The surveys of art, philosophy and science by region are as interesting as the personalities portrayed. Viewing the art, seeing the plays, reading the books and visiting the locations he discusses would be fascinating. It must be what Art History is like. ( )

I admit, the volume reviewed here has less interest for me than the volumes on either side, but by now, the Durants have their system of presenting the literary and philosophical history of Western European history, operating pretty well. We see a fuller presentation of Francis Bacon than usual, and justly so, as his contribution to the young disciplines of systematic philosophy, experimental science, and history are usually passed over. 1558 to 1648 sees the full blossoming of the Elizabethans, and culminates in the vicious burndown of central Europe called the Thirty Years War. The English speaking world usually ignores the amount of damage done there, except as an offshoot of the English Civil War., and to some degree this volume does follow that pattern, I note that this volume is one of the slimmest in the series. As usual, the epigram count is high, but the portrait gallery is weaker perhaps due to the material destruction on the continent. It is a competent, but not sparkling chapter in the larger work. ( )

This is one of the most interesting books of history I've read. It covers a period between 1558 and 1648, a time of real and important change in how people saw the world. Rather than simply providing a detailed and dry account of wars and kings, it focuses on the evolution of the ideas and beliefs, specifically chronicling the progress of human thought and humanity's understanding of nature. To a modern reader, much of the sixteenth and seventeenth century bickering about theological minutia may seem ridiculous to us, but to them, those alive at the time, these things were important. This books helps one understand why. There are, of course, a lot of dates and names of people who are only remembered because of an accident of birth or because of the damage they caused. This is history, after all. But it also relates the story of philosophers and fledgling scientists who made a positive and lasting difference. These are the people who helped drag civilization out of the Dark Ages to make the modern world modern. ( )

This review applies to all Durant's History of Civilization. The author does not follow a strictly chronological approach, but emphasizes those events/personages that have developed our Western civilization. He tends to emphasize certain personalities - some of whom I take exception to - but he stresses those things which make Western man unique. The arts have a prominent place in developing our culture and Durant convinces the reader how important they are. ( )

Durant covers the period between the reign of Elixabeth I of England to the beginning of the reign of Louis XIV. The Stuarts, the Thirty Years War, Richelieu all figure prominently herein. Durant manages to convey a vast amount of material in a pleasant and reasonably accurate and complete way. ( )