William James Durant was a prolific American writer, historian, and philosopher, celebrated for making complex ideas accessible. His major works aimed to synthesize vast amounts of human knowledge, exploring the grand narrative of civilization and the evolution of philosophical thought. Durant's writing style was characterized by its clarity and engaging prose, making intellectual history a captivating subject for a broad readership. He sought to illuminate the development of human culture and ideas, offering readers a comprehensive and interconnected understanding of history's great thinkers and movements.
Volume 3 of the monumental Story of Civilization, CAESAR AND CHRIST depicts the rise of Rome from a crossroads town to empire. The world's first republic, Rome spread its civilization over the Mediterranean and western European world. Its long, slow crumbling and final collapse plunged Europe into darkness and chaos.The Pax Romana broke some heads. Jews felt the scourge in Judea, where Jesus of Nazareth met a dissident's death. His agony foreshadowed the Empire's over the next few centuries."Lively, stimulating and accurate." (Saturday Review of Literature)
The Age of Voltaire (Volume 9): A biography of a great man and the period he embodied. We witness Voltaire's satiric work in the salons and the theater as well as his banishment to England. With him we view the complex relationships between nobility, clergy, bourgeoisie and peasantry in the France of Louis XV. We explore the music of Bach and the struggle between Frederick the Great and Maria Theresa of Austria. And finally we hear an imaginary discussion between Voltaire and Pope Benedict XIV on the significance and value of religion.
Here is the first volume of this Story of Civilization, Our Oriental Heritage, complete in itself. Dr. Durant worked on it steadily from 1927 to 1932, & the book represents the third complete rewriting. Our Oriental Heritage deals first with the establishment of civilization, then takes up, not in rapid review but in richly fascinating detail, the colorful, complex dramas of the Near East, India & her neighbors, & the Far East. The story is carried up to mid-30s. The Story of Civilization represents the most comprehensive attempt in our times to embrace the vast panorama of human history & culture.
This final work by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Will Durant offers a deeply personal insight into his thoughts and experiences, revealing aspects of his life and philosophy. Discovered decades after his passing, the book is celebrated for its profound revelations, showcasing Durant's mastery in weaving history with personal reflection, making it a significant addition to his body of work.
This endlessly inspiring & instructive chronicle of the worlds greatest thinkers, from Socrates to Santayana, describes not only their ideas but their place in history & their influence on our modern intellectual heritage.
The late, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author of The Story of Civilization celebrates the lives, ideas, and accomplishments of the men and women who transformed human civilization, spanning thousands of years of human history, from ancient times to the eighteenth century.
A wise and witty compendium of the greatest thoughts, greatest minds, and greatest books of all time—listed in accessible and succinct form—by one of the world's greatest scholars.From the “Hundred Best Books” to the “Ten Greatest Thinkers” to the “Ten Greatest Poets,” here is a concise collection of the world’s most significant knowledge. For the better part of a century, Will Durant dwelled upon—and wrote about—the most significant eras, individuals, and achievements of human history. His selections have finally been brought together in a single, compact volume. Durant eloquently defends his choices of the greatest minds and ideas, but he also stimulates readers into forming their own opinions, encouraging them to shed their surroundings and biases and enter “The Country of the Mind,” a timeless realm where the heroes of our species dwell.From a thinker who always chose to exalt the positive in the human species, The Greatest Minds and Ideas of All Time stays true to Durant's optimism. This is a book containing the absolute best of our heritage, passed on for the benefit of future generations. Filled with Durant's renowned wit, knowledge, and unique ability to explain events and ideas in simple and exciting terms, this is a pocket-size liberal arts and humanist curriculum in one volume.
