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Caesar
- Life of a Colossus
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 24 hrs and 46 mins
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Publisher's summary
Tracing the extraordinary trajectory of Julius Caesar's life, Adrian Goldsworthy covers not only the great Roman emperor's accomplishments as charismatic orator, conquering general, and powerful dictator but also lesser-known chapters. Ultimately, Goldsworthy realizes the full complexity of Caesar's character and shows why his political and military leadership continues to resonate some 2,000 years later. In this landmark biography, Goldsworthy examines Caesar as a military leader, as well as his other roles, and places his subject firmly within the context of Roman society in the first century B.C.
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Napoleon
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- By: Michael Broers
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 20 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Written with great energy and authority - and using the newly available personal archives of Napoleon himself - the first volume of a majestic two-part biography of the great French emperor and conqueror.
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Clarity
- By Tad Davis on 03-25-19
By: Michael Broers
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A History of the Roman Republic
- By: Cyril Edward Robinson
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 19 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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The story of the Roman Republic is the greatest epic in human history. Seen in the long perspective of time, it seems too fantastic to be real. From her modest beginnings as a convenient fording place on the Tiber to her eventual destiny as the mistress of the Mediterranean, Rome offers a strange tale of fate, sacrifice, and indomitable willpower. The stern realities of war shaped Rome's policies from the very beginning.
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Excellent overview
- By jaime on 05-14-15
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The Death of Caesar
- The Story of History's Most Famous Assassination
- By: Barry Strauss
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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William Shakespeare's gripping play showed Caesar's assassination to be an amateur and idealistic affair. The real killing, however, was a carefully planned paramilitary operation, a generals' plot put together by Caesar's disaffected officers and designed with precision. Brutus and Cassius were indeed key players, but they had the help of a third man - Decimus. He was the mole in Caesar's entourage, one of Caesar's leading generals, and a lifelong friend.
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Absorbing
- By Jean on 03-24-15
By: Barry Strauss
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Sicily
- An Island at the Crossroads of History
- By: John Julius Norwich
- Narrated by: Michael Healy
- Length: 14 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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"Sicily," said Goethe, "is the key to everything." It is the largest island in the Mediterranean, the stepping-stone between Europe and Africa, the link between the Latin West and the Greek East. Sicily's strategic location has tempted Roman emperors, French princes, and Spanish kings. The subsequent struggles to conquer and keep it have played crucial roles in the rise and fall of the world's most powerful dynasties.
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DISAPPOINTING
- By SRdto on 11-22-16
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The Thirty Years War
- By: C. V. Wedgwood
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 19 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Initially, the Thirty Years War was precipitated in 1618 by religious conflicts between Protestants and Catholics in the Holy Roman Empire. But the conflict soon spread beyond religion to encompass the internal politics and balance of power within the Empire, and then later to the other European powers. By the end, it became simply a dynastic struggle between Bourbon France and Habsburg Spain. And almost all of it was fought out in Germany. Entire regions were depopulated and destroyed.
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One of the World's Great History Books.
- By Judith A. Weller on 08-25-12
By: C. V. Wedgwood
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Napoleon
- A Life
- By: Adam Zamoyski
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 27 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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The story of Napoleon has been written many times. In some versions, he is a military genius, in others a war-obsessed tyrant. Here, historian Adam Zamoyski cuts through the mythology and explains Napoleon against the background of the European Enlightenment and what he was himself seeking to achieve. This most famous of men is also the most hidden of men, and Zamoyski dives deeper than any previous biographer to find him. Beautifully written, Napoleon brilliantly sets the man in his European context.
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Fascinating
- By Jean on 04-01-19
By: Adam Zamoyski
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The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta
- The Persian Challenge
- By: Paul A. Rahe
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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More than 2,500 years ago, a confederation of small Greek city-states defeated the invading armies of Persia, the most powerful empire in the world. In this meticulously researched study, historian Paul Rahe argues that Sparta was responsible for the initial establishment of the Hellenic defensive coalition and was, in fact, the most essential player in its ultimate victory.
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Excellent Investigation Undermined by Bad Editing
- By Richard on 02-12-16
By: Paul A. Rahe
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Terrific
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This pie was all crust, no filling
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You know my name...say it.
