Product Description
This is the first comprehensive study in English of Voltaire's contes philosophiques--the philosophical tales for which he is best remembered and which include his masterpiece Candide. Pearson situates each story in its historical and intellectual context and offers new readings in light of modern critical thinking.He rejects the traditional view that Voltaire's contes were the private expression of his philosophical perplexity, and argues that it is narrative that is Voltaire's essential mode of thought.His book is a witty, lucid, and scholarly guide to the "fables of reason" through which Voltaire's skepticism undermined the contemporary religious and philosophical explanations of human experience. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Volume: 15; Original Published by: E.R. Du Mont in 1901 in 350 pages; Subjects: History / Europe / France; History / Europe / Russia & the Former Soviet Union; Literary Criticism / European / French; ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Romans, Volume 3: Micromegas by Voltaire

**********************************************************
We are pleased to offer thousands of books for the Kindle, including thousands of hard-to-find literature and classic fiction books.
Click on our Editor Name (eBook-Ventures) next to the book title above to view all of the titles that are currently available.
********************************************************** ... Read more

Product Description

This collection was designed for optimal navigation on Kindle and other electronic devices. This collection offers lower price, the convenience of a one-time download, and it reduces the clutter in your digital library. All books included in this collection feature a hyperlinked table of contents and footnotes. The collection is complimented by an author biography.

Customer Reviews (2)

Religion, humanism, ethics
Works of Voltaire. 20 works. Candide, Zadig, selected poetry & more. Published by MobileReference (mobi)

This ebook contains an excellent compilation of Voltaire's works.Voltaire was one of the true intellectual giants of his age, as well-read, erudite and witty as any personage in literary history. I love this ebook, and I think you will too if you at all like philosophical discussion.

Works of Voltaire
Works of Voltaire. 20 works. Including Candide, Zadig, selected poetry and more. FREE Author's biography with poem and play in the trial version.

Everyone should read Voltaire's magnum opus "Candide"! This ebook contains a great collection of Voltaire's works. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1919.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Product Description
The works presented in this volume, in a new English translation, are among the most important and characteristic texts of the Enlightenment, and bring together all three aspects of Voltaire: the writer, the doer and the philosophe. Originating in Voltaire's campaign to exonerate Jean Calas, they are works of polemical brilliance, informed by his deism and humanism and by Enlightenment values and ideals more generally. The issues that they raise, concerning questions of tolerance and human dignity, are still highly relevant to our own times. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Writings on Freedom of religion and against tyranny
Voltaire's Treatiste on Tolerance is a brilliant account of the judicial murder of French Protestant Jean Calas who was accused of murdering his son who had converted to Roman Catholism. Voltaire details the case : the lack of counsel, the breaking on the wheel, burning at the stake and strangulation. Calas suffered this and continued to maintain his innocence. Through Voltaire's effort Calas was rehibilitated in 1766 and his innocence vindicated. Interspersed in the text are Voltaire's historical observations of the tolerance of the Roman Empire,the Thirty Years War, the massacre of St. Bartholmew's day were thousands perished due to religious fanaticism.

Also chronicled is the case of a young nobleman accused of not taking his hat off as a religious procession passed. He was further accused of mutilating a cruxifix that was placed on a bridge. This young man, and his friend were convicted of blasphamy and heresy and sentenced to be broken on the wheel, have his tongue torn out with pincers, and then burned at the stake. The account Voltaire provides is both enlightening and frightful. If you are interested in freedom of religion, tolerance, and freethought this is a must buy! ... Read more

Product Description
What Is Goth? is a humorous, self-deprecating look at Goth culture from the inside out. Imagine The Preppy Handbook colliding with Charles Addams. Then add a lot more melancholy and a lot more spooky.

What Is Goth? dispels the false stereotypes and reinforces the true ones surrounding Goths and Goth culture. "To the mundane," Voltaire writes, "Goths are weird, black-clad freaks who are obsessed with death; they are sad all of the time. Take a closer look at the Goth scene, however, and you will find a rich tapestry of ideas and practices and a menagerie of colorful characters. Oh, dear. I said ‘colorful.’"

