Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Harper Perennial (2001), Edition: 1, 912 pages
Description
"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.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member davidpwithun
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 feet of a great master and venerable elder. The wide swath of knowledge encompassed in this book, including such
Barzun’s style throughout the book is nearly conversational as he discusses the various topics, people, and ideas we encounter along the way. He takes us down side trails that connect seemingly disparate elements of culture, such as Bach and the rise of National Socialism or street gangs and Andy Warhol, bringing together facts that are normally compartmentalized, separated, and sorted, and giving us, throughout, his own knowledgeable assessment. And, in the end, he offers us his thoughts on the current state of Western Civilization, what we have become and what he believes will become of us.
For all of this, I think any attentive disciple (that is, reader) cannot help but whisper “thank you” as he closes the book, even after a second or third read of it, and to wish, hope, and pray, no matter the odds against, that Barzun could have another 100 years.
Show More
varied aspects of Western culture as ballet, opera, Dadaism, mystery crime novels, and hippies, and the balanced bird’s eye view and authoritative approach taken to each is indicative of the long life (now over 100 years) of a penetrating and curious mind.Barzun’s style throughout the book is nearly conversational as he discusses the various topics, people, and ideas we encounter along the way. He takes us down side trails that connect seemingly disparate elements of culture, such as Bach and the rise of National Socialism or street gangs and Andy Warhol, bringing together facts that are normally compartmentalized, separated, and sorted, and giving us, throughout, his own knowledgeable assessment. And, in the end, he offers us his thoughts on the current state of Western Civilization, what we have become and what he believes will become of us.
For all of this, I think any attentive disciple (that is, reader) cannot help but whisper “thank you” as he closes the book, even after a second or third read of it, and to wish, hope, and pray, no matter the odds against, that Barzun could have another 100 years.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Kathleen828
Finished May 14, 2005
I would give this 100 stars if I were able to! I choose this as one of "the 5 books I would take to a desert island."
I intended, when began this, to keep it in pristine condition, so I did not underline or write marginalia for the first 30 pages or so.
But it quickly became
It is obviously the culmination of a life devoted to the study of, and thinking about, western cultural life. As that is my chief intellectual interest, and Mr. Barzun has a lively mind, a clear style and a refreshingly astringent mode of commentary, this was an undliluted joy.
He has obviously read EVERYTHING, and most likely in the original languages, so his suggestions for reading and his commenary on "the classics" are also a delight.
He builds slowly and relentlessly to his conclusion, and, as it resonated with me, I found this to be a masterpiece. I read it piecemeal, over a period of 2-3 years. Now that I see it as a whole, I intend to go back and read it straight through.
This is a masterwork by a 90-year-old who has an incredibly long view.
I loved it!
I would give this 100 stars if I were able to! I choose this as one of "the 5 books I would take to a desert island."
I intended, when began this, to keep it in pristine condition, so I did not underline or write marginalia for the first 30 pages or so.
But it quickly became
Show More
apparent that this was an extraordinary book, and now its condition shows how deeply I have engaged with and enjoyed it.It is obviously the culmination of a life devoted to the study of, and thinking about, western cultural life. As that is my chief intellectual interest, and Mr. Barzun has a lively mind, a clear style and a refreshingly astringent mode of commentary, this was an undliluted joy.
He has obviously read EVERYTHING, and most likely in the original languages, so his suggestions for reading and his commenary on "the classics" are also a delight.
He builds slowly and relentlessly to his conclusion, and, as it resonated with me, I found this to be a masterpiece. I read it piecemeal, over a period of 2-3 years. Now that I see it as a whole, I intend to go back and read it straight through.
This is a masterwork by a 90-year-old who has an incredibly long view.
I loved it!
Show Less
LibraryThing member broughtonhouse
Attempting to review such a vast and impressive story is somewhat presumptuous, but ever mind. Fascinating and rewarding to read in full, this book is no less than a sweep through the whole of western civilization since Luther. It's real meat and potatoes stuff, to be savoured and absorbed rather
Show More
than skimmed. It is surely one of the most satisfying books I have ever read. And it shows that history is definitely not boring. Show Less
LibraryThing member trinibaby9
This is so well written it's unbelieveable! I couldn't put it down. After reading this I felt as if I should carry it around with me at all times as reference book for everything! Very thorough and extremely well written. A definite read, you will be much wiser by the end!
LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin
I took this out of my library as an audiobook and in retrospective, I think I would have enjoyed it much more as a printed book. There was too much to absorb in audio. Looking at the other ratings and reviews, this confirms my suspicions. It looks like many others got a lot out of it while I didn't
Show More
enjoy it much or feel like I learned a whole lot. Show Less
LibraryThing member xenchu
This is a book of cultural history. As such, it is more about literature and ideas than politics and war. It is a study of western civilization from 1500 until the present day. It is a chronicle of the rise of culture and its artifacts from the end of the middle ages until today.
The book is
I can recommend the book to anyone with an interest in the subject. Whether you agree with his conclusions or not it is a book well worth reading. I will say that he seems to have no liking at all for the student movement of the sixties.
The book is
Show More
impressive in size and erudition. It is a masterful study of the subject, very well annotated. It is also fairly massive at 800 pages in length.I can recommend the book to anyone with an interest in the subject. Whether you agree with his conclusions or not it is a book well worth reading. I will say that he seems to have no liking at all for the student movement of the sixties.