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Very good
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Fun Story Bad History
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The Civil War
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The Civil War is Julius Caesar’s personal account of his war with Pompey the Great - the war that destroyed the five-hundred-year-old Roman Republic. Caesar the victor became Caesar the dictator. In three short books, Caesar describes how, in order to defend his honor and the freedom of both himself and the Roman people, he marched on Rome and defeated the forces of Pompey and the Senate in Italy, Spain, and Greece.
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Caesar vs Pompey
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Julius Caesar
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More than 2,000 years after his death, Julius Caesar remains one of the great figures of history. He shaped Rome for generations, and his name became a synonym for "emperor" - not only in Rome but as far away as Germany and Russia. He is best known as the general who defeated the Gauls and doubled the size of Rome's territories. But, as Philip Freeman describes in this fascinating new biography, Caesar was also a brilliant orator, an accomplished writer, a skilled politician, and much more.
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Not very good...
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Scipio Africanus
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Scipio Africanus (236-183 BC) was one of the most exciting and dynamic leaders in history. As commander, he never lost a battle. Yet it is his adversary, Hannibal, who has lived on in public memory. As B. H. Liddell Hart writes, "Scipio's battles are richer in stratagems and ruses - many still feasible today - than those of any other commander in history." Any military enthusiast or historian will find this to be an absorbing, gripping portrait.
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Excellent performance of a tough script.
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Augustus
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Caesar Augustus has been called history's greatest emperor. It was said he found Rome made of clay and left it made of marble. With a senator for a father and Julius Caesar for a great-uncle, he ascended the ranks of Roman society with breathtaking speed. His courage in battle is still questioned yet his political savvy was second to none. He had a lifelong rival in Mark Antony and a 51-year companion in his wife, Livia. And his influence extended perhaps further than that of any ruler who has ever lived.
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Ancient biographies are hard
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Hannibal
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More than 2,000 years ago one of the greatest military leaders in history almost destroyed Rome. Hannibal, a daring African general from the city of Carthage, led an army of warriors and battle elephants over the snowy Alps to invade the very heart of Rome's growing empire. But what kind of person would dare to face the most relentless imperial power of the ancient world? How could Hannibal, consistently outnumbered and always deep in enemy territory, win battle after battle until he held the very fate of Rome within his grasp?
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very excellent book on Hannibal; highly recommend
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Philip and Alexander
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This definitive biography of one of history's most influential father-son duos tells the story of two rulers who gripped the world - and their rise and fall from power.
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Horrible narrator
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Ancient Rome
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With commanding skill, Thomas R. Martin tells the remarkable and dramatic story of how a tiny, poor, and threatened settlement grew to become, during its height, the dominant power in the Mediterranean world for 500 years. Encompassing the period from Rome's founding in the eighth century BC through Justinian's rule in the sixth century AD, he offers a distinctive perspective on the Romans and their civilization by employing fundamental Roman values as a lens through which to view both their rise and spectacular fall.
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Great review and understanding of Christianity
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The Trojan War
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The Trojan War is the most famous conflict in history, the subject of Homer's Iliad, one of the cornerstones of Western literature. Although many listeners know that this literary masterwork is based on actual events, there is disagreement about how much of Homer's tale is true. Drawing on recent archaeological research, historian and classicist Barry Strauss explains what really happened in Troy more than 3,000 years ago. For many years it was thought that Troy was an insignificant place that never had a chance against the Greek warriors who laid siege and overwhelmed the city.
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Good summary of a great myth and its realities.
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By: Barry Strauss
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The Fall of Carthage
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- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
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The struggle between Rome and Carthage in the Punic Wars was arguably the greatest and most desperate conflict of antiquity. The forces involved and the casualties suffered by both sides were far greater than in any wars fought before the modern era, while the eventual outcome had far-reaching consequences for the history of the Western World, namely the ascendancy of Rome. An epic of war and battle, this is also the story of famous generals and leaders: Hannibal, Fabius Maximus, Scipio Africanus, and his grandson Scipio Aemilianus, who would finally bring down the walls of Carthage.
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Captivating
- By Jean on 03-25-19
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Babylon
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- By: Paul Kriwaczek
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Civilization was born 8,000 years ago, between the floodplains of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, when migrants from the surrounding mountains and deserts began to create increasingly sophisticated urban societies. In the cities that they built, half of human history took place. In Babylon, Paul Kriwaczek tells the story of Mesopotamia from the earliest settlements seven thousand years ago to the eclipse of Babylon in the sixth century BCE. Bringing the people of this land to life in vibrant detail, the author chronicles the rise and fall of power during this period.
