Those books are magnificent. Do NOT wait until you're retired to read them! You'll run out of time! I inherited the full set from my parents, and I decided to just read a chapter or so a day. Many days slip by, of course, but the chapters themselves are not daunting, and the books are surprisingly readable. Nibble away at them between other things, and save your retirement for bee-keeping.
Hah, very true! Maybe I'll plan to read one of these books per year - get them done in 11 years :p So many have commented on Durant's writing style being so readable - it's great to hear. Lol, maybe not bee keeping, but other homesteading plans ... possibly :)
Wonderful that you were able to obtain these books for free. I love to take the slip cover off books just to see what color was chosen for the book. Fred, years ago, I purchased some books from The Salvation Army, similar to the texture of the book shown. I used a wood conditioner to rub into the book just to condition it because it was looking rather dry. A great amount of dirt was removed in the process and the book ended up looking fantastic.
What a fantastic find, Fred! The Story of Civilization set is such a treasure trove-11 volumes packed with history, insight, and some seriously hefty page counts. It’s amazing that you rescued these from being tossed; they deserve to be cherished, even if they sit on your shelves until retirement! The dedication to Ariel is such a sweet touch, and those maps in the covers are just the kind of thoughtful detail that makes books like this so special. I have to admit, I’d probably start with The Life of Greece-there’s something about the drama of the Greek city-states and Alexander the Great’s conquests that always grabs me. Also, as someone who’s definitely "adopted" books from the brink of recycling, I appreciate the joy of saving something valuable. If you do pick one of these up before 2026, I’d love to hear your thoughts. They may be massive, but it seems like they’d be worth the effort. Happy reading and happy rescuing!
With so many people commenting on how good these books are, I may start with the first one and read one a year. If I do I'll definitely post a video :)
Glad you found access to these. I've been steadily making my way through each volume between reading other books. There may be more scholarly and thorough works on these subjects, but there are few as beautifully written. I adore Durant's style. I hope you find yourself adoring it too.
I read the entire series. It took me 23 years to get through them all. I read them starting in Februrary, and I quipped that I did all my aging for the year while reading them. It often took me until April to finish the book. The 4th book on the middle ages psyched me out and i procrastinated for about a decade until I finally decided to skip over to the age of Enlightenmment. After getting through to Napolean, I circled back to the middle ages and continued from there. I suggest you start reading them now while your eyes are good enough to read the small print.
Wow, 23 years! lol, yup - I should start reading them now while I can still read the print :) I might do the first book and the age of Reason to start. Doubtful I'll read them in order.
I’ve had this entire set of the History of Civilization with the Durant’s for over 30 years in my bookshelf and have yet to read one but that’s because I am reading other things. So many great books, so little time. I have finally retired and guess what I will be doing? You may have encouraged me to begin reading the history of civilization! Thank you!
Good luck and cool pick up Fred! I have a set as well though mine are all just the red hardbacks without the jackets. (The Napoleon one doesnt match and is a black hardcover.) Ive never mustered the fortitude to go for them though haha. Great vid Fred!
Thanks Justin! I'm happy I got them - the amount of research/work/effort to write these over a 40 year period. The history of the books themselves is as impressive as the history within their pages!
Thanks Storm. I like maps within books as well as it gives me a more visual sense of where things are taking place. I will get to reading these books ... eventually :)
I have the book on Rome in my physical library. But, I have all of these on my kindle. As much as I would like to, I know I'm going to read all of them digitally. But like you I'm definitely waiting for a quieter time in my life. A buddy read would also be nice on the channel.
It's definitely going to take time to read them all - like you, I'll be waiting for a more quieter time to read them as well. A buddy read is a great idea :)
Great video Fred! It's still good to read and collect older books even if they are a little dated! I hope to read Poetry, Fantasy, and History this year!
Put dryer sheets between the pages about five to six per book and let them sit a week. Also have a fan gently oscillating over them. I had a Harvard set with a cigarette smell and this got rid of it.
