FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. This book provides a detailed account of Western cultural history since 1500, from what Western man wrought from the Renaissance and Reformation to the present day.
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
In the last half-millennium, as the noted cultural critic and historian Jacques Barzun observes, great revolutions have swept the Western world. Each has brought profound change--for instance, the remaking of the commercial and social worlds wrought by the rise of Protestantism and by the decline of hereditary monarchies. And each, Barzun hints, is too little studied or appreciated today, in a time he does not hesitate to label as decadent.
To leaf through Barzun's sweeping, densely detailed but lightly written survey of the last 500 years is to ride a whirlwind of world-changing events. Barzun ponders, for instance, the tumultuous political climate of Renaissance Italy, which yielded mayhem and chaos, but also the work of Michelangelo and Leonardo--and, he adds, the scientific foundations for today's consumer culture of boom boxes and rollerblades. He considers the 16th-century varieties of religious experimentation that arose in the wake of Martin Luther's 95 theses, some of which led to the repression of individual personality, others of which might easily have come from the "Me Decade." Along the way, he offers a miniature history of the detective novel, defends Surrealism from its detractors, and derides the rise of professional sports, packing in a wealth of learned and often barbed asides.
Never shy of controversy, Barzun writes from a generally conservative position; he insists on the importance of moral values, celebrates the historical contributions of Christopher Columbus, and twits the academic practitioners of political correctness. Whether accepting of those views or not, even the most casual reader will find much that is new or little-explored in this attractive venture into cultural history. --Gregory McNamee --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Now 92, Barzun, the renowned cultural critic, historian and former Columbia provost and professor, offers much more than a summation of his life's work in this profound, eloquent, often witty historical survey. A book of enormous riches, it's sprinkled with provocations. For example, Barzun contradicts Max Weber, arguing that the Protestant Reformation did not galvanize the capitalist spirit. With feminist ardor, he depicts the 16th century as molded and directed by women "as brilliant as the men, and sometimes more powerful" (e.g., Queens Elizabeth and Isabella). His eclectic synthesis is organized around a dozen or so themes--including emancipation, abstraction and individualism--that in his judgment define the modern era. Barzun keeps up the momentum with scores of snappy profiles, including of Luther, Erasmus, Cromwell, Mozart, Rousseau and Byron, as well as of numerous unsung figures such as German educator Friedrich Froebel, inventor of kindergarten, and turn-of-the-century American pioneer ecologist George Marsh. Other devices help make this tome user-friendly--the margins are chock-full of quotes, while vignettes of Venice in 1650, Weimar in 1790 and Chicago in 1895 give a taste of the zeitgeist. In Barzun's glum estimate, the late 20th century has brought decadence into full bloom--separatism in all forms, apathetic electorates, amoral art that embraces filth or mere shock value, the decline of the humanities, the mechanization of life--but he remains hopeful that humanity will find its way again. This is a book to be reckoned with. First serial to American Scholar; BOMC selection. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
174 of 180 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I wasn't sure what to think while I was reading. But, I couldn't put this down. While reading, I thought Barzun crammed tightly so many ideas, events, details, and biographies that he verged on stimulus overload. Later, when remembering names or events that I encountered when watching TV or reading, I realized how much of the book is retainable.
Barzun is a famous stylist. Given how much I admire his writing, I was at first disappointed in the prose. This is not to say that it's written poorly. Only that I think Barzun was more concerned with imparting information in a straightforward way. Nevertheless, certain passages still sing.
I was also at first put off by the many biographies interspersed throughout the narrative. But, then again, after awhile I looked forward to them. They not only add information about famous persons, but color.
Barzun believes certain ideas-individualism, primitivism, self-consciousness, etc-are singularly Western. He uses all capital letters to denote these ideas each time they appear in the narrative. At first, these bothered me because I thought they were trite. But, again, I realized that Barzun was attempting to remind readers of the consistency of Western thought. He demonstrates that so many modern or even post-modern theories, which claim to be avant-guard and even anti-Western, really have deep cultural roots in the very things they revile.
This book is a challenge to those finding it fashionable to denounce Western Civilization. As Barzun says: "[T]he West offered the world a set of ideas and institutions not found earlier or elsewhere." We are rightly proud of them.
134 of 139 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Barzun is 94 years old and has written more than thirty books. His career as a historian has been an amazing one, and this book gives evidence of his vast experience. The time period covered (500 years) is certainly a broad one. But it is a magnificently rich one to study. I bought the book because I was interested in reading about Renaissance and Baroque art and wanted to get a broader sense of historical context. I got that and much more... politics, philosophy, religion, and more are discussed with reference to one another and with an amazing sense of cohesion.
Barzun speaks with a truly historical perspective. He never fails to be thorough, insightful, probing, and penetrating in his analysis. His lucidity and clarity are amazing; as I said his vast experience as a historian is evident. He is always impartial, rendering a truly helpful take on whatever he adresses. His approaches are always fresh - he dispels common misconceptions and gives the reader a more accurate historical perspective. His sense of focus is remarkable. The book is 800 pages long, but it never loses a sense of the big picture it is painting. Barzun names a few common themes of change in the last 5 centuries and they become threads which reappear constantly in his narrative. None of his thoughtful observations go without context and relation to his overarching argument. The impact of events becomes clear through Barzun's careful analysis.