This illustrated answer to What Is Goth? shows readers how to:

• Identify the anatomies of different kinds of Goths: CyberGoths, Rivet-Heads, Romantigoths, Goth-a-billies, and more

• Write a poem (Mad Libs style) with the Gothic Poem Generator

• Properly dance the dances of darkness: "Cobwebs in the Attic," "The Gothic Tai Chi Dance," "Pulling the Evil Taffy"

Yes, Goths are pale, wear black clothing, love black makeup (on men and women), mope, listen to real downer music, and perfect the art of living in a perpetual state of ennui and melancholy. But there’s so much more to being Goth. Goths come from all walks of life. Many are teenagers who live with their parents; others are doctors, lawyers, musicians, and so on. Most Goths are highly literate and creative, but all real Goths have to dress the part. In other words, "Abandon all hope ye who enter a Goth club in khakis!"

Eerily illustrated, What Is Goth?is the perfect book for any Goth, Goth wannabe, or "mundane" who is hopelessly confused by all the gloom. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Great book.
I do not like "labels" and stereotypes in general, but this book is of informative value to ones who are miss-understanding such things and it is written in a lighthearted, non-threatening way so as to hopefully open closed minds and lighten the seriousness of "hardcore Goths" :),since as we all know attitudes, for or against any "culture" can lead to tragedy if taken too seriously, unfortunately :(

I will also say, that I have met and spoken with the author on several occasions including solo and full band concerts, at festivals and an all ages solo show in a comic book shop, where hehas always been friendly ,kind and gracious with his time and attention to everyone attending,freely discussing his love of his family and his views on the world in general.

I would recommend any of his projects, to open and adventurous adult minds as well as his projects he has produced for children :)

funny!
Voltaire is a VERY humorous writer, not to say that what he writes is not true, because it is true, just that it is very correct and very funny, even those stereo typed by this book will be smiling (that includes me). also if you like this one i highly recommend that you get his book 'paint it black' (my personal favorite of the two) you will be rolling on the floor (and then decorating it).

What Is Goth?
While Voltaire gives a brief run down of the historical background of goth and the different looks (with pictures) it is only a short little book. Though bursting with dark fun.
There is a gothic name generator (Princess Lilith Protector of the Veil) and other gothic poem generators (hehe). It has everything to make you feel at home in the dark lushness of goth and realise that while mundanes laugh or stare at us they are really the odd ones for doing the weird things they do.
A fun and enjoyable read

What is Goth by Voltaire
Absolutely love this Book!Being "goth" myself, it shows insight and answers that many seek.

Voltaire - Ooky Spooky Funny!
Ah, where to begin? If you are not familiar with the artist known as Voltaire, you should be. He has a decent voice, puts on a heck of a live show, and has wit in both his lyrics and life.

This book is no different. In it, with a tongue firmly planted in cheek, he talks about the dark and scary world of Goth...or not so scary. :)

Kind of like a Goth-for-Dummies, and funny, especially if you know the goth scene or someone in it. Pretty accurate in its depiction of Goths, and written so that you don't even need the Goth secret decoder ring to understand it, even mundanes will get a laugh out of it, and perhaps some understanding too; Goth is a lifestyle and way of thinking, and not the sinister cult that some make it out to be.

So, read the book, learn to dance and dress like a goth, and have a blast doing it. ... Read more

Product Description
Dada—perhaps the most famous and outrageous of modernism's artistic movements—is said to have begun at the Cabaret Voltaire, a literary evening staged at the restaurant Meierei in Zurich on February 5, 1916. The evening featured stamping, roaring, banging on the lids of pots and pans, and the recitation of incomprehensible "poemes simultanes" Thus a global revolution in art and culture was born in a Swiss restaurant. Or was it?

