The Lessons of History (Will Durant Audio Library)

Durant, Will; Durant, Ariel

ISBN 10: 1572703962 ISBN 13: 9781572703964

Publisher: AudioGO, 2004

Synopsis

A concise survey of the culture and civilization of mankind, The Lessons of History is the result of a lifetime of research from Pulitzer Prize-winning historians Will and Ariel Durant.

The authors devoted five decades to the study of world history and philosophy, culminating in the masterful eleven-volume Story of Civilization. In this compact summation of their work, Will and Ariel Durant share the vital and profound lessons of our collective past. Their perspective, gained after a lifetime of thinking and writing about the history of humankind, is an invaluable resource for us today. The rare archival recordings of the Durants in conversation, made from 1957-1977, illuminate our present condition and offer insightful guidance for the future.

About this title

About the Authors

Will Durant (1885-1981) was an award-winning American writer, historian, and philosopher. He and his wife were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1968 for Rousseau and Revolution, and he was a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Durant spent over forty years writing the critically acclaimed eleven-volume Story of Civilization, the later volumes with the help of his wife, Ariel. He sought to revitalize history by unifying and humanizing the great body of historical knowledge, which had become voluminous and fragmented into esoteric subcategories. He also strove to bring philosophy to the common man. Durant was a champion of human rights, social reform, and the brotherhood of man long before they became well-known issues.

Ariel Durant (1898-1981) was a Russian-born American researcher and writer and the coauthor of the eleven-volume Story of Civilization with her husband Will Durant. Ariel and Will Durant were jointly awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1968 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977. Ariel was named the 1977 Woman of the Year by the City of Los Angeles.

Grover Gardner is an award-winning narrator with over a thousand titles to his credit. Named one of the "Best Voices of the Century" and a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, he has won three prestigious Audie Awards, was chosen Narrator of the Year for 2005 by Publishers Weekly, and has earned more than thirty Earphones Awards.

John Little is considered to be one of the world's foremost authorities on Bruce Lee and Will Durant. He's the only person who has ever been authorized to review the entirety of Lee's personal notes, sketches, and reading annotations, giving him an insider's look at Lee's training methods and philosophies.

Reviews

Will and Ariel Durant are our curmudgeonly hosts along with the bristling, intelligent voice of Grover Gardner in this recap of some prime historical data and observations of humanity's past and its potential future. The Durants--elderly, wise, and prickly--banter with their interviewer and each other in the archived live segments, providing rich and witty counterpoints to Gardner's reading of the text. It's especially interesting to contrast Will Durant's sometimes garbled, professorial voice with his clear and incisive writing style. Ariel's sharp, birdlike presence is felt throughout as well. This classic, influential work is handled impressively by Audio Partners. D.J.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Edition details

• Publisher: AudioGO
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1572703962
• ISBN 13: 9781572703964
• Binding: Audio CD
• Number of pages: 5