Publisher Description
An engrossing volume on the Italian Renaissance by Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Will Durant
The 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.
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“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
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 (a.k.a. Tom Parker) 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.