- Hardcover: 32 pages
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster (30 Sep 1983)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0671610503
- ISBN-13: 978-0671610500
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 17 x 5.6 cm
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
407,936 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #67 in Books > History > Europe > Reformation In Europe
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Product Description
Synopsis
A history of European civilization from 1300 to 1564 with revealing insights into the personalities that helped shape the times and events.
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First Sentence
RELIGION is the last subject that the intellect begins to understand. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
RELIGION is the last subject that the intellect begins to understand. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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13 reviews
29 of 32 people found the following review helpful
"The Reformation As It Was"
4 Oct 2001
Format:Hardcover
While this is not the most precise book on the Reformation, it is the most unique, thorough, and probably the largest. It is an epitome of the entire age in general, rather than a mere focus on particulars. One third of the book lapses before a singal mention of Martin Luther is made, but this is certainly not a flaw, Durant just shows how calls to reform happened centuries before him. Most histories simply focus on Luther, Calvin, and Henry the 8th, and fail to cover the whole age of the Reformation. This is not the case here. Durant begins with the condition of the Roman Catholic Church during the Papal Schism, moves to Wycliffe, shifts to Huss, and merges them with Zwingli, Luther,etc. Some forgivable digressions are made, but they end up serving their purpose well. Will Durant, a Catholic, judges the full scope of the Reformation with impartialty, revealing the pro's and con's of both institutions with sagacity. All in all this work is industrious and inspiring.
25 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Catching Up With Our Past
15 Feb 2001
Format:Hardcover
Reading Will Durant's History of European Civilization from Wycliff to Calvin 1300-1564 will be an illuminating experience for readers unacquainted with factual descriptions of life during those years. For having views on religion or government contrary to time or country thousands died slow deaths tied to a stake surrounded by a pile of burning wood. Those who committed less serious crimes against the church or state received the kinder, quicker death of one strong blow of a sword removing their head. Even belonging to royalty was no insurance for living to an old age. With the death of a ruling king or queen, only one member of the family could inherit the throne. Therefore it was not unusual for the quick murder of potential heirs who commonly were family members. The discovery of America by Christopher Columbus is commonly taught as a wonderful event in world history. How many know that of the three ships, the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, only two returned, the largest, the Santa Maria having been destroyed in a storm. The harrowing return trip in two tiny, badly over-crowded open ships, stands as one of the miracles of ocean travel. In our observation of Columbus Day do we know the initial good will of the natives was quickly lost. On a later trip Columbus observed "The Europeans had roamed the island robbing the natives of gold and women; they had established a tropical paradise with five women to each man; they had quarreled and murdered one another, and nearly all the rest had been killed by the outraged Indians.
Later on in the Spanish conquest of Yucatan, the Aztec Empire and the socialistic civilization of the Incas Durant observes the conquered people were more civilized but not equal to the guns of the conquerors. Many knowledgeable insights such as these explain why Durant continues to hold the readers' attention throughout his lengthy books. It is understandable that reading nine hundred page books is anything but common practice in current times. Our average families find both husband and wife spending more hours at work with less time in the home. Nevertheless, for those who never got beyond grade school or high school Will Durant's historical books will build a factually informed education about the nature of government and religion in previous centuries preparing us for beginning the challenges of the 21st century. If you feel your mind being diminished by television's long commercials and the mere bits and bytes of news, start reading Will Durant's fascinating accounts of what was really going on inside the twists and turns of life in our European fatherland. You will soon find yourself building a more accurate picture of the countries from which we have come from and what our special gifts to the human race have been. This education will heighten your competence and self esteem as we wrestle with the changes within the United States and the world in the 21st century.
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Savour this book...
25 Sep 2000
Format:Hardcover
If we ask a question "What put an end to the Middle Ages (as the majority vizualizes them - barbarous, violent, uneducated, unsanitary... even if it is not really so)? To answer with author's words "Many causes through 3 centuries: the failure of the Crusades,...the resurrection of classic pagan culture, the expansion of commerce through great navigators, the rise of business class, the development of national states and Luther challenging the supernational authority of the Popes, printing". These 5 lines in short summarize the book. And although "we do nations injustice when we judge them from their kings, for morals are not made for sovereigns", you'll find accounts for all prominent monarchs of that period (to some, e.g. Yorks & Lancasters, Richard III, insane King Charles VI of France, only a dozen of lines is dedicated, analysis of lives and deeds of others - Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, Mary Tudor and Henry VIII, Ivan the Terrible, the Burgundian kings, Fransisc I occupy chapters).
Approximately 1/4 of the book is dedicated to the conflict that actually brought the Reformation (church vs. state and individual)and afterwards, Contr-Reformation. As I'm not the specialist in this area, I've skipped some pages, but I'll definitely put myself together and read them later.
As usual, Mr Durant guides us through all bloody and terrible wars and strifes of that age, reminding us that "from barbarism to civilization requires a century, from civilization to barbarism needs but a day". No distinguished artist, philosopher, writer escapes his scrutiny (Hans Holbein, Rableis, Durer, F. Villon - to name just a few). I was particularly hooked by chapters on development of science and medicine (A. Pare, Copernicus, Columbus, Vesalius, Paracels etc), for things that are universally known now took centuries to discover and lives to prove.
After "Caesar and Christ" and "The Age of Faith", this volume makes the third "jewel" in my collection.
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