Heroes of History, Will Durant
Heroes of History, Will Durant
List: $29.95 | Sale: $20.97
Club: $14.97

Heroes of History
A Brief History of Civilization from Ancient Times to the Dawn of the Modern Age

Author: Will Durant, John Little

Narrator: Grover Gardner

Unabridged: 11 hr 4 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download (DRM Protected)

Published: 03/20/2013

Synopsis

At Will Durant's death in 1981, his personal papers were dispersed among relatives, collectors, and archive houses. Twenty years later, scholar John Little discovered the previously unknown manuscript of Heroes of History in Durant's granddaughter's garage. Written shortly before he died, these twenty-one essays serve as an abbreviated version of Durant's bestselling, eleven-volume series, The Story of Civilization. Durant traces the lives and ideas of those who have helped to define civilization, from Confucius to Shakespeare, from the Roman Empire to the Reformation, spanning thousands of years of human history. A volume of life-enhancing wit and wisdom, Heroes of History draws upon Durant's expansive knowledge and singular ability to translate distant events and complex ideas into easily accessible principles.

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 John Little

John Little is considered to be one of the world’s foremost authorities on Bruce Lee and Will Durant. He’s the only person who has ever been authorized to review the entirety of Lee’s personal notes, sketches, and reading annotations, giving him an insider’s look at Lee’s training methods and philosophies.

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, was chosen Narrator of the Year for 2005 by Publishers Weekly, and has earned more than thirty Earphones Awards.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jim on August 12, 2016

This is pared down from he & his wife's 11 volume set of The Story of Civilization. He/they did several other books & essays along these lines, too. This makes themes & trends of history & his view of them much more accessible. I was very impressed by some of his turns of phrase from the outset & th......more

Goodreads review by Siddharth on September 25, 2016

Durant took up the task of summarizing his epic eleven volume summarization of history in the interests of the average reader whose attention span grew shorter with the advent, development and cultivation of mass media. Despite this intense condensation to perhaps 3% of its original size, the book d......more

Goodreads review by Alex on January 30, 2011

The well-known author of the last century, Will Durant, died in 1981. This manuscript was found only a year ago practically in its completed form. It is a treasure of the literary world. Durant’s oeuvre during his lifetime was an eleven-volume series entitled The Story of Civilization, where he focu......more

Goodreads review by Viji on May 29, 2014

A book to treasure.. It was a wonderful experience,reading it.. Not too much beating around the bush,not too brief,this book describes just those things that influenced the history of mankind in a big way. It is more like a general reader's handbook of world history. The personal touch in the writin......more

Goodreads review by Kevin on January 17, 2023

This book seems to concentrate on personalities from antiquity until the 16th century. I was expecting it to continue into the 20th century. It also seemed to concentrate on people with religious significance.......more

Quotes

“An old-fashioned air about it…Fans of Durant’s brand of sweeping narrative history will enjoy having these final words from the master.” Amazon.com, editorial review

“[Durant] again displays his talents for popularizing history, most notably a remarkable ability to summarize complicated thoughts and events in a few succinct words…This book is likely to find a wide audience among those looking for an introduction to world history.” Publishers Weekly

“Grover Gardner takes advantage of that rare aural bounty to weave an entertaining tapestry of great historical figures that listeners will find enjoyable as well as thoughtful.” AudioFile

“For the general reader, this work will be both enjoyable and informative, providing a basis for those who wish to delve even deeper into the history of some of these civilizations.” Booklist

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List