World Was Never the Same: Events That Changed History
Taught By Professor J. Rufus Fears, Ph.D., Harvard University, University of Oklahoma Course No. 3890

70% off for a limited time about our sales Choose a Format: which format should I buy? 36 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture DVD Audio CD Audio Download Average Customer Rating:
4.3 out of 5 6 of 8 (75%) customers w ould recommend the course to a friend. Read review s Write a review

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January 10, 49 B.C.: Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon River into Rome, igniting a civil war that leads to the birth of the worlds greatest ancient civilization. October 12, 1492: The Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus, weary after months at sea, finally drops anchor at the island of San Salvador and takes Europes first steps into the New World.

Course Lecture Titles

36 Lectures 30 minutes / lecture 1. Hammurabi Issues a Code of Law (1750 B.C.) (info) 2. Moses and Monotheism (1220 B.C.) (info) 3. The Enlightenment of the Buddha (526 B.C.) (info) 4. Confucius Instructs a Nation (553479 B.C.) (info) 5. SolonDemocracy Begins (594 B.C.) (info) 6. MarathonDemocracy Triumphant (490 B.C.) (info) 7. Hippocrates Takes an Oath (430 B.C.) (info) 8. Caesar Crosses the Rubicon (49 B.C.) (info) 9. JesusThe Trial of a Teacher (A.D. 36) (info) 10. Constantine I Wins a Battle (A.D. 312) (info) 11. Muhammad Moves to Medina The Hegira (A.D. 622) (info) 12. Bologna Gets a University (1088) (info) 13. Dante Sees Beatrice (1283) (info) 14. Black DeathPandemics and History (1348) (info) 15. Columbus Finds a New World (1492) (info) 16. Michelangelo Accepts a Commission (1508) (info) 17. ErasmusA Book Sets Europe Ablaze (1516) (info) 18. Luthers New Course Changes History (1517) (info) 19. The Defeat of the Spanish Armada (1588) (info) 20. The Battle of Vienna (1683) (info) 21. The Battle of Lexington (1775) (info) 22. General Pickett Leads a Charge (1863) (info) 23. Adam Smith (1776) versus Karl Marx (1867) (info)

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September 11, 2001: On a calm Tuesday morning, a series of terrorist attacks on the United States of America ignites a global war on terrorism that continues to this day. History is made and defined by landmark events such as these

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moments that irrevocably changed the course of human civilization. While many of us are taught that anonymous social, political, and economic forces are the driving factors behind events of the past, acclaimed historian and award-winning Professor J. Rufus Fears believes that its individuals, acting alone or together, who alter the course of history. These events have given us spiritual and political ideas, catastrophic battles and wars, scientific and technological advances, world leaders both influential and monstrous, and cultural works of unparalleled beauty. Without them, human history as we know it today would be shockingly unfamiliar. In short, because of these events, our world would never be the same again. Such is the approach of The World Was Never the Same: Events That Changed History, a captivating new course in which Professor Fearsa master storyteller and one of the most popular instructors on our Great Courses facultyprovides you with 36 of the most important and definitive events in the history of the world. Its an

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intriguing and engaging tour of thousands of years of human history, from the creation of the Code of Hammurabi (1750 B.C.) to the Battle of Lexington (April 19, 1775), to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s I Have a Dream speech (August 28, 1963), and beyond. And its a chance for you to learn new insights about world history at the hands of an engaging historian. An Experts Guide to Historys Greatest Moments So what makes a particular historical event so defining? Guided by his decades of immersion in the study of the past, Professor Fears narrows down the massive span of human history into 36 of its most powerful events. Using his expert knowledge and his impressive ability to draw out invaluable lessons from the past, he has chosen the events for The World Was Never the Same based on these three criteria: The event in itself fundamentally changed history.

