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The Great Tours: Greece and Turkey, From Athens to Istanbul Course Guidebook
Listening Length 12 hours and 24 minutes
The shimmering turquoise waters and lost worlds of the Aegean await you. Grab your travel hat and join us for a unique cultural journey to the dramatic landscapes of Greece and Turkey - to dazzling ancient cities, majestic empires, and magical treasures of history.
This is a land of gods and heroes. Here great myths came to life and epic battles were fought, and the wondrous remains of ancient civilizations still call to you from across the centuries.
In The Great Tours: Greece and Turkey, from Athens to Istanbul, award-winning Professor John R. Hale of the University of Louisville is your guide to the fabulous civilizations of the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans, and to the natural wonders and idyllic landscapes that surround them.
These 24 richly enjoyable lectures give you the chance to experience these important sites and cultures through the eyes of an expert archaeologist and scholar, whose knowledge and depth of insight go far beyond any ordinary travel narrative. In each site, you explore the critical history and culture that defined it and the ways in which it influenced our modern world. These lectures offer both a rich resource for travelers preparing to visit these distant lands and a multilevel cultural journey that can be enjoyed just as well from the comfort of home.
The shimmering turquoise waters and lost worlds of the Aegean await you. Grab your travel hat and join us for a unique cultural journey to the dramatic landscapes of Greece and Turkey - to dazzling ancient cities, majestic empires, and magical treasures of history.
This is a land of gods and heroes. Here great myths came to life and epic battles were fought, and the wondrous remains of ancient civilizations still call to you from across the centuries.
In The Great Tours: Greece and Turkey, from Athens to Istanbul, award-winning Professor John R. Hale of the University of Louisville is your guide to the fabulous civilizations of the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans, and to the natural wonders and idyllic landscapes that surround them.
These 24 richly enjoyable lectures give you the chance to experience these important sites and cultures through the eyes of an expert archaeologist and scholar, whose knowledge and depth of insight go far beyond any ordinary travel narrative. In each site, you explore the critical history and culture that defined it and the ways in which it influenced our modern world. These lectures offer both a rich resource for travelers preparing to visit these distant lands and a multilevel cultural journey that can be enjoyed just as well from the comfort of home.
158 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
7 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
John R. Hale
19 books42 followersAlso known as J.R. Hale.
Sir John Rigby Hale FBA (17 September 1923 – 12 August 1999) was a British historian and translator, best known for his Renaissance studies.
Hale was born in Ashford, Kent. He was educated at Jesus College, Oxford (B.A., 1948, M.A., 1953). He also attended Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University (1948–49).
He was a Fellow of the British Academy and Emeritus Professor of Italian History at University College, London, where he was head of the Italian Department from 1970 until his retirement in 1988. His first position was as Fellow and Tutor in Modern History at Jesus College, Oxford, from 1949 to 1964. After this he became the first Professor of History at Warwick University where he remained till 1970. He taught at a number of other universities including Cornell and the University of California.
He was a Trustee of the National Gallery, London, from 1973 to 1980, becoming Chairman from 1974. He was made a Knight Bachelor on 20 August 1984.
In 1992, he suffered a severe stroke that caused aphasia. He died seven years later in Twickenham, after which his wife, the journalist Sheila Hale, wrote a book about his final years titled The Man Who Lost His Language.
Sir John Rigby Hale FBA (17 September 1923 – 12 August 1999) was a British historian and translator, best known for his Renaissance studies.
Hale was born in Ashford, Kent. He was educated at Jesus College, Oxford (B.A., 1948, M.A., 1953). He also attended Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University (1948–49).
He was a Fellow of the British Academy and Emeritus Professor of Italian History at University College, London, where he was head of the Italian Department from 1970 until his retirement in 1988. His first position was as Fellow and Tutor in Modern History at Jesus College, Oxford, from 1949 to 1964. After this he became the first Professor of History at Warwick University where he remained till 1970. He taught at a number of other universities including Cornell and the University of California.