In Dada East, Tom Sandqvist shows that Dada did not spring full-grown from a Zurich literary salon but grew out of an already vibrant artistic tradition in Eastern Europe—particularly Romania—that was transposed to Switzerland when a group of Romanian modernists settled in Zurich. Bucharest and other cities in Romania had been the scene of Dada-like poetry, prose, and spectacle in the years before World War I. One of the leading lights was Tristan Tzara, who began his career in avant-garde literature at fifteen when he cofounded the magazine Simbolul. Tzara—who himself coined the term "Dada," inspired by an obscure connection of his birthday to an Orthodox saint—was at the Cabaret Voltaire that night, along with fellow Romanians Marcel, Jules, and Georges Janco and Arthur Segal. It's not a coincidence, Sandqvist argues, that so many of the first dadaist group were Romanians. Sandqvist traces the artistic and personal transformations that took place in the "little Paris of the Balkans" before they took center stage elsewhere, finding sources as varied as symbolism, futurism, and folklore. He points to a connection between Romanian modernists and the Eastern European Yiddish tradition; Tzara, the Janco brothers, and Segal all grew up within Jewish culture and traditions.

For years, the communist authorities in Romania disowned and disavowed Romania's avant-garde movements. Now, as archives and libraries are opening to Western scholars, Tom Sandqvist tells the secret history of Dada's Romanian roots. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: English literature; Great Britain; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Letters on England: View into 18th Century English Culture
Letters on England is enlightening on several levels and a very interesting description of the society politics and science of England in the mid 18th century from a French point of view.Voltaire being profoundly interested in all aspects of life and all types of knowledge provides an astounding account of sundry aspects of England from his patently Voltaire style.He makes the book interesting by including his take on some of the peculiarities of English life.Many of the letters are rather short and they need not be read in any particular sequence.The style is strait forward and they are relatively objective for Voltaire's work. I think these letters are indicative of Voltaire's style and provide a unique glimpse of many often overlooked aspects of English culture in the 18th century.

He is particularly interested in the Quakers and devotes several of his letters entirely to their customs and beliefs.Yes these letters are certainly interesting. For anyone studying religious toleration (or intolerance) in England these letters may be of certain value.

My favorite and possibly the most endearing letters is the one devoted to Francis Bacon.He alludes to the fact that Bacon was involved in an embezzlement scandal for which he was removed from office.Of course this is certainly true but he, as many others have, forgives him for this since he has provided so much for mankind.I feel that Voltaire saw much of the same in Bacon that he saw in himself.We must remember that Voltaire too was a fantastic speculator (investor) and many accused him of possibly crossing into the realm of less than legal activities.

Voltaire's Letters on England are wonderful to read and after breezing through this book you will probably wish, as I have, that there were more to read.That being said I will note that I believe that had anyone else written these letters (except for maybe Montaigne) they would be in some academic library but not published widely.We can thank Voltaire for achieving the fame he did because having such immediate access to these letters is great for students historians and curious readers alike.

-- Ted Murena

Common Sense, Forward Thinking, Double-Edged Satire
I'm starting to think that there is a certain clique of authors, to wit, Machiavelli, Nietzsche, Swift, and Voltaire, who have developed a popular perception that tragically limits or constrains their legacy in the world of to-day.For Voltaire's part, when he is spoken of, it is generally in regard to "Candide," certainly a great work, but not the be-all or end-all of his particular genius."Letters on England," a series of musings on his exile in England from 1726-1729, is a work which gives a much different perspective on Voltaire from the cynical, suspected atheist we've all come to know and love.

The primary focal points of the "Letters" are comparsions of England and France in the realms of religion, politics, and the arts and sciences.While Voltaire clearly criticizes the French institutions of his day, he does not intend us to look at England as the ideal society.In religious matters, Voltaire derides the monolith of French Catholicism, acknowledging the relative harmlessness of English sectarianism - saying "if there were only one relgion in England, there would be danger of despotism...but there are thirty, and they live in peace and happiness".Politically, Voltaire admires the progress England has made since the Magna Carta, even though it means limited enfranchisement, and division of legislative power.In the arts and sciences, Voltaire examines the ingenuity of philosophers like Bacon, Newton, and Locke, and the ability of authors like Shakespeare, Pope, Swift, Wycherley, and others, to make their reputations and livings largely independent of a feudal patronage system.

Throughout the "Letters," Voltaire privileges common sense, forward thinking, and right reasoning.As I understand it, the main purpose of satire is as a social corrective.Voltaire points out the flaws in both the French and English nations, not to be simply critical, but to encourage progress in thought, in science, and the institutions that govern civilized countries.Voltaire was no revolutionary, mind you, but it is obvious throughout the text that he cares deeply about France and its international relations.Voltaire looks so far ahead in his writing to anticipate our own current debates over health care (the availability of infant innoculation, and euthanasia), equal opportunity regardless of faith or race, and so on.

