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From Dawn to Decadence: 1500 to the Present : 500 Years of Western Cultural Life by Jacques Barzun (2001, Trade Paperback)

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From Dawn to Decadence: 1500 to the Present: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life.

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Product Information

"A stunning five-century study of civilization's cultural retreat." - William Safire, New York Times Highly regarded here and abroad for some thirty works of cultural history and criticism, master historian Jacques Barzun has set down in one continuous narrative the sum of his discoveries and conclusions about the whole of Western culture since 1500. Barzun describes what Western Man wrought from the Renaissance and Reformation down to the present in the double light of its own time and our pressing concerns. He introduces characters and incidents with his unusual literary style and grace, bringing to the fore those that have been forgotten or obscured. His compelling chapters-such as "Puritans as Democrats," "The Monarchs' Revolution," and "The Artist Prophet and Jester"-show the recurrent role of great themes throughout the era. The triumphs and defeats of five hundred years form an inspiring saga that modifies the current impression of one long tale of oppression by white European males. Women and their deeds are prominent, and freedom (even in sexual matters) is not an invention of the last decades. And when Barzun rates the present not as a culmination but a decline, he is in no way a prophet of doom. Instead, he shows decadence as the normal close of great periods and a necessary condition of the creative novelty that will burst forth-tomorrow or the next day. Only after a lifetime of separate studies covering a broad territory could a writer create with such ease the synthesis displayed in this magnificent volume.

Product Identifiers

Publisher
HarperCollins
ISBN-10
0060928832
ISBN-13
9780060928834
eBay Product ID (ePID)
1837003

Product Key Features

Book Title
From Dawn to Decadence: 1500 to the Present : 500 Years of Western Cultural Life
Author
Jacques Barzun
Format
Trade Paperback
Language
English
Topic
Civilization, General
Publication Year
2001
Genre
History
Number of Pages
912 Pages

Dimensions

Item Length
8in
Item Height
1.5in
Item Width
6.1in
Item Weight
29.9 Oz

Additional Product Features

Lc Classification Number
Cb245
Reviews
"[Barzun] restores color to faded memories of history and paints in the mural here bits were missing." -- Sebastian Mallaby, Washington Post Book World "A stunning five-century study of civilization's cultural retreat." -- William Safire, New York Times "Barzun writes with unfailing, stylish lucidity and enlivens his vast tale with ingenious devices." -- The New Yorker "From Dawn to Decadence, in short, is peerless." -- New York Times Book Review "How many times in one's life does one get to welcome a masterpiece, which, without a doubt, this amazing work certainly is?" -- National Review "Likely -- I am tempted to say certain -- to become a classic." -- William H. McNeill, Los Angeles Times "[From Dawn to Decadence] is arguably the best thinking man's bedside book ever written." -- Peter Green, Times Literary Supplement "Jacques Barzun's summa is the work of a very great historian and of a seer. The phrase from the Bible is apposite: 'The hearing ear, and the seeing eye' is his great gift--and a gift to his readers." -- John Lukacs, author of Five Days in London, [Barzun] Restores Color to Faded Memories of History and Paints in the Mural Here Bits Were Missing.
Copyright Date
2001
Dewey Decimal
940.2
Intended Audience
Trade
Dewey Edition
21