The Renaissance, Will Durant
The Renaissance, Will Durant
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The Renaissance
A History of Civilization in Italy from 1304–1576 AD

Author: Will Durant

Narrator: Grover Gardner

Unabridged: 37 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/01/2014

Synopsis

An engrossing volume on the Italian Renaissance by Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Will DurantThe fifth volume of Durant's acclaimed Story of Civilization, The Renaissance chronicles the history of Italy from 1304 to 1576. In this masterful work, listeners will encounter the poets Petrarch and Boccaccio, the fathers of the Renaissance; the paintings, sculptures, and architecture of Milan, Florence, and Venice; the life and accomplishments of Leonardo Da Vinci; the Catholic church and the popes of Avignon and Rome; the politicians and philosophers of Italy, including the Borgia family, Julius II, and Machiavelli; the Italian Wars, the conflicts with France, and the country's decline.

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 Grover Gardner

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.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Roy on June 02, 2016

Doubtless like all of us he was many men, turned on one or another of his selves as occasion required, and kept his real self a frightened secret from the world. So continues my tour through the ages. The Renaissance, the fifth volume of The Story of Civilization, is unique in this series for it......more

Goodreads review by Jamie on May 18, 2021

Before he started The Story of Civilization, which would occupy him and his wife from 1935 till their deaths in 1981, Will Durant had published the very successful Story of Philosophy, and thus had experience synthesizing diverse and complex ideas. In The Renaissance he brings all his talents to bea......more

Goodreads review by Judy on August 05, 2022

At last I have finished the fifth volume of Will Durant's Story of Civilization. I've been reading it for quite a while, 5 pages a day. I read it for a month in April 2021; then steadily from February to July 2022. As I always do with his books, because he makes history enjoyable to read, I learned m......more

Goodreads review by Jonathan on July 26, 2021

Death by Detail What was the renaissance, and what caused it? Read something else if you want to find out. 4500 pages into the Story of Civilization, Durant departs from sweeping epochs to the comparatively tight focus on 100 years of Italian history. After Age of Faith which covered nearly 1000......more

Goodreads review by J.D. on July 25, 2020

This Durant volume was disappointing, particularly when compared to Volumes I-IV. In this history, Durant covers three centuries or so of Italy's renaissance history. By "renaissance," it seems that Durant means Italy's artistic impulses (e.g., Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael) and its economic vital......more

Quotes

“Mr. Durant draws all present into the genial colloquy, making them feel that their quickened perception is itself a contribution…His prose has a bright speed that carries its load of facts like an effortless burden.” New York Times, 1957

“Maintains former standards of rich readability and clarity.” Kirkus Reviews

“Easily the most engaging writer of Western intellectual history in the English language, Will Durant breathes life into philosophers and their ideas. He is colorful, witty, and above all, informative.” Amazon.com, editorial review, on The Story of Philosophy

“Magnificent and monumental.” New York Times, praise for the series

Awards

  • Voice Arts Award
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