The Age of Napoleon, Will Durant
The Age of Napoleon, Will Durant
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The Age of Napoleon
A History of European Civilization from 1789 to 1815

Author: Will Durant, Ariel Durant

Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki

Unabridged: 44 hr 32 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/01/2015

Synopsis

An engrossing volume on European civilization by Pulitzer Prize–winning historians Will and Ariel DurantThe Age of Napoleon, the eleventh and final volume of the Story of Civilization, surveys the amazing chain of events that wrenched Europe out of the Enlightenment and into the age of democracy. In this masterful work, listeners will encounter the French Revolution—from the storming of the Bastille to the guillotining of the king; the revolution's leaders Danton, Desmoulins, Robespierre, Saint-Just—all cut down by the reign of terror they inaugurated; Napoleon's meteoric rise—from provincial Corsican military student to emperor and commander of the largest army in history; Napoleon's fall—his army's destruction in the snows of Russia, his exile to Elba, his escape and reconquest of the throne, and his ultimate defeat at Waterloo by the combined forces of Europe; the birth of Romanticism and the dawning of a new age of active democracy and a rising middle class, laying the foundation for a new era.

About Will Durant

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.

About Ariel Durant

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.

About Stefan Rudnicki

Stefan Rudnicki first became involved with audiobooks in 1994. Now a Grammy-winning audiobook producer, he has worked on more than five thousand audiobooks as a narrator, writer, producer, or director. He has narrated more than nine hundred audiobooks. A recipient of multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards, he was presented the coveted Audie Award for solo narration in 2005, 2007, and 2014, and was named one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices in 2012.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Roy on March 22, 2021

Finally I have come to the last book in this series. It was four long years ago when I first read The Life of Greece; and these have been the four most educational years of my life, in part thanks to The Story of Civilization. Though I have had some occasions to criticize Durant over the years, the......more

Goodreads review by Jim on January 22, 2025

Well, I finished it, the 11th and final book in the Durants' magisterial "Civilizations" series. I wish I could say I finished the entire series, but, no, this is the only book of the series that I have finished. This one covers Europe from 1789 to 1815, from the French Revolution to Napoleon's fina......more

Quotes

“[The Durants] are incapable of writing a dull book.” Time

“Their gifts are accuracy, clarity, and the organization of a huge amount of material into a lively narrative.” Saturday Review

“Carefully researched, beautifully written.” Library Journal

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