The aftermath of the event changed history. The event and its impact still resonate with us today. The result is a comprehensive and authoritative selection of events, each of which played a crucial role in transforming human civilization. Whats more: Professor Fears avoids the common pitfall of treating his subject as a mere catalog or laundry list of events instead, he takes great care to make these lectures feel like a grand, epic narrative of human history. 36 Defining Events, 36 Captivating Stories Right from the first lecture, Professor Fears takes you back to the dawn of civilization; from there, you hopscotch across more than 3,000 years of history around the world, from the ancient city-states of Mesopotamia and Greece to medieval Europe and colonial America to revolutionary Russia and China. In each instance, Professor Fears weaves a captivating story about each event: what led up to it, how it unfolded, and how the world was changed as a result. More important, he uses these 36 events as guides for both understanding the past and learning from it. With The World Was Never the Same , youll learn about the importance of events that seem like logical choices, such as these: The trial of Jesus in A.D. 36, in which the spiritual message of this religious leader was forever immortalized and would lead to one of the worlds greatest world faiths The discovery of the New World on October 12, 1492, which ushered in a profound era of exploration and conquest that would revolutionize the economic and political balance of Europe and lead to the creation of the United States of America The Battle of Gettysburg on July 13, 1863, a pivotal battle in the American Civil War that would turn the tide in favor of the Union and the freedoms it sought to preserve The dropping of the first atomic bomb on August 6, 1945, which brought World War II to a swift conclusion but also signaled the start of the atomic age. Professor Fears also makes compelling cases for events that you might not have considered to be so revolutionary: The creation of the Hippocratic Oath in 430 B.C., a pledge (still taken today) that reflected the intellectual freedom of Athens and the sacred mission of a doctor The opening of the University of Bologna in 1088, which was Europes first university and whose structure provided the blueprint for many modern universities The inspiration for Dantes Divine Comedy on May 1, 1283, when the Italian poet first laid eyes on his beloved Beatrice, the woman who would lead him to write one of the greatest poems in the history of Western literature The Battle of Vienna on September 12, 1683, which pitted the Ottoman Turks against the Holy Roman Empire and laid the groundwork for todays tensions between East and West Whether its an obvious or not-so-obvious choice, Professor Fears takes great care to tie each event to the 21st century, pointing out just how influential these and other moments were in shaping who we are and how we live. As Professor Fears states at the start of his course, The best reason for studying history is not the accumulation of facts. It is to use the lessons of the past to make decisions in the present and to look into the future. History Taught by a Master If youve taken a Great Course with Professor Fears before, then The World Was Never the Same is his most impressive course yetthe perfect way to reconnect with him and his unique perspective on the past. And if you havent yet had the chance to learn with this master teacher and winner of more than 25 teaching awards, then prepare yourself for an engaging experience cherished by so many of our lifelong learners. Witty, engaging, and always informative, Professor Fears is the consummate history teacher. He draws you deep inside each event with his storytelling abilities; in many instances, he makes you feel as if youre actually there alongside the ideas as theyre being discovered, the conflicts as theyre being fought on land and sea, and the powerful speeches as theyre being delivered to crowds of thousands. Perhaps the greatest reward of these lectures is that they provide fuel for further thought and discussion. Listening to Professor Fearss impassioned explanations of why these particular events rank as the most important in human history is sure to prompt you to think about how you yourself understand and interpret the past. So join Professor Fears on this grand tour of historys greatest events. Its an

Karl Marx (1867) (info) 24. Charles Darwin Takes an Ocean Voyage (1831) (info) 25. Louis Pasteur Cures a Child (1885) (info) 26. Two Brothers Take a Flight (1903) (info) 27. The Archduke Makes a State Visit (1914) (info) 28. One Night in Petrograd (1917) (info) 29. The Day the Stock Market Crashed (1929) (info) 30. Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany (1933) (info) 31. Franklin Roosevelt Becomes President (1933) (info) 32. The Atomic Bomb Is Dropped (1945) (info) 33. Mao Zedong Begins His Long March (1934) (info) 34. John F. Kennedy Is Assassinated (1963) (info) 35. Dr. King Leads a March (1963) (info) 36. September 11, 2001 (info)