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Solid overview 3000 years of history
- By Alsor2000 on 07-19-20
By: Paul Kriwaczek
What listeners say about Caesar
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- Mike From Mesa
- 08-31-15
Caesar and his times
Biographies have an in-built problem. They cover a person's entire life but, since that person generally does not do much worth recording until he or she becomes an adult, the part covering their childhood tends to be both boring and uninformative. Some people's early lives are interesting but most, like Caesar's, are generally bland and undocumented and the book ends up trying to fill space with no real information about the person and only speculation about the world in which he or she lived. Given that, Caesar is no better than most as a description of Julius Caesar's early life.
The book does pick up as Caesar enters politics and becomes truly interesting and informative when Caesar goes on campaign in Spain. From that point I found the book hard to put down and more informative than any other book I have read on either this period in Rome's history or on Caesar's life. Given how long ago the events in this book took place Mr Goldsworthy has done an excellent job of telling the reader when events are speculative and presenting not only what he believes to be the correct re-telling of what happened but also presenting other views and the reasons he believes the ones he specifies are the correct interpretations. This alone makes this book worth reading.
Once Caesar has gone on campaign with the Army the description of the events and battles he took part in go a long way to explaining why he is considered to be such a colossus of an individual. All of Caesar's battles are covered as well as an explanation as to why these were important to Rome and why Caesar was considered such a great general.
Caesar's return to Rome, his crossing of the Rubicon with his Army, his subsequent campaigns in the civil war and his terms as dictator are also covered in detail and the book only gets more interesting as it describes the events leading to Caesar's death. There is also a small section covering the subsequent civil war, the rise of Augustus and the end of the Republic although, as Mr Goldsworthy makes clear, the Republic had actually ended earlier than the assumption of the position of emperor by Augustus.
One of the things Mr Goldsworthy has done in this excellent book is present the world of that time as a real place with real people and at no time did I start thinking of Caesar and his world as anything other than composed of real living beings. It is easy when reading about life in the ancient world to think of places like Troy or Sparta as fictional locations rather than real live cities with real live people. Not so with this book.
Mr Perkins has done an excellent job in the narration and the book is well worth listening to if you are interested in the final years of the Roman Republic.
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86 people found this helpful
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- Steven
- 09-20-14
"Via Mea"
I trust Google translated "My Way" correctly the way, with the Sinatran vibe it connotes. I think a very even-handed look at an historical figure who's often been characterized as a power-hungry madman, setting the record straight on his case against the aristocrats of Rome. Goldsworthy paints a vivid picture of Roman political life circa 1st century BCE, how it sat on a figurative powder keg bound to be lit by any number of cravenly ambitious men, and how the events of 49 BCE conspired to make Caesar the one who crosses the Rubicon. The book also excellently portrays Caesar's generation of peers coming of age during the Social Wars, the bloody Sullan/Marian civil wars and Spartacus' uprising, when many of the Republic's ancient checks and balances were irreparably damaged. No surprise many saw use of violent force the only way to power while others, haunted by the Sullan/Marian dictatorships' recurrence, doubled down on stamping out any attempt at one man gaining special powers at the expense of the public good.
My only complaint (and this is due to my own laziness) is the middle third's concentration on the Gallic Wars. All those tribe names begin to sound the same after awhile and there's lots of talk about building camp and gathering supplies. I'm nitpicking really, b/c the Gallic campaigns are what forged Caesar the military genius- gave him his connection to his legions and in the process merely changed the couse of Western European history forever.
Derek Perkins narration is superb. Adrian Goldworthy's writing and research are superb.
Hail Imperator!
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- Connor
- 02-21-15
I Bought, I Listened, I Finished
Every March 15 I think about Julius Caesar, but since I only have a few thoughts, I decided that a 25 hour book would fill some gaps. As expected, it’s jam-packed with military battles and the political intrigue of the Roman Senate. But this book also shares details that left me in shock. For example, there was the widespread practice among Roman Senators of seducing a rival’s wife to gain a political advantage. Also, as a demonstration of leniency following a bloody battle, to cut off the hands of the defeated army and setting the soldiers free. I was also surprised by Caesar and Cleopatra’s motivations for becoming friends with benefits. And finally, the narration is delivered with an academic voice that frequently reminds us that demeaning, mutilating and using others was very acceptable in the ancient world.
