The Reformation

By: Will Durant

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 50 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's Summary

An engrossing volume on the European Reformation by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Will Durant.

The sixth volume of Durant's acclaimed Story of Civilization, The Reformationchronicles the history of European civilization from 1300 to 1564. In this masterful work, listeners will encounter

• the schism within the Roman Catholic Church and the formation of early Protestantism;
• the theology of Martin Luther and his societal impact;
• the rise of Humanism and the life of Desiderius Erasmus;
• the royal monarchies of England, France, Spain, and Italy;
• the imperial conquests of Christopher Columbus and the discovery of the Americas;
• the Bohemian revolution of Eastern Europe, the unification of Russia, and the rise of the Ottoman Empire;
• the teachings of John Calvin; and
• the Counter-Reformation of the sixteenth century.

©1957 Will Durant (P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Fantastic!

Where does The Reformation rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The entire series, including this volume, rank as my favourite books of all-time.

What did you like best about this story?

The depth and insight of the author.

What about Stefan Rudnicki’s performance did you like?

Great.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Marvel.

Any additional comments?

No.

14 of 14 people found this review helpful

The Power of Change

See my review of Our Oriental Heritage for my notes on the series as a whole.
This is another great volume of Durant’s great History series. This volume covers the Renaissance outside of Italy, the Reformation, and Counter-Reformation and overlaps quite a bit in time with volume 5 (The Renaissance).

The Reformation is not quite as dramatic as most of the other volumes of this series. There is a lot of politics and religion and strong historical figures but not a lot of heroes or inspiring stories. As always Durant provides a compelling integrated history of the period, going over the same period several times from the different perspectives of the historical individuals. Particularly compelling is a long overview of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation as a set of monologs by a hypothetical composite character representing the reformers, the traditional catholic, and the humanist.

This was well worth the time and I (re)learned a lot. It is quite amazing how decisions of people hundreds of years ago still effect our daily lives today. Durant tells the story of History is a way that makes one feel a part of history. He shows us quite normal individuals that made a difference centuries ago and how that difference has flowed through time all the way to us (and lets us see our own power to make such differences).

The narration was excellent with a lot of character and passion which helped keep me engaged in the stories.

14 of 15 people found this review helpful

Audible needs to have the entire 11 volume series

Any additional comments?

I'm loving the series, but already worried about 8-11; since Audible has just the first 7 volumes.

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

A masterpiece to cherish for all times.

Beautifully read, this 6th volume of Durant's "History of Civilization" is a true gift from a brilliant mind. Henry VIIIth, Martin Luther, the Borgia Pope Alexander, Isabella and Ferdinand, these are just a few of the enormous personalities of these times. I enjoyed every minute of this audiobook. Thank you to those who made this treasure available in audio format!
Though I recommend starting from the beginning, each volume of this "Story of Civilization" is a stand-alone history. It's worth the time and money to listen to each word in this 11 volume series. Truly an amazing and engrossing work of scholarship and humanity!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

If you are interested in history...

you'll love this book. Fascinating story of European history. I'm a novice and it was captivating for me. I'm sure there is much here for the well versed, too.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Wonderful research

I marvel at the work involved in researching this book. I absolutely love the breadth and details expressed by this wonderful mind.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Learning is great!

I have, up until listening to this book, thought that only Luther was involved in starting the reformation. So listening to this book, and learning how some coincidences, and some deliberate actions in sum ended up causing the reformation made the whole happening a lot more exciting.

In short. I learned a lot from this book, and almost wish I could unlearn it, and listen to it again...

Happy listening!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Gone are Rome and Church... Enter Europe.

As fated by providence, things come and go. This is what happened to the Roman Catholic Church through the evolution of commerce, statehood, religious variants, the coming of science and secularism. The Church did not evolve as compared to the increased population and cultural diversity.

The attempts at the Renaissance failed and the Reformation was decidedly the young teenager moving out of the parent's house after a violent argument. Blood was spilled over ideas for the meaning of life. Sad are us humans.

The narration (and commentary winks) is exquisite and the story-telling as large as the world is growing. This is a dedicated series for the knowledge seekers. A must collection for human history.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Fascinating journey through religious upheaval

A captivating account of how life changed so dramatically with theappearance of those who questioned the abuses of the Roman Catholic Church and thus creating the growth of our current multi-denominational system and the growth of nationalism. The seeds were thus sown for the Age of Reason.

Wonderful Volume in Epic Series

I never thought I’d enjoy reading about history as much as I have since finding these books, then their Audible titles, and then diving in. This volume about The Reformation is very intense, dealing with the many kings, queens, popes, and the territories governed by them. As religion plays a large role in this portion of history - swiftly through the 1300’s and 1400’s, then settling into the 1500’s - the organization of various denominations and the battles between them are spelled out in great detail.

Considering the thoughts of Erasmus, Luther plays the most significant role in the book, as he looks at the world around him and tries to bring it to a spiritual understanding of itself. After the Church looks in the mirror, it sees other nations and their their beliefs, creating conflicts and, while hoping to unify the world under one faith, it lets theologians and philosophers put larger gaps between Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, and Judaism, only a small portion of the world we see today.

Will Durant’s transmission of these wonders in this series has been fantastic. And Stefan Rudnicki’s narration continues to be a joy to hear. Book 7, here I come!