For such a brief work, Voltaire covers a lot of intellectual ground in "Letters on England".His style, enthusiasm, sense of wonder, and incisive commentary makes this a non-fiction counterpart to Montesquieu's fictional "Persian Letters".While Voltaire himself dislikes and distrusts translations, I've always thought that if you can read a translation, react strongly to the material, and get the basic points, then the translation must be counted as successful.Leonard Tancock's translation in this Penguin Classic edition must be counted by me, at least, as successful.My admiration of Voltaire has been enhanced, and I feel just a little bit more enlightened."Letters on England" is an excellent work in any language. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the second volume in Sources of Dramatic Theory. This volume includes the major theoretical writing on drama and theater from the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Among the writers represented by their own essays or substantial extracts from longer works are: Voltaire, Diderot, Goldoni, Dr. Johnson, Lessing, Goethe, Schiller, Hegel, and Coleridge. Many of the texts have been freshly translated for this volume and all have been newly annotated and introduced. Recurrent topics and allusions are traced by a system of cross-references. ... Read more

Product Description
Una inesperada pregunta en una conversación entre el presidente de Brasil y la embajadora de Francia en ese país hará que se movilicen tanto el Gobierno como la academia francesa. Los restos de Voltaire, uno de los más importantes pensadores del mundo, fueron profanados hace más de un siglo, y lo único que se conserva de él es su corazón, que se encuentra en la Biblioteca Nacional de París, pero, ¿cómo demostrar que ese realmente es el corazón del Filósofo? Roland de Luziers, profesor de genética de La Sorbonne, será el encargado de resolver el dilema, pero en su camino se encontrará con muchos más obstáculos y sorpresas de los que esperaba. Al ser revelados, sus descubrimientos podrían tocar fibras bastante sensibles y comprometer mucho más que la historia de uno de los grandes hombres de Francia. Con una prosa impactante y dinámica, Luis López Nieves escribe la primera novela epistolar por medio de correos electrónicos del siglo XXI, y de este modo presenta detalles de la vida del padre intelectual de la Revolución Francesa, un hombre que marcó su época. ... Read more

Product Description

Covering the story of prejudice against Jews from the time of Christ through the rise of Nazi Germany, The History of Anti-Semitism presents in elegant and thoughtful language a balanced, careful assessment of this egregious human failing that is nearly ubiquitous in the history of Europe.

From Voltaire to Wagner reviews the period of the European Enlightenment in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries when anti-Semitism gradually stopped being an official state policy in most countries. Highlighting the emancipation of Jews as it spread across Europe, Poliakov shows how philosophers, statesmen, and some theologians became concerned with civil rights, yet the anti-Semitic beliefs of many highly regarded and influential persons remained a major roadblock to true equality and justice. The volume ends with the development of racial anti-Semitic theories bound up in the emerging modern sciences.

Customer Reviews (1)

The best book there is on cultural anti- Semitism
I remember reading this book many years ago at the State University of Binghamton Harpur College Library, and being filled with sadness by it. So many of the cultural heroes of the Western world from Voltaire to Wagner were anti- Semitic, or had some anti- Semitic writings. Many such as Tolstoy Goethe Dickens balanced anti- semitism with very pro- Jewish remarks. True Nietzche stood against Wagner. But on the whole even into this century with Pound, Eliot, Celine, Heideggerthere were ' great creators' who bore in their mind and soul resentment and hatred of the Jews.
Even with Shakespeare who according to Harold Bloom's wonderful exaggeration ' invented the human' there is the question of his true intent with Shylock. Does a Jew really have hands and eyes for Shakespeare?
I believe that this book should be far more widely read and known than it is. And it should be part of the legacy of all those Jews who have given their lives to Western culture. ... Read more

