“The Story of Civilization. Volume 1: Our Oriental Heritage”, by Will Durant

 

1049 pages, Simon & Schuster, ISBN-13: 978-0671548001

The Story of Civilization is an 11-volume set of books by the American writer, historian and philosopher Will Durant that focuses on a philosophical understanding of Western history that was intended for the general reader. Written over a period of more than fifty years, Volume 1: Our Oriental Heritage was originally published in 1935, and covers Near Eastern history until the fall of the Achaemenid Empire in the 330s BC, as well as the history of India, China and Japan up to the 1930s. Funny story: I actually read Volume 11: The Age of Napoleon first, as I was still on my junior high Napoleonic kick and read everything I could on the Corsican Ogre I could lay my hands on. It wasn’t until many years later that I began this series at the beginning when I purchased the complete 11-volume set from Edward R. Hamilton, a mail order (now online) bookstore; this particular edition is a reprint of an edition published by Simon & Schuster in the late 80s. Anyway…

Forewarned is forearmed, so be advised that, seeing as this history was originally published in 1935, the writing can only be described as outdated; indeed, if archaic and cringeworthy terms and phrases that were just fine in ’35 but would get you burned at the stake today are enough to make you blow an artery, then stay away from Our Oriental Heritage (the title alone should be enough to dissuade you; I mean, the “our” in Our Oriental Heritage refers to the West, which is bad bad BAD!). But this book and series are also histories in and of themselves, as by reading this book you learn not only about the ostensible topic it is about, but about the era in which it was written, for better or for worse. Modern research may indeed disagree with some – if not most – of the content Durant assembled in this volume; indeed, modern research as a rule always disagrees with the viewpoints of previous generations, but this is irrelevant, for this is a grand view of humanity and all that was, then, known about it.

In order to facilitate this history, Our Oriental Heritage has been divided into five broad sections: “The Establishment of Civilization”, “The Near East”, “India and Her Neighbors”, “The Far East” and “Japan”. As stated above, this series was written with the general public in mind, and so the tone is an easy, conversational style that very few academic writers can wrap their heads around (I guess we can thank Durant’s past as a teacher at the Ferrer Modern School and as a lecturer at Presbyterian churches for having helped developed his easy-to-follow style).  Durant begins with an overview of the Mesopotamian civilizations – Sumeria, Egypt, Babylonia, Assyria, Judea and Persia – from their rise and fall before moving on to Egypt from the earliest kings to the death of Alexander the Great. From there he moves into the Far East where he handles Indian, Chinese and Japanese civilizations up until the early 20^th Century. As should be obvious, this is a general history, as the histories of India, China and Japan need volumes on their own.

But seeing as Durant began life as a philosopher and cut his teeth on that not-for-the-fainthearted subject, one must be ready for a philosophical bent to everything he touches upon:

A nation is born stoic, and dies epicurean. At its cradle (to repeat a thoughtful adage) religion stands, and philosophy accompanies it to the grave. In the beginning of all cultures a strong religious faith conceals and softens the nature of things, and gives men courage to bear pain and hardship patiently; at every step the gods are with them, and will not let them perish, until they do. Even then a firm faith will explain that it was the sins of the people that turned their gods to an avenging wrath; evil does not destroy faith, but strengthens it. If victory comes, if war is forgotten in security and peace, then wealth grows; the life of the body gives way, in the dominant classes, to the life of the senses and the mind; toil and suffering are replaced by pleasure and ease; science weakens faith even while thought and comfort weaken virility and fortitude. At last men begin to doubt the gods; they mourn the tragedy of knowledge, and seek refuge in every passing delight. Achilles is at the beginning, Epicurus at the end. After David comes Job, and after Job, Ecclesiastes.

Deep, right? But this is what you may expect with Durant, not only in Our Oriental Heritage but across the length and breadth of The Story of Civilization as a series. Insightful, philosophical, meaningful and yet always accessible, prepare yourself for a mind-opening experience as the whole of the human experience is brought forth and laid at your doorstep.

“Magnificent Corpses: Searching Through Europe for St. Peter’s Head, St. Chiara’s Heart, St. Stephen’s Hand, and Other Saints’ Relics”, by Anneli Rufus

256 pages, Da Capo Press, ISBN-13: 978-1569246870

Like Anneli Rufus, I am not Catholic, and so much of what goes on with the reverence of saints and their relics – that would be the physical remains of these holy men and women – is beyond me; indeed, it kinda grosses me out. Dead bodies (in whole or the parts thereof) populating churches and holy places is just…weird (that must be my past Lutheran upbringing coming out). But Rufus does yeoman work in exploring and discovering these relics in Magnificent Corpses: Searching Through Europe for St. Peter’s Head, St. Chiara’s Heart, St. Stephen’s Hand, and Other Saints’ Relics. First things first: this is not an easy topic, but focusing on the morbid or gruesome aspects of the damn things will only anger the devout, while focusing on the spiritual beliefs behind relics will do precious little to convert the nonbeliever. And so Rufus attempted a journalistic – not to say irreverent – approach to the topic; while she never expressly discounts the relic in question nor insults the believer, through her accurate physical descriptions she does more to undermine both than any fire-breathing atheist could.