His writing style is most enjoyable. He is quite casual without lacking anything in specificity. His prose is always engaging - it makes this massive work of cultural history a joy to read. Barzun's quickness to get to the heart of the matter and the ease with which he resolves historical questions are amazing and sometimes bring a smile to my face. His wit is a welcome addition to such an easy-to-read style. His sense of humor is subtle but piercing, accompanying perfectly his lucidity of thought.
This book will not fail to please you, whatever historical interests you may have. It is so far-reaching (while still amazingly focused) that there is something here for everyone. Critical praise has been heaped on this book - it is, to me, one of the greatest and yet most approachable works of history to come along in a while.
Most highly recommended...
147 of 154 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Although my first love is reading about American history, an understanding of all the main events of Western Society since the discovery of America provided a very valuable read for me. For example, by understanding the Protestant Reformation better, religious movements in colonial America are put into better perspective. When I open a book of 800 or so pages, my first thought is "Oh Lord, how am I going to plow through this?" However, this book is so enthralling that it moves as quickly as a short novel. I find the type of writing in this book to be absolutely captivating.. the writing I refer to is that which has a point of view but is not the product of an idealogue. The author states an intelligent point of view, throughout, certainly one which can be disagreed with, but certainly reasonable and thoughtful. Barzun is like the great historian Paul Johnson in that he is able to weave biographical information of key historical figures as well as in depth coverage of culture, religion, economics, philosophy etc. Additionally, this is a history of real people, not just a survey of wars and great men/women. In this respect, the book is like Johnson's "The Birth of the Modern," and "History of the American People." Finally, I must point out that although a review stated that his viewpoint is generally conservative, he makes numerous points which would find agreement among leftists. True he defends Western culture and is wary of political correctness. However, he is not an obssessed idealogue and, as for example in his discussion of religious development, he offers observations which might offend traditionalists. Although he may, in fact, be generally conservative, I don't think his views are easily subject to labels. If you are interested in world events, this survey of the last half millenium is 5 stars plus! And, if you are interested in America, the development of world events in a time period coinciding with the development of the New World is a must. I highly recommend this book for all history lovers.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great Work, Positive Life Impact
There are many books on Western history, politics, or government. This is not one of them. This is not an overview of philosophy either. Read more
Published 5 days ago by Akhilesh Pillalamarri
DEMOTIC MAN AND HIS CULTURE
What comes across most powerfully in this book for this reader, having read this work in the year 2000, is the author's vision of demotic man and our demotic culture. Read more
Published 2 months ago by G. Charles Steiner
Worthwhile but flawed.
Barzun makes a noble effort to trace trends and patterns through 500 years of Western history, with partial success. Read more
Published 3 months ago by The Universal Geek
An education in itself
Jacques Barzun is a voice from a different time and place. Probably the only intellectual alive who can speak from experience on the world of pre-WWI Europe. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Will Riddle
A Masterpiece !
This work represents a true "Magnum Opus". This is a book for thinking people interested in art, science and religion. Read more
Published 4 months ago by William Dwayne DelGrande
One man's view--well done
Barzun had thought, taught, and experienced history for what, in most cases, would be considered a lifetime before he wrote this book. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Rambling-Roots-Gardener
A lifetime of wisdom and knowledge
Barzun's swan-song, which consists of 800+ pages of historical information, interesting quotes, anecdotes, insights, and reflections, is the literary equivalent of sitting at the... Read more
Published 7 months ago by David Withun
Monumental
Everything about this book is monumental--from the time span that it covers (1500 to 2000) to the persons featured (Luther, Pascal, Diterot, Bagehot, and Sayers to name a few by... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Jackson M.
Sweeping generalizations
This is an engaging overview of the themes running through the history of Western Civ over the last five hundred years. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Ann Krueger
Old and New Visions for History
Jacques Barzun, as of this writing still alive, and over 100 years old, (to the best of my knowledge) is an ambitious historian. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Debra Mervant
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First Sentence:
THE MODERN ERA BEGINS, characteristically, with a revolution. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
forgotten troop, monarchical revolution, ride mankind Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Middle Ages, New York, New England, Victor Hugo, William James, Great War, Bernard Shaw, Far East, Samuel Butler, Henry James, South America, Ben Jonson, Royal Society, Sydney Smith, Estates General, Adam Smith, Don Quixote, George Eliot, Karl Marx, Art Deco, Don Juan, Henry Adams, Mme de Maintenon, Oscar Wilde, President Roosevelt New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
THE MODERN ERA BEGINS, characteristically, with a revolution. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
forgotten troop, monarchical revolution, ride mankind Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Middle Ages, New York, New England, Victor Hugo, William James, Great War, Bernard Shaw, Far East, Samuel Butler, Henry James, South America, Ben Jonson, Royal Society, Sydney Smith, Estates General, Adam Smith, Don Quixote, George Eliot, Karl Marx, Art Deco, Don Juan, Henry Adams, Mme de Maintenon, Oscar Wilde, President Roosevelt New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
40
books
cite this book:
See all 40 books citing this book
- A Jacques Barzun Reader: Selections from His Works (Perennial Classics) by Jacques Barzun on 4 pages
- Divorcing the Dow: Using Revolutionary Market Indicators to Profit from the Stealth Boom Ahead by Jim Troup on page 115, page 116, and page 126
- Triumph: The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church: A 2,000-Year History by H. W. Crocker III in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- The Business of Innovation: Managing the Corporate Imagination for Maximum Results by Roger Bean on page 22, and page 137
- The New Global Investors: How Shareowners can Unlock Sustainable Prosperity Worldwide by Robert A. G. Monks on page 53, and page 76
See all 40 books citing this book
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