''The Story of Civilization'' (1935–1975), by husband and wife Will and Ariel Durant, is an 11-volume set of books covering both Eastern and Western civilizations for the general reader, with a particular emphasis on European (Western) history. The series was written over a span of four decades. The first six volumes of ''The Story of Civilization'' are credited to Will Durant alone, with Ariel recognized only in the acknowledgements. Beginning with ''The Age of Reason Begins'', Ariel is credited as a co-author. In the preface to the first volume, Durant states his intention to make the series in 5 volumes, although this would not turn out to be the case. The series won a Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1968 with the 10th volume in the series, ''Rousseau and Revolution''. The volumes sold well for many years, and sets of them were frequently offered by book clubs. An unabridged audiobook production of all eleven volumes was produced by the Books on Tape company and was read by Alexander Adams (also known as Grover Gardner).

Volumes

I. ''Our Oriental Heritage'' (1935)

This volume covers Near Eastern history until the fall of the

Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Based in Western Asia, it was contemporarily the largest em ...

in the 330s BC, and the history of

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

, China, and Japan up to the 1930s.

Reviews

James H. Breasted's review was highly negative. W. N. Brown was hardly more impressed. Henry James Forman, reviewing for

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

found the work to be a masterpiece as did the

New York Herald Tribune The ''New York Herald Tribune'' was a newspaper published between 1924 and 1966. It was created in 1924 when Ogden Mills Reid of the ''New-York Tribune'' acquired the ''New York Herald''. It was regarded as a "writer's newspaper" and competed ...

II. ''The Life of Greece'' (1939)

This volume covers

Ancient Greece Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cult ...

and the

Hellenistic In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium i ...

Near East down to the Roman conquest.

Reviews

Michael Ginsberg was favorably disposed. As was Edmund C. Richards. Reviews over

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, t ...

and

Boston Evening Transcript The ''Boston Evening Transcript'' was a daily afternoon newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts, published from July 24, 1830, to April 30, 1941. Beginnings ''The Transcript'' was founded in 1830 by Henry Dutton and James Wentworth of the firm of D ...

were very positive.

III. ''Caesar and Christ'' (1944)

The volume covers the history of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

and of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesu ...

until the time of

Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterran ...

Reviews

J.W. Swain noted the book was written for a popular audience rather than scholars. And, it was successful at that. A review in ''

'' was positive. John Day published a mixed review. Ralph Bates posted a negative one for ''

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' is an American magazine of commentary on politics, contemporary culture, and the arts. Founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement, it attempted to find a balance between "a liberalism centered in hu ...

''.

IV. ''The Age of Faith'' (1950)

This volume covers the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

in both Europe and the Near East, from the time of Constantine I to that of

Dante Alighieri Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His '' Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: ...

Reviews

Sidney R. Packard, professor emeritus of history at

Smith College Smith College is a private liberal arts women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smith and opened in 1875. It is the largest member of the historic Seven Sisters colleges, a group of elite women's c ...

, found the work to be quite good. Norman V. Hope had a similar impression. L.H. Carlson, for the

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...

, compared it to

Jacob Burckhardt Carl Jacob Christoph Burckhardt (25 May 1818 – 8 August 1897) was a Swiss historian of art and culture and an influential figure in the historiography of both fields. He is known as one of the major progenitors of cultural history. Sigfri ...

's works.

V. ''The Renaissance'' (1953)

This volume covers the history of Italy from c.1300 to the mid 16th century, focusing on the

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the tra ...

Reviews

Wallace K. Ferguson published a review. Geoffrey Brunn wrote a favorable review for The New York Times.

VI. ''The Reformation'' (1957)

This volume covers the history of Europe outside of Italy from around 1300 to 1564, focusing on the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

Reviews

Geoffrey Bruun published a positive review for The New York Times. Garrett Mattingly, for The Saturday Review, lambasted the volume but went on to say that Durant was widely-read and a capable storyteller.

VII. ''The Age of Reason Begins'' (1961)

This volume covers the history of Europe and the Near East from 1559 to 1648.

Reviews

D. W. Brogan had a highly favorable impression. A review over the Time was positive.

VIII. ''The Age of Louis XIV'' (1963)

This volume covers the period of

Louis XIV of France , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of V ...

in Europe and the Near East.

Reviews

J.H. Plumb found the book to be very poor. As did

Stanley Mellon Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...

IX. ''The Age of Voltaire'' (1965)

This volume covers the period of the

Age of Enlightenment The Age of Enlightenment or the Enlightenment; german: Aufklärung, "Enlightenment"; it, L'Illuminismo, "Enlightenment"; pl, Oświecenie, "Enlightenment"; pt, Iluminismo, "Enlightenment"; es, La Ilustración, "Enlightenment" was an intel ...

, as exemplified by

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his '' nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—es ...

, focusing on the period between 1715 and 1756 in France, Britain, and Germany.

Reviews

Alfred J. Bingham found the volume to be a "thoroughly enjoyable semi-popular history".

X. ''Rousseau and Revolution'' (1967)

This volume centers on

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revol ...

and his times. It received the

Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction The Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are awarded annually for the "Letters, Drama, and Music" category. The award is given to a nonfiction book written by an American author and published duri ...

in 1968.

Reviews

Alfred J. Bingham was effusive in his praise.

XI. ''The Age of Napoleon'' (1975)

This volume centers on

Napoleon I of France Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

and his times.

Reviews

John H. Plumb was scathing. Joseph I. Shulim took a similar view. Alfred J. Bingham had a mixed yet favorable opinion. A review over The Saturday Review was very positive.

Development history

Editors on the series included M. Lincoln ("Max") Schuster and

Michael Korda Michael Korda (born 8 October 1933) is an English-born writer and novelist who was editor-in-chief of Simon & Schuster in New York City. Early years Born in London, Michael Korda is the son of English actress Gertrude Musgrove and the Hungarian ...

Reception

One volume, ''Rousseau and Revolution'', won the

Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction The Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are awarded annually for the "Letters, Drama, and Music" category. The award is given to a nonfiction book written by an American author and published dur ...

in 1968. All eleven volumes were

Book-of-the-Month Club Book of the Month (founded 1926) is a United States subscription-based e-commerce service that offers a selection of five to seven new hardcover books each month to its members. Books are selected and endorsed by a panel of judges, and members c ...

selections and best-sellers with total sales of more than two million copies in nine languages.

Academia

Plumb's opinion on the series was that “historical truth… can rarely be achieved outside the professional world

f historians F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''. Hi ...

”

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Story of Civilization Universal history books Books by Will Durant 20th-century history books Series of history books Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction-winning works Simon & Schuster books Book series introduced in 1935 Books about civilizations

Volumes

I. ''Our Oriental Heritage'' (1935)

Reviews

II. ''The Life of Greece'' (1939)

Reviews

III. ''Caesar and Christ'' (1944)

Reviews

IV. ''The Age of Faith'' (1950)

Reviews

V. ''The Renaissance'' (1953)

Reviews

VI. ''The Reformation'' (1957)

Reviews

VII. ''The Age of Reason Begins'' (1961)

Reviews

VIII. ''The Age of Louis XIV'' (1963)

Reviews

IX. ''The Age of Voltaire'' (1965)

Reviews

X. ''Rousseau and Revolution'' (1967)

Reviews

XI. ''The Age of Napoleon'' (1975)

Reviews

Development history

Reception

Academia

See also

References

External links