The Reformation: A History of European Civilization from Wycliffe to Calvin, 1300 - 1564 (Story of Civilization series, Volume 6) (Story of Civilization (Audio)) Audio CD – Unabridged, October 15, 2014

While I am a history enthusiast, I have more of a focus on American History and am relatively deficient in European History, especially in things like the Reformation. But good history is good history no matter the topic and Will Durant is a master storyteller. A book like this doesn't read quickly, it won't let itself be read quickly. But if the reader is truly interested in learning, then Mr. Durant will satisfy every need. I learned so much about so many things in Europe, and not just about religion. Durant does a spectacular job of telling us also about rulers and tyrants, politics and intrigue, lifestyles of nobility, clergy and the masses as well as the state of music, art, literature and philosophy. I think the author knew he was asking a lot of his readers, so he sprinkles some wonderful humor here and there to keep the story moving.This book was written in the late 1950s and I don't read enough in this field to know whether a "better" account of the Reformation has been written in the last 60 years, but it would be hard to imagine and I have absolutely no reservation in recommending this tome to anyone seeking to learn about Europe and the Reformation.Contrary to other reviews I have read, I did not think that the conversion from print to the Kindle format left anything to be desired. If there were misspellings or omissions, they were of little-to-no consequence for me. (I own the hard copy, but decided to buy the Kindle version as well in order to lighten the load when flying.)

I can't wait to collect all 11 volumes!

After finishing the sixth book of The Story of Civilization series, I am in awe of the Durants. It takes geniuses (with a bit of a madness) to attempt a summation of human history, but it takes that rare breed of person to write such a compelling history in such a way that every page is a treat. As an armchair historian, I feel indebted to them. I say with certainty that such a collection of books will never be surpassed in our lifetimes. To invest the time and energy into these books requires a bit of madness itself, but after spending 18 months and countless (sometimes grueling) hours to finish 6 volumes, I can honestly say that I haven't wasted a single moment or regretted it for an instant.The Reformation covers around 1300 to the mid 1550s. Martin Luther isn't mentioned until several hundred pages in. As someone who only knew about Luther "nailing something to the door of some church", it gave me a understanding as to Luther as a person, what he tried to accomplish and what actually happened. "I understood why" became my phrase throughout the book. I understood why Henry VIII went to such great lengths to produce a male heir. I understood why Luther went after Rome so hard and got caught up in trading one infallibility for another. I understood why Germany led the Reformation because of money going to Rome and Luther's fervor. And I understood why the Church had to wage war and fatten the treasury to maintain that precarious grip on power. I personally didn't approve, but I understood why.As for the Kindle version - there are OCR errors on virtually every other page and they stick out because you're focused on reading every single word that's written. It's a shame, and I wish Simon and Schuster would fix this (or at least give readers a way to submit errors easily.)

Though only one in a broader scope of study, Dr. Durant's volume on the reformation is perhaps the standard work on that tumultuous period of history. His work is correct in beginning not with Martin Luther but with the church in the centuries preceding Luther. In this way, he is able to draw on the corruption of the church which led to the reformation but also to the root causes of that corruption and trends in human action. The influence of the death of so many clergy in the plague giving rise to declining standards in clergy requirements are one example. As well as the declining standards in clergy feeding the desire of individual purity as a driving force toward reform among mystics and heretics.Both orthodox and heretical teachings of teachers like Wycliff and Hus are given to ponder how and why the church reacted as it did to their influence. The flirtations with such "modern" philosophies as communism and individualism are shown in their full force as insurgents roam Europe causing nations to sit on the brink of revolution long before the age of 18th and 19th century revolutions. All of this is given in the backdrop context of the times so that we do not judge too harshly in light of hindsight. Nor are we tempted to see that time as so foreign as to be incomprehensible.Though Dr. Durant admits in the introduction his Roman Catholic upbringing inevitably biases his understanding, none of that bias seems to become apparent. It is likely his lectures to Presbyterians that softened his bias to the point of being virtually undetectable even in this hotly debated topic.There will likely never be another work so enjoyable to read and worthy in detail as a standard text like this one. It will never grow old.

Durant's books have been, and will be, read for many years. He is a master historian who knows how to write commanding prose. But truly, what a disgrace this Kindle download is. There is a typographical/conversion error on virtually every page. Some make the text all but incomprehensible.Durant's memory is poorly served with this shabbily done digital conversion. Yes, I confess it's a lot easier to hold in my hand a Kindle or (in my case) an iPad than that heavy 900-page volume, but the conversion is truly reprehensible.Shame on the company who released this!