intellectual journey that proves how a single event can forever change the tides of history. More than just learning about history, youll feel as if youre actually engaging with it. About Your Professor Dr. J. Rufus Fears is the David Ross Boyd Professor of Classics at the University of Oklahoma, where he holds the G. T. and Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty. He also serves as the David and Ann Brown Distinguished Fellow of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University. Professor Fears is an acclaimed teacher and scholar who has won more than 25 awards for teaching excellence. Among these are the Medal for Excellence in College and University Teaching from the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, and the Great Plains Region Award for Excellence in Teaching and the National Award for Teaching Excellence from the University Continuing Education Association. He was also chosen as Professor of the Year on three occasions by students at the University of Oklahoma. Before joining the faculty at the University of Oklahoma, Dr. Fears was Professor of History and Distinguished Faculty Research Lecturer at Indiana University, as well as Professor of Classical Studies at Boston University. His books and monographs include The Cult of Jupiter and Roman Imperial Ideology Victory at Rome . Should I Buy Audio or DVD? While this course works well in all formats, the DVD version features more than 800 visual elements including maps and images to enhance your experience. Back to top and The Theology of

Customer Ratings & Reviews Summary

Average Custom er Rating: 4.3 out of 5 6 of 8 (75%) customers w ould recommend the course to a friend. Write a Review

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Overall Rating Course Content Professor Presentation Course Value

Incredibly Entertaining
better and better. Prof Fears is a great story teller." Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Date: December 23, 2010

"First lectures started a little slow but course gains momentum and becomes

(Report Inappropriate Review)

CommuterTom
(read all my reviews) Location: Virginia

Overall Rating Course Content Professor Presentation Course Value

Disappointing

Date: December 21, 2010

"I began this course with great enthusiasm, only to find the experience frustrating and disappointing. To be sure, Prof Fears is an enthusiastic speaker who is deeply moved by his chosen topics. I would also not argue that he is quite learned in a variety of subjects. However, the presentation of the information was at times far too slow in pace, delivered in a preaching style of speech, and often lapsed into theatrical conversational re-enactments of events. This course fell short of the level of sophistication and educational excellence I have come to expect from the Teaching Company." Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report Inappropriate Review)

lifelonglearnerMN
(read all my reviews) Location: Minnesota

Overall Rating Course Content Professor Presentation Course Value

Slow and Shallow

Date: November 28, 2010

"I'm obviously in the minority, but I had some real problems with this course. I found Dr. Fears's delivery painfully slow. To give you an idea, when I played it on 2X the speed, he sounded normal. Then each new half-hour lecture began with at least 5 minutes review of the

RobL

RobL
(read all my reviews) Location: Atlanta, GA

last lectures. That's a lot of wasted time. I think that 30 seconds of review is enough. I was also surprised and a little annoyed at some of the factual inaccuracies. I guess we can't expect the man to be an expert in every event that he talks about, but then after hearing a few, I couldn't help wondering about every other questionable fact. One example among several is when he's talking about the ten commandments. He specifically says that the original Hebrew says, "thou shalt not kill," and does not say, "thou shalt not murder." He comments on how the commandment is broad. But that's not true! The original Hebrew is about murder, not simple killing. Why call it out without bothering to check whether it's true? I also didn't really like the moralizing part of the lectures. Actually, he didn't do it very often, but every once in a while he'd preach some point of view of his about how we should live. I really wanted a HISTORY course. I'm currently listening to the excellent "Great Authors of the Western Literary Tradition." Some of the subjects in that series dovetail with this one, and the other one is a clear winner. I asked for my money back on this one."

8 of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report Inappropriate Review)

Overall Rating Course Content Professor Presentation Course Value

Exceptional

Date: November 25, 2010

"Just read all of the other reviews! Professor Fears is not only a great teacher but a wonderful storyteller. I imagine he has taken many Freshman and turned them into History majors! Our son is a history prof at GW and I will send him this set. Sure he knows most of it but he will still find it enjoyable and we can all learn from a master like Professor Fears."

StevenS
(read all my reviews) Location: NJ

1 of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report Inappropriate Review)

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