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57 people found this helpful
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- Ryan
- 01-23-15
Excellent story read by an excellent narrator
for anyone who is a fan of history, especially roman history, this is a must read
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- B.
- 06-08-15
In-depth, interesting and expertly narrated
If you could sum up Caesar in three words, what would they be?
In-depth, expertly narrated
What did you like best about this story?
While the order of information some times jumps back and forth in a confusing way, the story of Caesar is brought to life here by Derek Perkins' excellent narration. I wish all history books were narrated by him quite frankly!Clocking in at 24 hours 46 minutes, this took me almost a month of daily driving to get through and I was enthralled through every bit. This really does feel like a complete telling of Caesar's life and done in a way that makes the events seem vivid and exciting.Highly recommended for fans of history and for those curious about the minutia of the daily life of Romans during the time of Caesar's life.
What does Derek Perkins bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Derek Perkins does a wonderful job of sounding authoritative but still playful. His pronunciation, diction and general style fits the subject matter wonderfully and enhances those few mundane areas. He does a fantastic job here, kept me interested through all ~25 hours of the book!
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The story of Caesar's capture by pirates was particularly entertaining. I won't spoil it here though!
Any additional comments?
Be aware, this is a LONG audiobook. Put aside a month to get through it.There is also a lot of similar sounding names and places, so if you don't have an ear for that you may find it a little confusing. The narration does help this a lot however, but be aware nonetheless.
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- chetyarbrough.blog
- 02-24-15
JULIUS CAESAR
Adrian Goldsworthy’s "Caesar: Life of a Colossus" surprisingly reveals that Gaius Julius Caesar is a methodical builder of power and prestige. Caesar is shown to be a giant of history after years of work as a self-confident manager of people and events. Caesar is pictured as a consummate leader that manages those in high and low positions in Roman society.
Caesar’s rise to power reminds one of Lincoln or Churchill rather than Alexander or Napoleon. Lincoln and Churchill are in their middle years of life as they rise to fame as influential orators and mature men of action. Alexander and Napoleon, though certainly men of action are young shooting stars. Alexander and Napoleon are world conquerors in their 30s, while Caesar is in his 40s when fighting the Gallic wars; wars that only begin his steep climb to immortality and fame.
The Civil War and WWII solidify reputations for Lincoln and Churchill. The Gallic wars frame Caesar’s historic stature. Caesar, like Lincoln and Churchill, are seasoned by life before they become colossuses. Of course, Lincoln and Churchill are not entirely apt comparisons because Caesar created military and political loyalty at the front of combat while Lincoln and Churchill created loyalty from behind the lines.
Goldsworthy suggests that Caesar is one of the greatest leaders of all time. Driven by belief in his ability to understand the public, his soldiers, his competitors, and his enemies Caesar forged an empire. Through luck, skill, indefatigable energy, and intelligence, Caesar grasped power and used it to change the course of history.
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15 people found this helpful
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- Kevin
- 02-25-15
VERY DENSE!
The author is thorough and the material very dense. The narrator was competent but offered little passion. I finished the book - but it was a chore. Great topic. Not a great experience.
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14 people found this helpful
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- James
- 10-25-14
Arduous and confusing
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
This so-called Caesar biopic seemed more about a thousand other characters. The author seems desperate to drag it out, talking about numerous other generals, politicians, etc.
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- Kathy
- 05-27-15
Insightful and refreshing
An excellent treatment of Caesar, the world he lived in, and how he came to power. This puts Caesar in the context of waning days of the Republic, and situates him in pre-dawn of the Imperial era. Although Goldsworthy is clearly biased toward his subject, he argues his points well when grappling with questions and controversies raised by other scholars. I learned a lot--and really enjoyed it in the process.
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13 people found this helpful
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- M. Hansen
- 12-25-14
pretty good
The reader did OK, but could not quite decide how he wanted to pronounce the Latin words and names. At times he seemed to use "CHURCH" Latin and at other times he used 1st century bce pronunciations. It was distracting at times.
In general I liked the book and the performance.
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