Highly regarded for his works of cultural history and criticism, master historian Jacques Barzun turns his gaze to the past tumultuous hundred years. Taken from From Dawn to Decadence, his landmark study of the past five centuries, Barzun's enthralling analysis of the Twentieth Century rates the present not as a culmination of Western civilization, but as a decline. Barzun is in no way, however, a prophet of doom. Instead, he shows decadence as the normal close of great periods in history and a necessary condition of the creative novelty that will burst forth -- tomorrow or the next day.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"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...certainly is?" -- National Review
"Likely -- I am tempted to say certain -- to become a classic." -- William H. McNeill, Los Angeles Times
"[Barzun] restores color to faded memories of history and paints in the mural here bits were missing." -- Sebastian Mallaby, Washington Post Book World
[From Dawn to Decadence] is arguably the best thinking man's bedside book ever written. -- Peter Green, Times Literary Supplement
"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...certainly is?" -- National Review
"Likely -- I am tempted to say certain -- to become a classic." -- William H. McNeill, Los Angeles Times
"[Barzun] restores color to faded memories of history and paints in the mural here bits were missing." -- Sebastian Mallaby, Washington Post Book World
[From Dawn to Decadence] is arguably the best thinking man's bedside book ever written. -- Peter Green, Times Literary Supplement
From AudioFile
Literary critic Jacques Barzun ought to know the twentieth century; he lived through most of it. In these selections from his brilliant book covering "500 Years of Western Cultural Life," he analyzes and critiques artistic, philosophical, political, and literary trends beginning in 1885 and continuing to 2000. As he deconstructs everything from cubism to cyberculture, Marxism, modernism, and even deconstructionism, listeners may find themselves frequently hitting rewind to catch the minutiae of Barzun's insights. Edward Herrmann gives clarity and just the right degree of erudition to this witty, well-written summary of a century. S.E.S. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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