Antonio Nunez's Reviews > The Age of Louis XIV

Volume VIII of the Durant's History of Civilization is a joy. Against the background of Le Grand Siecle plays out the story of the English Restoration and the Glorious Revolution, the decay and death of Habsburg Spain, the brief sunburst of Sweden, the slow recovery of Germany from the desolation of the Thirty Years War, the entry of Russia into European history at the hands of Peter the Great, the decay of Poland and the Baltic States, Italy and Portugal. The names of the philosophers, mathematicians and scientists are glorious. This is indeed perhaps the most glorious century for human reason: Galileo, Descartes, Pascal, Locke, Newton, Leibniz, Hobbes, Spinoza, Bayle, among many others. The underlying theme is that this century saw the final battle between faith and reason and set the stage for the latter 's victory. The book is as always brilliant, light and deep at the same time, with enormous love for its subject. A good complement is Tim Blanning's The Pursuit of Glory.