Not that I blame her. One of my first internal critiques of Magnificent Corpses was the lack of pictures of what Rufus was describing – that is, until I Googled these relics myself and recoiled; looking at picture after picture of dead bodies or, maybe worse, parts of dead bodies is no way to spend an afternoon, and after the first several chapters I stopped and stuck with the author’s descriptions. And believe me, brother, she was indelicate in the extreme with said descriptions and minced no words of the same. But, really now, how delicate is a mummified corpse, or a decapitated head or – I shit you not – a jawbone with the tongue and vocal chords still attached? Do people really need to see and revere such objects in order to find solace and comfort in their faith? (I’d rather not know). Oh, it’s not all bodies and stuff with Magnificent Corpses, as Rufus proves that she has explored the lives of these saints by providing a thumbnail sketch of each and how they came to be saintly. But it is their bodies and their reverence that concerns her here, a reverence I still don’t get.

 

“The Compleat Ankh-Morpork”, by Terry Pratchett

 

128 pages, Doubleday, ISBN-13: 978-0385538237

So, Terry Pratchett – or should I call him Sir Terence David John Pratchett, OBE – was (he died in 2015) an English humorist, satirist and author of fantasy novels who is, perhaps, best known for his Discworld series which consists of – get this – 41 novels, beginning with 1983’s The Colour of Magic and ending with 2015’s Shepherd’s Crown. What is Discworld, you ask? Why, it’s a flat planet that balances on the backs of four elephants, which in turn stand on the back of a giant turtle. With 41 books over 32 years and more than 85 million books sold worldwide in 37 languages, Pratchett was also Britain’s best-selling author of the 1990s.

And I haven’t read a one of them.

But that didn’t stop me from picking up this little gem from the Barnes & Noble overstock shelves, The Compleat Ankh-Morpork. Now I hear you asking what in the HELL is Ankh-Morpork. Okay: in addition to being the biggest city-state of Discworld, it also serves as the corrupt mercantile capital of the same, making it the perfect setting for all of those crazy books the man wrote. This book, then, serves as a comprehensive gazetteer which allows any fan of Discworld to at last see this teeming metropolis in all of its glory. And shit. If you are a fan of Discworld, then I think this book is obviously a must-have.

However, if you know nothing about the place, well, it’s still a cool addition to your library, especially if you are a fantasy and/or roll playing geek. It consists of an encyclopedia that provides descriptions of the city wards and all of the businesses to be found therein. But the real value is the map that accompanies the book, and buddy, if you love maps as much as I do, this is a real treat. It would not be overstating things to say that it was suitable for framing, for the care and detail that went into making it is second to none (it is even two-sided, with the reverse showing detailed roads and systems).

I would even go so far as to say that it would not look out of place in any Dungeon Master’s repertoire as a suitable campaign setting, so long as you PCs are unfamiliar with  Discworld, or just don’t care. So geeks of the world, listen up: buy The Compleat Ankh-Morpork today and add it to your library of Nerdish literature, for it will go a long way towards making your (no doubt) extensive collection that much more complete. And who knows: if you have not read so much as a syllable of the Discworld series – as I have not – it just might inspire you to go out and start your own deferred collection.

“Endless Quest”, by multiple authors

 

TSR

Before I discovered history, I had discovered Endless Quest books by TSR. I haven’t put the details above because there are 36 of the damn things and, brother, I collected and read them all, too (there was a second series published later in the 90s, but I had outgrown them by then). But the books I did read were, in a word, awesome. Now, if you are not familiar with these modern-day works of literature – you poor, benighted bastard – allow me to fill you in: each Endless Quest book is written from a second-person point of view, with you, the Reader, assuming the identity of the protagonist and making choices that determine the character’s actions and the plot’s outcome; if you made the wrong choice and got yourself killed, well, no matter, chief; just start over and make the right decision the time second time around and no one will be none the wiser, I promise. So, what were these gems of 80s culture and style? Here they are:

