The Story of Civilization, Volume 11: The Age of Napoleon

by Will Durant

Other authorsAriel Durant (Author)

Hardcover, 1980

Status

Available

Call number

909

Publication

Simon & Schuster (1980), Hardcover, bce, 880 pages

Description

An engrossing volume on European civilization by Pulitzer Prize-winning historians Will and Ariel DurantThe Age of Napoleon, the eleventh 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, 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; 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. |PrefaceBook One: The French Revolution, 1789-99Book Two: Napoleon Ascendant, 1799-1811Book Three: Britain, 1789-1812Book Four: The Challenged Kings, 1789-1812Part Five: Finale, 1811-1815.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member DinadansFriend

if you have space for only one book on Napoleon, or the history of Europe during his lifetime, this is it. It's a thick book, but it has an immense amount to say.
This book demonstrates the power of chronology over the historical mind, because in the late 1920's, following his very successful "A

History of Philosophy", Will Durant though t he'd write a book on Napoleon. Well, it became obvious that he'd have to start somewhat earlier than Napoleon if he wanted to explain Bonaparte, and thus the eleven volume "Story of Civilization" was begun. This is the last volume, published fifty years after the original idea forced its way to the surface. And you can't get a better survey of the history of Europe and the Middle east than this series. There's a notable quote in every paragraph, and thousands of insights on many topics. Excluding the very disappointing first Volume, that no one should bother with, every book is definitive between it's parameters. In a sense, this book is the Encyclopedia of Western Civilization. There are a lot of second hand sets floating around, get one.

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LibraryThing member spencermamer

Possibly the greatest volume in the entire set!

LibraryThing member tonynetone

A History of European Civilization from 1789 to 1815 Russia
in 1780 had 24 million inhabitants, France 25 million, Norway 700,000, Paris was
the largest city in Europe, 650,000 inhabitants.

Napoleon I

Born in Corsica 1769,parents of minor noble Italian ancestry, successful campaigns against the First

and Second Coalitions, 1799, he staged a coup d'état proclaimed him emperor after 5 years,so that engaged in a series of conflicts over European power,1812 marked up never fully recovered, also at Leipzig; the Sixth Coalition,(1813–1814), a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain and some of German Teutons States. 1812 Napoleon invaded Russia to force (Emperor Alexander I) The Grande Armée, consisting of as many as 650,000 men .In 1813, the Sixth Coalition defeated his forces at Leipzig

Coalition invaded France, Napoleon to abdicate and exiled him to the island of Elba, but a year later, he escaped Elba and returned to power. Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 Napoleon was defeated by combined armies of the Seventh Coalition, an Anglo-Allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington with a Prussian army that was the end for Napoleon's rule. Last six years of his life in the island of Saint Helena,scientists have since conjectured he was poisoned with arsenic.

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LibraryThing member ShadowBarbara

Tedious reading, too much detail that doesn't matter. Just around in time--you need to know the history before reading this or it doesn�t make sense

LibraryThing member kaitanya64

Classic Durant. Exhaustively detailed, delightfully opinionated. Read it in pieces and if you're feeling a bit sleepy, don't even bother.

LibraryThing member cakecop

Before reading this volume I thought Napoleon had a sterling reputation. When I was finished I thought he was overrated. He was charming, extremely intelligent, organized and over ambitious.

Most of the good Napoleon accomplished is tarnished with blood of the dead.

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Subjects

Civilization History

Europe -- Civilization

Europe Civilisation

Europe Histoire 1789-1815

Europe History 1789-1815

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Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821

Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 Relations with Europeans

Napol�eon Ier, empereur des Fran�cais, 1769-1821

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Awards

Commonwealth Club of California Book Awards (Silver Medal — Nonfiction — 1975)

Language

English

Original publication date

1975

Physical description

880 p.; 9.5 inches

ISBN

067121988X / 9780671219888

Local notes

wien
kindle

This volume centers on Napoleon I of France and his times.

1. The French Revolution: 1789–99
2. Napoleon Ascendant: 1799–1811
3. Britain: 1789–1812
4. The Challenged Kings: 1789–1812
5. Finale: 1811–1815