Show Less
LibraryThing member BrianFrank
Nothing like this book could have been written without the full resources of one of the 20th century's most encyclopedic and articulate minds -- and even then, Barzun wasn't capable of producing this masterpiece until he was in his 90's.And it's taking me a very long time to read!...
LibraryThing member philoso4
This is a truly amazing compilation of everything you want to know about the past 500 years of western culture. The unique format makes it far less than dry. Barzun has opinions and doesn't shy away from expressing them, but he does it in a way that is informative rather than otherwise. His
Show More
references have led me to many other sources that I would not ordinarily have known about. Show Less
LibraryThing member nuwanda
"From Dawn to Decadence" is a veritable tome of scholarship by a famous historian Jaques Barzun who would certainly have the authority of speaking of the last 500 years of Western cultural history - if not for anything else then for the mere fact that he has personally lived through the last
The sweep and grasp of material is nothing short of astounding and it makes a very interesting and illuminating read. Barzun doesn't really try to tell "what happened" - he assumes that his readers are in general aware of the main events and historical persons and concentrates on filling in the blanks, giving lots of background information and outlining connections and common themes. This, however, is also one of the main weaknesses of FDtD - Barzun is often very opinionated and, instead of trying to give a balanced and neutral account, treats material to his own ends.
Still, it is certainly a monumental achievement and deserves to be read and re-read. Just maintain your critical attitude and don't forget that this, although certainly learned and authoritative, is only one possible viewpoint on the last half of the millennia.
Show More
century of it.The sweep and grasp of material is nothing short of astounding and it makes a very interesting and illuminating read. Barzun doesn't really try to tell "what happened" - he assumes that his readers are in general aware of the main events and historical persons and concentrates on filling in the blanks, giving lots of background information and outlining connections and common themes. This, however, is also one of the main weaknesses of FDtD - Barzun is often very opinionated and, instead of trying to give a balanced and neutral account, treats material to his own ends.
Still, it is certainly a monumental achievement and deserves to be read and re-read. Just maintain your critical attitude and don't forget that this, although certainly learned and authoritative, is only one possible viewpoint on the last half of the millennia.
Show Less
LibraryThing member z-bunch
This book is a long read on the cultural history of the west, requiring nearly as much time to think about what the author says as to read it. It is one of the most insightful and thought-provoking books I've ever read. I had post-it flags throughout marking passages whose ideas I wanted to discuss
Show More
with my husband. It is not a book I could read with distractions or when tired, and so it took me a while to finish, what with all the kids and all the work making me almost always distracted, tired, or both. After finishing, I'm actually a little sad to part from Jacques Barzun and his sharp mind and sharp tongue. Despite my long to-read list and the length and density of this book and the challenge of finding the time and mental energy for it, I fully expect to return to it, to reread parts or the whole, when I want to spend some time sitting around with a great mind with no patience for muddled thinking and intellectual laziness. Show Less
LibraryThing member Scarchin
Incredible recounting of the past 500 years of Western history. As I listened to this, I kept thinking to myself "The more things change..."
The 3 stars mostly relates to the quality of the audio recording. Worst I've ever had. Like having C3PO read it - but worse.
The 3 stars mostly relates to the quality of the audio recording. Worst I've ever had. Like having C3PO read it - but worse.
LibraryThing member BruceAir
Barzun is a widely acclaimed historian on the faculty at Columbia University. If you want a great one-volume survey of the subject, this is the book to read.
LibraryThing member soraxtm
To get the four stars you have to ignore the last 200 pages or so. His politics ,his cultural bias and his economics all stop the book cold and is kinda disappointing.
LibraryThing member dolphari
A wide-ranging and ambitious work, with fascinating details yet a broad overview of this period in history.
LibraryThing member jerry-book
500 years of culture.
LibraryThing member mikebridge
This was a book I picked up almost at random while I was looking for something else. Up until then, pursuing my own European cultural history hadn't interested me particularly much at all. Barzun's book---which is the culmination of a lifetime of scholarship---is an inspiring invitation to the
Show More
great ascent and current decline of the West's history and culture. Its innovative use of notes and capitalized key words make the threads of a very complicated story easy to follow. His writing style is clear, and his candid, well informed judgements make the story fascinating. It is like having a private audience with a brilliant, impossibly well-read man who effortlessly rattles off perspective and insight. I read this about 4 years ago and the "catching up" it inspired me to do on the great books continues today; it is one of the books I come back to often as I try to put something else I've read into perspective. I have come to disagree with him on some issues (for some reason, he's not totally on-side with Darwin), but reading his opinions is always worthwhile. My only quibble is the unsatisfyingly strange ending, but this is a minor complaint after the rest of the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member LibrarysCat
I have written in every white space in this book - one of my favorites. Provides a wonderful history of the world.
LibraryThing member ritaer
A fairly comprehensive look at the cultural history of the modern era. However his predictions for the future do not take into account the problems of ecological change, resource depletion or environmental degradation.
Subjects
Awards
National Book Award (Finalist — Nonfiction — 2000)
National Book Critics Circle Award (Finalist — 2000)
Booklist Editor's Choice: Adult Books (History — 2000)
Notable Books List (2001)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2000
Physical description
912 p.; 8.1 x 1.7 inches
ISBN
0060928832 / 9780060928834
Local notes
FB Giordano Bruno, Paracelsus, Isaac Newton , HPB, Yeats and much much more in 877 pages.