“Dungeon of Dread”, by Rose Estes
128 pages, ISBN-13: 97800935696868
“Mountain of Mirrors”, by Rose Estes
210 pages, ISBN-13: 978-093569687
“Pillars of Pentegarn”, by Rose Estes
153 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0935696929
“Return to Brookmere”, by Rose Estes
210 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0935696936
“Revolt of the Dwarves”, by Rose Estes
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880380201
“Revenge of the Rainbow Dragons”, by Rose Estes
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880380218
“Hero of Washington Square”, by Rose Estes
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0394715469
“Villains of Volturnus”, by Jean Blashfield
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880380232
“Robbers and Robots”, by Mike Carr
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880380362
“Circus of Fear”, by Rose Estes
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880380379
“Spell of the Winter Wizard”, by Linda Lowery
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880380546
“Light on Quest’s Mountain”, by Mary L. Kirchoff and James M. Ward
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880380553
“Dragon of Doom”, by Rose Estes
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880381000
“Raid on Nightmare Castle”, by Catherine McGuire
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880381017
“Under Dragon’s Wing”, by John Kendall
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880380768
“The Dragon’s Ransom”, by Laura French
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880380775
“Captive Planet”, by Morris Simon
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880380782
“King’s Quest”, by Tom McGowen
210 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880380799
“Conan the Undaunted”, by James M. Ward
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880381208
“Conan and the Prophecy”, by Roger E. Moore
160 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880381215
“Duel of the Masters”, by Chris Martindale
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880381543
“The Endless Catacombs”, by Margaret Weis
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880381628
“Blade of the Young Samurai”, by Morris Simon
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880381550
“Trouble on Artule”, by Catherine McGuire
210 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880381697
“Conan the Outlaw”, by Roger E. Moore
160 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880382229
“Tarzan and the Well of Slaves”, by Douglas Niles
160 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880382069
“Lair of the Lich”, by Bruce Algozin
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0394739649
“Mystery of the Ancients”, by Morris Simon
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880382175
“Tower of Darkness”, by Regina Oehler Fultz
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880382045
“The Fireseed”, by Morris Simon
160 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880381710
“Tarzan & the Tower of Diamonds”, by Richard Reinsmith
160 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0394741888
“Prisoner of Elderwood”, by Bruce Algozin
157 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880382830
“Knight of Illusion”, by Mary L. Kirchoff
159 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880382847
“Claw of the Dragon”, by Bruce Algozin
160 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880383066
“Vision of Doom”, by Mary L. Kirchoff
160 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880383073
“Song of the Dark Druid”, by Josepha Sherman
172 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0880384421

I won’t claim that each and every one of the Endless Quest books was a gem, but I gotta believe that at least 2/3rds of them were. But what was most important about these books was not the story necessarily, nor even the format, but the fact that they planted that love of reading that has never left me. This love is what led me to read ever-more books featuring ever-changing subjects and topics, so that, to a great extent, I am somewhat self-taught. As the old saying goes, reading really is fundamental. Oh, and as for the subject matter of these books – wizards, demons, undead, aliens, espionage and so on – they didn’t scar me, either. Endless Quest books, the works that launched my own endless quest to improve my education and explore new and exciting subjects on my own.

“Byzantium: The Early Centuries/The Apogee/The Decline And Fall (A History of Byzantium)”, by John Julius Norwich

 

1439 pages, The Folio Society

When Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus Augustus (otherwise known as Constantine I or, better yet, Constantine the Great) wrested control of the mortally wounded Roman Empire in 323, he saw that Rome – once glorious, now decrepit and, more importantly, indefensible – was no place to rule an empire from, so he decided to build a new Rome – more glorious, young and, more importantly, defensible – on the site of the ancient Greek city of Byzantium (hence the term for the late Roman Empire, the “Byzantine Empire”). Located on the crossroads between Europe and Asia and protected by the narrow straits of the Bosphorus, Byzantium was ideally situated to rule Constantine’s Eastern dominions, as “Constantinople”, the City of Constantine (humble fellow, no?). And man, what a city: a dazzling vision in gold, porphyry and marble rose up upon the Golden Horn, an architectural splendor surpassing even the original Rome and the heart of an empire that, somehow, would endure for 1000 years, against seemingly impossible odds.

John Julius Norwich – also known as John Julius Cooper, 2^nd Viscount Norwich – was an English popular historian, travel writer and television personality. His histories span any number of subjects and were written over a span of over fifty years; his history of Byzantium – The Early Centuries, first published in 1988; The Apogee, first published in 1992; and The Decline and Fall, first published in 1995 – were collected by The Folio Society in a three-volume edition as Byzantium: The Early Centuries/The Apogee/The Decline And Fall (A History of Byzantium). This modern-day classic fills a crippling gap in the knowledge of Westerners about a long-lost country that was a bulwark against the forces that so wanted to destroy and absorb it: Arab, Mongol, Seljuk Turk and finally, Ottoman Turks, only to be betrayed by those whom it had saved time and again. Byzantium’s glory and importance for the West have been neglected for far too long, especially the military challenges and the triumphs of commanders too often starved of funds as the empire fell into its long decline.

