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The End is Always Near

Apocalyptic Moments from the Bronze Age Collapse to Nuclear Near Misses

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The End is Always Near

By: Dan Carlin
Narrated by: Dan Carlin
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THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Do tough times create tougher people? Can humanity handle the power of its weapons without destroying itself? Will human technology ever peak or regress? And why, since the dawn of time, has it always seemed as though death and destruction are waiting just around the corner?

Combining his trademark thrilling, expansive storytelling with rigorous history and thought experiment, Dan Carlin connects past with future to explore the tipping points of collapsing civilisations – from the plague to nuclear war.

Looking across every brush with apocalypse, crisis and collapse, this book also weighs, knowing all we do about human patterns, whether our world is likely to become a ruin for future archaeologists to dig up and explore.

FROM THE CREATOR OF THE AWARD-WINNING, 100+ MILLION DOWNLOAD PODCAST HARDCORE HISTORY

Civilization Europe Military Weapons & Warfare World War Thought-Provoking Imperialism Imperial Japan Middle Ages Ancient History Middle East
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Critic reviews

‘Carlin puts the 'hardcore' in Hardcore History by focusing his narratives on the most violent and dramatic moments in human history, filling his show with colorful anecdotes that were most likely left out of your high school history class.’
Time
‘A master of storytelling, Dan Carlin uses vivid detail and intuitive empathy to imagine what it was like to live through the end of the world … Carlin's engaging and accessible style invites us to ponder the rise and fall of civilizations and ask where we are headed. The end of the world is not merely a catastrophe that waits for us down the road; it is a ghost that haunts the places we've already been.’
Mike Duncan, New York Times bestselling author of The Storm Before the Storm
‘This is the perfect thought experiment for anyone who believes the world is doomed, if only to remind them of one essential reality: the world has always, always seemed doomed…It feels odd to classify a book about barbarians and flu pandemics and the morality of nuclear war as fun, but that's the single best modifier for The End is Always Near. It's an apocalyptic discotheque.’
Chuck Klosterman, author of But What If We're Wrong?
‘For podcast fanatics, each new release is akin to the Super Bowl … Host Dan Carlin, a former radio broadcaster, brings both passion and showmanship as he unspools historical narratives with a flair for tension and intensity.’
AV Club
‘Walking listeners through Operation Barbarossa, the German attempt to capture Moscow, the Battle of Stalingrad, and Germany's ouster from the Soviet Union, Carlin is a wide-eyed, colorful guide to a dreadful story.’
Slate
‘Carlin serves as a notable example of… a person who can discuss issues deeply and idiosyncratically.’
Los Angeles Times
All stars
Most relevant
I enjoyed this audiobook, but I think it's important to those who are thinking about buying it to be aware that it's essentially a condensed 'best of' of the podcast shows. For long term listeners of the show, there is little new here apart from occasional information (mostly concerning the Bronze Age) that has been updated since the show that originally dealt with it aired. However, if you're like me, and frequently revisit the podcasts anyway then this shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Dan's narration took a little bit of getting used to, not because it's bad or anything, but because it is a little odd to hear him talking from a script rather than the much more casual style of the podcast.

Overall I liked the audiobook a lot and it was nice to hear many of the subjects he has spoken about in the past being brought together. The issues I have mentioned above aren't enough to keep it from being worth your time. I would especially recommend it to those new to the podcast.

An entertaining synthesis of the podcast

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Great for a Hardcore History fan. Dan Carlin is as engaging as ever. However, it repeats a lot of material from shows he has already done. The effect is similar to seven discreet, condensed podcast episodes. Still totally worth it though!

Great for a Hardcore History fan, but...

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Didn't take to the voice but enjoyed the information, relied on other people's research though.

Interesting stuff

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I havet listened to Dan Carlin for years, and finally bought the book. Simply brilliant.

Dan Carlin, as brilliant as always

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If you are used to the longer form 'podcast' then this may feel a little bit short, but it's still a great listen, especially for those not yet familiar with his work.

Dan has a way of engaging you that seems up make time fly, and this is coming from a person who has had almost no interest in historical learning at all.

Dan's delivery is on point as always

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