The Great Courses

Spain has played a unique and essential role in Western civilization....

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....

These 24 lectures trace a journey from Scandinavia across central Europe to the farthest reaches of the Byzantine and Islamic empires, providing insight to this one-lost era....

In this series of 24 fascinating lectures you'll investigate how the human brain is sculpted by evolution and other factors....

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

Embark on a journey to the very beginning of writing as a tool of language and see how the many threads of history and linguistics came together to create the alphabet that forms the foundation of English writing....

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

What did you eat at your last meal? Can you recall the flavor, the aroma, the temperature, the texture? Could you describe it in detail? If any of the specifics of that meal elude you now, then you were probably eating mindlessly....

Dr. Shumway and Dr. Wendler will help you understand the nature of neurodiversity, a growing school of thought that seeks to embrace the range of differences in individual brain function and behaviors rather than “correct” them, with a focus on empathy, acceptance, and accommodation.

You'll become engrossed in "the romance of the intellect," as Professor Sugrue opens a path for you into the inner structure of these timeless dialogues....

The French Revolution shook the foundations of the old world and marked a permanent shift for politics, religion, and society....

This engaging series of 30 lectures is rich in detail and near-cinematic portraits of the leaders and events of World War II....

These 24 wide-ranging lectures are the ideal guide through the world of anthropology, or the study of humanity across time and space....

Across six lectures, historian and consultant Alexander Marriotti traces the history of gladiators, from their earliest origins in Greek and Etruscan culture to their rise as celebrity athletes to their eventual decline as Rome’s imperial power faded.

Across six revealing lectures, Professor Jessica Hooten Wilson will introduce you to one of the 20th century’s most fascinating and divisive writers in Flannery O’Connor and the Scandal of Faith.

In the six lessons of Why Memoir Matters: Learning from the Lives of Others, associate professor and author Tahneer Oksman guides you through enduring categories and themes within the genre of memoir, exploring how these deeply personal stories work and why they are so impactful.

Professor Thad A. Polk takes you on a fascinating tour of the latest discoveries in the relatively new field of cognitive science. In 24 exciting lectures, Professor Polk shares dozens of the most challenging questions in cognitive science today.

In the 24 richly illustrated lectures of How Railways Transformed the World, you’ll experience the amazing world and impact of railways, from the early 19th century to today’s futuristic trains, including extensive material on the pleasure and appeal of rail travel today.

Owing to the legacy of slavery, African Americans have faced significant obstacles to obtaining the fundamental rights of freedom and citizenship. The consistent struggle among African Americans to gain their human rights live at the heart of the American experiment in democracy....

Over the course of 24 in-depth lectures, Professor Emily Graham, an Associate Professor of History at Oklahoma State University, surveys the global history of Christian sainthood....