The Age of Louis XIV
By Will Durant
1963
First Published
4.31
Average Rating
802
Number of Pages
Part of Series
In the eighth volume of their Story of Civilization, the Durants explore the apex of European civilization to that time, the years 1648 to 1715. It is the era of the "Sun King," Louis XIV, one of the most powerful rulers in Western history. It is also the pinnacle of Dutch culture, the heyday of Vermeer and William of Orange, later King of England. All this forms the backdrop for the Durants' real focus: the intellectual character of the age. Encompassing Newton and Leibniz, among others, THE AGE OF LOUIS XIV marks a momentous transition: the passage from superstition and intolerance to science and philosophy. This is the period on which the foundation for modernity rests."Informed and highly readable ... eloquently partisan for the dignity of man and the decencies of life." (Saturday Review)
Avg Rating
4.31
Number of Ratings
914
5 STARS
49%
4 STARS
35%
3 STARS
13%
2 STARS
2%
1 STARS
0%
goodreads
Author
Will Durant
Author · 44 books
William James Durant was a prolific American writer, historian, and philosopher. He is best known for the 11-volume The Story of Civilization, written in collaboration with his wife Ariel and published between 1935 and 1975. He was earlier noted for his book, The Story of Philosophy, written in 1926, which was considered "a groundbreaking work that helped to popularize philosophy." They were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for literature in 1967 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977.