Product Description
Home decorating will never be the same. Close your curtains! Throw away your summery linens! Forget about those white eyelet pillow covers! And for Goth’s sake, buy some black lights! Voltaire is here to help you with your home decorating dilemmas, guide you through the hardware stores and decorating centers (which are so difficult for Goths to navigate), and lay it all out on the line about which shade of black goes with which shade of black. Who knows?! One day soon he might have his own decorating line at a discount store.In this world of pastels and plaids, it’s so hard for Goths to find anything aesthetically appealing. You go in search of Edward Gorey and wind up with an eyeful of Eddie Bauer. With Voltaire’s Paint It Black you can turn the unbearably mundane into the delightfully macabre with little more than a touch of creativity and a can of black spray paint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Voltaire-style ... five stars all the way!
This book is amazing! Personally, I'm not even goth yet it shows me the charm of this lifestyle, which says a lot. I bought this book for Voltaire's clever, witty, humorous writing style and not only have I not been disappointed, this book exceeds my expectations. It has made me laugh out loud and probably got me quite a few strange looks from the people on my commute train who saw me burst into laughter for no apparent reason (fyi that's a good thing!) and, aside from the clever writing style, it is very practical and gives some great suggestions. I must say, at first when I bought this book I was uncertain if it was a good choice, as I am generally one to think that as long as my home is inhabitable and looks better than crap, it's not necessary to give it a particular style, yet I found this book inspiring to do more of an effort. The tips involve some easily-accessible materials and they all help to make a great goth atmosphere that even non-goths such as myself can appreciate. I most definitely recommend this book.

cute lil editon
very short but a good addition to your bookshelf. I'm not a big Voltaire fan, but had become stumped on decorating this helped a lot.

Gothic homemaking....for poseurs
Ouuu...*hiss*... I said the P word... yup. This book is good if you want to pretend you are one of the children of the night. If you have your own home and you don't wanna buy your home decor from Walmart then yes get a few idea's here and there but if you dec up your home like this and light a few black candles this doesn't make you a true Goth. If you want to do it right, do your own research on what Goth means to you (and you alone)and start decorating from there. What you will end up with is a wonderfully homey feel to the person you truly are (a goth and not a Martha Stewart wanna-be) and you will love living in your home way more than these cheesy haunted house decor ideas. (PS putting up a bunch of 'the Cure' posters doesn't make you a Goth either). Trust me, I am a Goth, and I live the lifestyle more real than some poseurs I see everyday.

It's okay.. Not very original & sort-of "Holly Hobby"
This book really wasn't very inspirational to me. The neatest thing in it was probably the cake. I sold my copy on Amazon. I mean it was okay, but it's just got stuff in it like covering your couch in a black throw to make it "goth"... And making your own goth-y wine bottle labels and putting them over old bottles, then melting candles down so it looks "old"... Wow. Not original... Not even classy. It's like dumpster diving for 13 year olds.

It's got a section on how to paint baby dolls to look like zombies---- What age group is this book for? 14 year olds? Definitely Wasn't my style. There is a HUGE lack of sophistication. If you are dreaming of some old-world French inspired designs or something elegant or remotely classy whatsoever, you won't find it in this book. It's all holly hobby, dumpster diving, second hand mish mash & isn't worth your money.

I gave it 2 stars, because the cake would be good to make for a 5 year old's Halloween party.

Literary Genius
I would personally say that Voltaire is a literary genius.
His words speak to you in a gentle tone, never snide or rebuking, simply informative.

He does seem to embrace his sarcasm, but it's always in a "good" way;
Even his sarcastic remarks lead to and emphasis a strong point.
His book provides a plethora of decorating ideas, not only for a gothic designer, but for any person trying to make they're dwelling habitable.

I would certainly recommend this book, I don't think my words do it proper justice.

Side Note:
Voltaire also has several music albums, the majority of his songs have a very amusing satirical background, while he also has a phenominal CD with a more serious setting.

He has live shows throughout the east coast (not sure if he goes past that, I'm sure it lists it on his site), if you ever have the opportunity to see him perform live, it's something you'll simply never forget.
You can get more info on all that at http://www.voltaire.com.

10/10. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

The Durant's continue to impress me
This is the 9th volume of the Durant's impressive Story of Civilization.The subtitle of the book gives a good summary of the time period and emphasis of this history.

