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The Age of Napoleon

A History of European Civilization from 1789 to 1815: The Story of Civilization, Book 11

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The Age of Napoleon

By: Will Durant, Ariel Durant
Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
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About this listen

An engrossing volume on European civilization by Pulitzer Prize-winning historians Will and Ariel Durant.

The Age of Napoleon, the 11th and final volume of the Story of Civilization, surveys the amazing chain of events that wrenched Europe out of the Enlightenment and into the age of democracy. In this masterful work, listeners will encounter the French Revolution from the storming of the Bastille to the guillotining of the king; the revolution's leaders - Danton, Desmoulins, Robespierre, and Saint-Just - all cut down by the reign of terror they inaugurated; Napoleon's meteoric rise from provincial Corsican military student to emperor and commander of the largest army in history; Napoleon's fall - his army's destruction in the snows of Russia, his exile to Elba, his escape and reconquest of the throne, and his ultimate defeat at Waterloo by the combined forces of Europe; and the birth of Romanticism and the dawning of a new age of active democracy and a rising middle class, laying the foundation for a new era.

©1975 Will and Ariel Durant (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Europe French Revolution Military Middle Ages Imperialism Socialism Liberalism Russia Capitalism Soviet Union Italy
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Absolutely recommended. Writing and performance are brilliant both. Six words are still remaining here apparently.

Stupendous

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I expected this to be a relatively straightforward narrative of the French Revolution and the life and career of Napoleon, but these are only the twin pillars of a much broader European panorama of the late 18th and early 19th century that is retold here.

The wide scope of the book can be a little bewildering at times, as can the repeated and juxtaposition of climactic events and personalities with obscure and sometimes rather uninteresting minor characters.

That said, it makes for a rewarding and enjoyable listen.

A Broad Panorama of Napoleonic Europe

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I am extremely impressed with the efforts of the authors, to bring together an incredible history of the parallel lives during the Age of Napoleon. full of fabulous mini bio's of hundreds of important people that shared the world stage with Napoleon. Mozart, Beethoven, Coleridge, Byron, Wellington, Nelson, Czars, Kings, Politicians, Revolutionaries. what a stunning and immense work this is. I have read many many books on Napoleon, his battles, his Generals, his political career - but never did I realise how many important parallel lives were swept up into his saga. This book is simply wonderful, and I give it my highest recommendation. SB

an incredible history, one of the best

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I am a big fan of the Durants approach to synthetic history and have now listened to all of their massive works. Its a great shame they couldn't cover the Victorian age through the world wars and cold war.

No one lives forever but Will and Ariel have a good chance of lasting a few centuries at least in print given the gargantuan scale of their achievement

Some of the works written in the 1920s need revising and updating while the longed for synthetic history of the modern world remains to be written in their style. Hopefully some publisher will commission someone to complete the task?

As far as the audio version goes it would be totally wonderful if audible could somehow link to images of people and artworks and places being discussed as the lectures continue. I pause it and do a web search manually but it would take the form to a whole new level if it was automated.

How about it audible/kindle?

Detailed account of a unique complex genius

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I've never knew history is such a cool thing. I think I am in loved with it now. The book is just amazing, the performance (reading) is out of this planet (meaning awesome!). It is true it is a long book, but you don't have to listen to it in one go (I've listen to other 3 books in between), but in the end it is worth every minute spent listening to it. Thanks for such an amazing book. Can't wait to listen to the rest of them (this is book 11 in the collection).

Amazing!

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