As stated above, Norwich was a popular historian, and so Byzantium is a popular history, which means that (in the author’s words) his work “makes no claim to academic scholarship. No professional Byzantinist [?] perusing its pages will find anything that he does not know already – except, very likely, the occasional statement and opinion with which he will disagree” (not that there’s anything wrong with that). This is important for the reader to keep in mind, for as a popular history, Byzantium follows his philosophy: “[a]ny self-respecting historian must try as best he can to tell his story in his own words. He may permit himself the occasional direct quotation from primary sources…but he should, on the whole, steer clear of secondary ones”. And so, he steers clear of any of the overarching theories of controversies and bedevil Byzantine scholarship amongst those in the know.

For the most part, Norwich sticks to this self-imposed restriction; the only area on potential controversy that he does cover is the workings of early Christianity, but only because this relatively new religion was such an integral part of the lives of the Byzantine emperors and their subjects, but his descriptions of the faith that was central to this empire is neither dogmatic or theological. Rather, it is described in the popular manner in which he specializes; thus, such unfamiliar and complex ideas – like the Arian and Monophysite controversies – are described and detailed in such a manner as to make them comprehensible to the uninitiated. But for all that, Norwich is still a rather old-school historian who is principally concerned with the lives of the emperors and the political and historical aspect of the Byzantine Empire, rather than on the lives of the subjects of the empire or social and economic trends.

“Fateful Choices: Ten Decisions That Changed the World, 1940-1941”, by Ian Kershaw

 

624 pages, Penguin, ISBN-13: 978-1594201233

Ian Kershaw is a leading historian of Nazi Germany; his two-volume biography of Adolf Hitler, Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris (reviewed on March 5^th, 2014) and Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis (reviewed on March 6^th, 2014) are widely viewed as the preeminent history of the bastard (although I think that Hitler by Joachim C. Fest, reviewed on March 30^th, 2017, is the best bio of the beast. Ever). In Fateful Choices: Ten Decisions That Changed the World, 1940-1941, Kershaw tells us that his purpose in writing this book is to remind us that the past wasn’t inevitable and that many decisions and contingencies underlay the course of history; thus, given different decisions and different contingencies, history as we know it would have been different. To demonstrate this fact, he offers a study of ten essential turning points for all major powers of World War II between May 1940 and December 1941, decisions that he suggests were “fateful”:

• Churchill’s decision in late May 1940 to fight on after the fall of France and not pursue, as some suggested, a negotiated settlement with Nazi Germany

• Hitler’s decision in July 1940 to attack the Soviet Union the following year, ensnaring Germany in a war it could not win

• Roosevelt's decision in August 1940 to send 50 old American destroyers to Britain, followed by Congress’ approval of the Lend-Lease deal in March 1941

• Tokyo’s decision in September 1940 to join the Tripartite Pact with Italy and Germany and to occupy French Indochina

• Mussolini’s decision in October 1940 to focus the bulk of his war effort not on North Africa, where the British were vulnerable, but on the invasion of Greece

• Stalin’s failure in the spring of 1941 to heed numerous intelligence reports warning of an impending German invasion

• Roosevelt’s initiatives in July-August 1941 to embargo oil shipments to Japan, extend conscription, draw up the Atlantic Charter of war aims with Churchill and provide armed escorts to merchant shipping in the western Atlantic

• Japanese decisions between September and November of 1941 to embark on the southern strategy of grabbing European colonies in the Pacific, beginning with a pre-emptive strike on the United States Navy

• Hitler’s decision, in the days following Pearl Harbor, to declare war on the United States, thus sparing Roosevelt the necessity of persuading his countrymen to fight the Nazis as well as the Japanese

• Hitler’s decision in the summer and fall of 1941 to begin the mass extermination of European Jewry, making the Holocaust a major feature of the conflict

Kershaw examines each of these ten decisions – along with and several more interrelated questions – in great detail over the course of this book. All of this speculation (every historian’s guilty pleasure) makes for enlightening and entertaining reading, despite a fair amount of repetition. But the whole premise of his book – that  important choices will be explored and potential alternatives discussed – is, in fact, little explored, as he repeatedly shows that, really, there was only one way for things to turn out; indeed, regarding Stalin’s decision to trust Hitler and ignore the ever-mounting evidence in the spring of 1941 that Germany was planning to invade the Soviet Union, Kershaw uses the phrase “the straitjacket of choice”, stating that Stalin’s actions were the only path to follow. Bullocks. This leads to a very frustrating read: on the one hand, it is a detailed and rewarding look at the ten episodes choices within its purview; on the other hand, it is an unsatisfying illustration of the contingency-laden nature of history – I mean, to go through all of this analysis of crises and choices just to essentially say “nevermind” is frustrating to say the least.

So, I guess if you want a study in what the author deems to be ten of the most important decisions made in the run up to the Second World War and its first several months – and being told that these decisions were the only ways forward – then Fateful Choices will fulfill that ambition. I, for one, was looking for something a little more.