As usual, this is not a typical history book.It is a story of the major philosophers and intellects of this important age.It also goes into the customs and manners of all classes of people.The wars are mentioned and put into the perspective of how they impacted society, but details of the major battles are not covered, unless they impact a major character.

Durant uses an interesting method of covering this time frame.He covers the different nations histories in relation to the life and travels of Voltaire.He starts out giving a quick summary of Voltaire's early life, including his travels to England.He then talks about the history of England from 1714 to 1756 including all of their major rulers, philosophers, scientists and artists.This was the time of George I and II, William Pitt, John Wesley, David Hume, Alexander Pope, Henry Fielding, and Handel.

Next he has Voltaire going back to France and covers France's History from 1723 to 1756.This history covers the time of Louis XV, Mme. De Pompadour, and Montesquieu.Many of the ideas covered by the philosophers of England and France are the ones used later in the American Revolution.

He then has Voltaire going to Middle Europe and covers the History of Germany, Prussia, and Switzerland from 1713 to 1756.This is the time of Bach and Frederick the Great.

The authors then discuss the advancement of learning and talk about the scholarly revolution and many of the great advances in science during this interesting time.As a scientist myself, I was impressed with the many great scientists and discoveries that came from this relatively short time frame.This was the time of Euler, Lagrange, Laplace, Linnaeus, and Buffon and the beginnings of Geology, Botany, Zoology and Psychology.

The next section of the book covers the attack upon Christianity that took place during this time frame.This was the time of Diderot and the Encyclopedie, Helvetius, D'Holbach, and the great Voltaire.It was a time when nearly all of the intellectuals and many of the clerics in Europe claimed to be atheists.It also showed the beginnings of the many defenders of religion.It was interesting to see how many of the arguments are the same even today.

I highly recommend this book for anybody interesting in the history of this epochal time frame.I intend to continue with this series.

ANOTHER WONDERFUL WORK BY DURANT
Durant's popularization of history, which he continues with this wonderful volume, has been and indeed, still is poo-pooed by many an academic. I first learned of this years ago while taking a never ending series of history courses in college. Almost to the man and woman, they, the professors, would gave collective fits if a student brought the name of Durant to class and heaven help the student who used a "popular history writer" to class in the form of a reference on a paper. I knew then that I had to own and read these books. I did and do now and have not regretted it one bit. Popular history, i.e. history that most of us can actually read and learn from is a wonderful thing. Few of us grow up to be academics and works such as these open many windows for us, the common person. I have been reading and rereading this series for years and have not regretted it one bit. This particular volume of course examines the French Revolution, it's results and those involved. Durant's style continues to come through and I promise you, you will learn much in a very enjoyable fashion. Recommend highly.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

Durant is one of the greatest polymaths of the 20th century
Will Durant, initially by himself and later with his wife Ariel, has written some of the most readable and interesting histories of the 20th or any other century.I found these books in the early 1980s and took five years to read them all.It was the greatest intellectual experience of my lifetime, and now I am selectively reading them again.(Fortunately I then had the habit of underlining passages I found most compelling and facinating, and this is saving me a lot of time in my rereading of the Durants.)And this is perhaps the most informative of the books, especially given our present day American obscession with evangelical Christanity.Rereading Durant makes me conscious of just how destructive have been the Christian schools that so many of our students have been subjected to since the mid 60s.I think that the Durants would call today, with the eager reelection of Geo. W. Bush and his merry men, The Age of Ignorance.Would that our students of today felt compelled to read the Durants.wfh

What a superb series
I remember seeing these sets of books in my University Bookstore in College--never read them, but picked up the whole set for .25 each at a garage sale.Little did I know what I'd been missing.I also just startedteaching history in Calgary--a colleague agreed with me that they arefabulous, but said the snobby professors looked down on the Durants as"popularizers."I can't think of a higher compliment.Excellentfootnotes, with quotes from primary resources, all the marks of a hallmarkhistorian.I reading these books like steamy romance novels--and they area lot more fun.Durrant is not afraid to comment on the sexual mores/andmorality of the times.His judgments are pithy and well, history isriveting.I would have paid full price for these if I'd known how goodthey were! ... Read more