He was a Trustee of the National Gallery, London, from 1973 to 1980, becoming Chairman from 1974. He was made a Knight Bachelor on 20 August 1984.
In 1992, he suffered a severe stroke that caused aphasia. He died seven years later in Twickenham, after which his wife, the journalist Sheila Hale, wrote a book about his final years titled The Man Who Lost His Language.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 14, 2025
Watched the DVD version of this and read the 158 page course guidebook — thoroughly enjoyed it and learned so much.
Lecturer is Dr. John Hale, archaeologist and head of Liberal Studies at University of Louisville. He’s excellent, easy to follow and the pictures of sites very good. Just enough personal opinion and stories to keep it all real. About 3/4ths of the set is on Greece, I was hoping for more about Turkey. But the Greece (and Greek islands) parts so interesting that I didn’t mind (and now am wishing for a trip to Greece in the future. . .).
Great Course series always good but this one very good.
Lecturer is Dr. John Hale, archaeologist and head of Liberal Studies at University of Louisville. He’s excellent, easy to follow and the pictures of sites very good. Just enough personal opinion and stories to keep it all real. About 3/4ths of the set is on Greece, I was hoping for more about Turkey. But the Greece (and Greek islands) parts so interesting that I didn’t mind (and now am wishing for a trip to Greece in the future. . .).
Great Course series always good but this one very good.
April 22, 2025
Edited: Because, apparently, The Goodreads phone app hates speech-to-text and will sabotage my ass every single time.
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Thoroughly enjoyed. A bit much Greece and not enough Türkiye to be ideal for me, but my dream tour would have been 90% Türkiye and 10% Greece. Still, a damn fine tour of the area by someone who clearly loves the region and has an amazing amount of knowledge about it. I’d give it 10 stars if I could. I wish all of the Great Tours from The Great Course were this well done.
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Thoroughly enjoyed. A bit much Greece and not enough Türkiye to be ideal for me, but my dream tour would have been 90% Türkiye and 10% Greece. Still, a damn fine tour of the area by someone who clearly loves the region and has an amazing amount of knowledge about it. I’d give it 10 stars if I could. I wish all of the Great Tours from The Great Course were this well done.
December 19, 2020
“The Great Tours: Greece and Turkey, from Athens to Istanbul” is a Teaching Company 2011 Great Course narrated by Professor John R. Hale. The course reviews by Harvard University, Wall Street Journal, and Los Angles Times call the course “inspirational, passionately erudite, and a serious force in American education. The video reference and course guide book are both exceptional. The course has 24 lectures, and the 158 page guide book includes reference maps. Each course presentation lasts 30 to 35 minutes. (P)
August 28, 2024
Outstanding course. At this time I focused on the Turkey and Istanbul portions since that's my focus for our next trip. John Hale's narration and descriptions reminded me why I so desperately wanted to take this trip. I can't wait to see the areas he described from both a historical perspective and how to observe these regions in the modern era.
December 4, 2024
Excellent travelog.
December 20, 2024
Excellent and entertaining travelogue
January 10, 2026
This made me look at Greece with new years when I visited…. Almost like an insider, at times knowing more than the locals did 😅
February 29, 2024
Very enjoyable
Took me back to a few places I have stood.., and transported me to others. A great virtual travel experience. Super knowledgeable professor. Recommended!
Took me back to a few places I have stood.., and transported me to others. A great virtual travel experience. Super knowledgeable professor. Recommended!
April 18, 2024
Si tienes planeado viajar a Grecia o Turquía antes de comprar nada, escucha o lee este curso.
Te dará ideas, lugares que visitar, lo que verás. Las dificultades que tendrás y cómo superarlas.
Magnífico curso.
Te dará ideas, lugares que visitar, lo que verás. Las dificultades que tendrás y cómo superarlas.
Magnífico curso.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews