A great survey of history
Written: Aug 18 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A very wide range of topics spanning 500 years.
Cons: Topics are not fleshed out in full detail
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| moemin's Full Review: Jacques Barzun - From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years... |
This is a great tour de force in the study of Western civilization. It is immense in its scope, ambitious in its thesis, but overall it is very well written. Barzun as indicated in the book title, defines a specific time frame of European history and lets the reader sample a wide array of topics.
It is surprising (perhaps not) in the author's self-consciousness at traversing the time period dominated by the "dead white male" that is currently banished from the curriculum of many universities. Barzun dives right into the topic with chapters devoted to the contribution of women in the Renaissance era and explored the linguistic roots of "Man".
Overall, it is a great book for fans of history or even for people who know little of European history, but are intrigued by great learning and writing.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID: moemin
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Reviews written: 1
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