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

by Barzun, Jacques | PB | Good
US $9.15
ApproximatelyC $12.59
Condition:
Good
Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ... Read moreabout condition
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Last updated on Jul 21, 2025 16:41:31 EDTView all revisionsView all revisions

Item specifics

Condition
Good
A book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover including scuff marks, but no holes or tears. The dust jacket for hard covers may not be included. Binding has minimal wear. The majority of pages are undamaged with minimal creasing or tearing, minimal pencil underlining of text, no highlighting of text, no writing in margins. No missing pages. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections. See all condition definitionsopens in a new window or tab
Seller Notes
“Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ...
Binding
Paperback
Weight
1 lbs
Product Group
Book
IsTextBook
Yes
ISBN
9780060928834

About this product

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
Number of Pages
912 Pages
Language
English
Publication Year
2001
Topic
Civilization, Europe / Western, Modern / 20th Century, World
Genre
History
Author
Jacques Barzun
Format
Trade Paperback

Dimensions

Item Height
1.5 in
Item Weight
26.3 Oz
Item Length
8 in
Item Width
6 in

Additional Product Features

Intended Audience
Trade
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.
Synopsis
"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., "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.
LC Classification Number
CB245

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      Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-OwnedSold by: thebookmaven-half