<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: A good lure to Durant's other works.
Review: "Heroes Of History", a sampling of Will and Ariel Durant's works from years past, serves best those readers who havent encountered the Durant's writings and would like to pursue them further. Published long after their deaths in the early 1980s, and pieced together from speeches and essays found in the Durant estate, "Heroes" makes a decent introduction of the Durant's writing style to those unfamiliar with their works, but lacks the polish and literary seamlessness that his avid readers have come to appreciate in the books published during their lifetimes. Hence, a 4 star rating instead of 5.Still, there is much here to admire, and even seasoned Durant readers will find some new insights, which makes this book well worth purchasing.
Rating: 
Summary: Provides a close look at lives and ideas
Review: Durant's survey of civilization from ancient times to modern provides a close look at the lives and ideas of those who've helped shape and define civilization. Durant authored the eleven-volume series "Story of Civilization", but Heroes Of History is much more inviting to the lay reader, considering the lessons of heritage and lasting effects of individual contributions to events.
Rating:
Summary: This book was a little light but fun
Review: I enjoyed this book but I'm only giving it 4 stars because I felt that it lacked any kind of depth of at all. SO if you haven't read much history this book is really good, but if you've read more in depth books then this book will seem a bit thin.
Rating:
Summary: Unchained to the past
Review: One does not read Will Durant; one feels him. So vividly do the heroes come alive through words that one senses their presence, their vitality, their verve. Throw stones at some generalizations, but still take away images of history that put some ashcan writers of today in their proper receptacles.
One yearns for more. Indeed, Heroes of History is an introduction, a précis, an anchoring preamble to meet those heroes in the real, in their own words and images. It will be good to return to the poignant poetry of Tagore, the sufferings of Job, the sensuous colors of artists, the corridors of philosophy, too long laid aside in the rush of living. Durant does that to you: his semantic cadences reawaken the desire to read more.
One can only pause and say of this book: authentic tidings of persons who for good or evil, have left their mark.
Rating:
Summary: Unchained to the past
Review: One does not read Will Durant; one feels him. So vividly do the heroes come alive through words that one senses their presence, their vitality, their verve. Throw stones at some generalizations, but still take away images of history that put some ashcan writers of today in their proper receptacles.
One yearns for more. Indeed, Heroes of History is an introduction, a précis, an anchoring preamble to meet those heroes in the real, in their own words and images. It will be good to return to the poignant poetry of Tagore, the sufferings of Job, the sensuous colors of artists, the corridors of philosophy, too long laid aside in the rush of living. Durant does that to you: his semantic cadences reawaken the desire to read more.
One can only pause and say of this book: authentic tidings of persons who for good or evil, have left their mark.
Rating:
Summary: History as a sumptuous dessert.
Review: This highly readable book of history is a group of essays written by renowned historian Will Durant. This book is more than a synopsis of his earlier, well-known series written with his wife Ariel. This makes excellent reading for the would-be history-buff or for someone who wants to understand how the human race has gotten to the point it's at today. I cannot emphasize enough how easy-to-read this text is and, yet, the details that bring history alive have not been boiled down into pablum.
Rating:
Summary: History as a sumptuous dessert.
Review: This highly readable book of history is a group of essays written by renowned historian Will Durant. This book is more than a synopsis of his earlier, well-known series written with his wife Ariel. This makes excellent reading for the would-be history-buff or for someone who wants to understand how the human race has gotten to the point it's at today. I cannot emphasize enough how easy-to-read this text is and, yet, the details that bring history alive have not been boiled down into pablum.
Rating:
Summary: Even Easier
Review: This is a great short version of the history of civilization by Will Durant who was probably the most outstanding historian/philosopher of the 20th century. If you would enjoy a review or a quick education, this is the book to read. I enjoyed it immensely. And, for an even easier education on what I would call the "philosophy of history", I know I enjoyed, and think you will also enjoy, Norman Thomas Remick's "West Point: Character Leadership Education, A Book Developed From The Readings And Writings Of Thomas Jefferson".
Rating:
Summary: Meet the Heroes of History!
Review: Will Durant pushes the proverbial elephant into a telephone booth with his posthumously published book on the history of civilization, "Heroes of History." Durant states, "I will study history to find out what man is." Clearly this is not an in-depth look, but an introduction to history. To reach beneath the surface, dive into Durant's eleven-volume series, "The Story of Civilization."
In "Heroes of History," the author covers a mind-numbing range of years. One may feel worn for having taken the journey. Durant's chapters are well crafted and concise, conveying the high and low points of humankind deftly. He expounds on China, India, and the Egyptians. He tells "brave stories of noble women and great men." In a nutshell we are given the essence of Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, Shakespeare and numerous others who have been an integral part of civilization.
Durant's enthusiasm for history as a conduit to understanding man and imparting wisdom leaps off every page. His writing encourages us to visit the "veritable City of God" where giants like Nietzsche, Leonardo da Vinci, Martin Luther, Socrates and so on are offering their incredible legacy.
Rating:
Summary: "A Brilliant Panorama of History's most Illustrious Figures"
Review: Will Durant's "Heroes of History" is the product of many years of dutiful scholarship; and it provides a brilliant panorama of History's greatest figures from ancient times to the dawn of the Modern Era. Durant's composite sketch of history, from Iknahton to Pope Paul III, from Confucius to Christ, from Socrates to Bacon, from Sophocles to Shakespeare, from Pericles to Lorenzo de' Medici, covers all the vicissitudes and periods in history necessary for an understanding of Western Civilization. Although, as may be seen from some of the people listed above, Durant not only treats Western Civilization but briefly touches on Eastern Civilization as well, making this work magnificent in its scope. For a good general introduction--and basically for a summary of Durant's famed "Story of Civilization--to the most influential movements and famous personages in history, this work will be a definite reward.
<< 1 >>
|
