The Great Courses

These 36 eye-opening lectures deliver a comprehensive political and historical overview of one of the most fascinating and complex countries in world history....

In an exciting partnership with the Smithsonian, The Great Courses presents these 24 lectures that offer an unforgettable tour of Japanese life and culture....

Even after deciphering its hieroglyphs, and marveling at its scarabs, mummies, obelisks, and sphinxes, Egyptian civilization remains one of history's most mysterious....

This series of lectures offers detailed analyses of the strategic and tactical dimensions of the Civil War's most important campaigns....

Professor Nichols looks at each side of every argument, creating a balanced perspective that invites you to come to your own conclusions....

Most of us have a limited understanding of the powerful role economics has played in shaping human civilization. This makes economic history a vital lens through which to think....

Go beyond the myth and learn about the man who changed the face of the ancient world and laid the foundation for the great traditions of the Roman Empire....

The professors trace the narrative of Augustine's early life and the key events that led to his Christian conversion at age 31....

Immerse yourself in this epic story with 48 exhilarating half-hour lectures that cover the scope of Mesoamerican history and culture....

Learn how a single tongue spoken 150,000 years ago evolved into the estimated 6,000 languages used around the world today....

How is it possible for the disciplines of cosmology, geology, anthropology, biology, and history to fit together?....

Since the start of recorded history, and probably even before, people have been interested in answering questions about why we behave the way we do....

Even if you have listened to many of these illustrative pieces throughout your life you will never hear them the same way again after experiencing these lectures....

While American history spans not much more than two centuries, it is filled with a wealth of leaders, wars, movements, inventions, and ideas....

You'll investigate the mechanisms by which the church not only ministers to its worldwide flock but also deals with the practical realities of its administration....

The past truly comes alive as you take a series of imaginative leaps into the world of history's anonymous citizens....

Was King Arthur a real person? What about Robin Hood? Is the Holy Grail a cup, or something else altogether? Did Europeans really burn millions of people at the stake for witchcraft? These are just a few of the questions you will explore with the help of medieval scholar Dorsey Armstrong....

For more than 1,500 years, the literature of Great Britain has taught, nurtured, thrilled, outraged, and humbled readers both inside and outside its borders....

Professor Greenberg of San Francisco Performances returns with a fascinating and provocative premise: Despite the abstractness and the universality of music it is a mirror of the historical setting....

Throughout this series, you'll look deeply into the nature and role of faith, the ethos of our civilization....