The Story of Civilization, Volume 8: The Age of Louis XIV

subtitle: A History of European Civilization in the Period of Pascal, Moliere, Cromwell, Milton, Peter the Great, Newton & Spinoza 1648-1715 In the 8th volume of their Story of Civilization, the Durants explore the apex of European civilization to that time, the years 1648-1715. It's the era of the "Sun King," Louis XIV, one of the most powerful rulers in Western history. It's also the pinnacle of Dutch culture, the heyday of Vermeer & William of Orange, later King of England. All this forms the backdrop for the Durants' real focus: the intellectual character of the age. Encompassing Newton & Leibniz, among others, THE AGE OF LOUIS XIV marks a momentous transition: the passage from superstition & intolerance to science & philosophy. This is the period on which the foundation for modernity rests.