@ I use non scented when I did it with no issues but it could also vary based on the paper. I’d consider rotating them you often if you are worried about contamination
Impressive set of books. I am taking part in Historathon. I am going to read 4 history books, but they may not be in the Historathon time frames. I never rescued books that were going to be throw away.
Great to hear that you're taking part in Historathon Stuart! Yup, when I saw that these were going to be recycled, I offered to take them - glad I did, they are a testament to 40 years of work from two historians.
Ah, the Durant series! Just don't let Justin from the Triumphal Reads Channel hear you singing Alexander's praises too loudly. 😂 But anyway, I've seen individual volumes all over the place, but you managed to acquire a fine looking complete set. Well done! It's probably not a shock that I report particular interest at the mention of Galileo, Descartes, Pascal, Newton, and the like. 😉 I have the complete text on my e-reader, but I haven't tackled it in any serious manner yet. Story of my life. 😊 Fun video, and I hope you have a nice weekend. And I wonder if there's a commercial fragrance called "Noticable Old Book Smell." 🤔
lol, "old book smell" fragrance! That would be funny. The complete text as an eBook? Wow, I'm hoping it's 11 eBooks and not one big eBook (I have the complete works of Jules Verne as one eBook, and it makes my eReader crawl at times). Happy new year Bryan, wishing you the best for 2025 :)
@ReadbyFred Yeah, it's eleven separate e-books. And they weren't very expensive -- probably because they're (gasp) outdated. But I'm able to accept that every generation is both living at the cutting edge of modernity and doomed to be dismissed as misguided relics by the hordes of whipper-snappers they spawn to replace themselves. And of course, said whipper-snappers believe deep down that they'll somehow prove exempt from the same fate, even though they KNOW otherwise. 😜 Best to accept the cycle while realizing that people of the past weren't idiots and might just have some interesting insights to offer even if it doesn't conform with the current academic fads. 🙄
Go ahead and sneer, good sirs, but there are many fragrances out there that try to capture the smell of old books or libraries, or the smell of ink and paper or papyrus. Just do a general Google search for "Perfumes that smell like books" or whatever aspect you're interested in.
Those books look incredible! When were they published? I would love to read those if I had a million free hours on my hands, ancient civilizations are so interesting. How awesome that you found these through a friend of yours!
They were published over a 40 year period, but the reprints that I have were published between the 60s and 70s. Hah, I think I would need a million free hours to get through all of these :)
These books sound very interesting, I love history, but I've never known what to go about reading on it. Would you recommend these books for me? I am a sophomore in high school, but I read a lot of classic literature in my spare time, so I have experience in more advanced reading.
That's awesome Karina! I'm hoping you enjoy Historathon :) Unfortunately my focus in 2025 will be on literature and science so I'm stepping back from a bunch of reading events this year. _First Ghosts_ by Irving Finkel? I looked it up and it sounds great! Hoping you enjoy it :)
The _Age of Faith_ is 1196, while the _The Age of Reason Begins_ is 730. Funny how it's not the other way around. Both will be very interesting reads (when I eventually get to them :p). Happy 2025 Bill! :)
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Those books are magnificent. Do NOT wait until you're retired to read them! You'll run out of time! I inherited the full set from my parents, and I decided to just read a chapter or so a day. Many days slip by, of course, but the chapters themselves are not daunting, and the books are surprisingly readable. Nibble away at them between other things, and save your retirement for bee-keeping.
Hah, very true! Maybe I'll plan to read one of these books per year - get them done in 11 years :p So many have commented on Durant's writing style being so readable - it's great to hear. Lol, maybe not bee keeping, but other homesteading plans ... possibly :)
Wonderful that you were able to obtain these books for free. I love to take the slip cover off books just to see what color was chosen for the book. Fred, years ago, I purchased some books from The Salvation Army, similar to the texture of the book shown. I used a wood conditioner to rub into the book just to condition it because it was looking rather dry. A great amount of dirt was removed in the process and the book ended up looking fantastic.
What a fantastic find, Fred! The Story of Civilization set is such a treasure trove-11 volumes packed with history, insight, and some seriously hefty page counts. It’s amazing that you rescued these from being tossed; they deserve to be cherished, even if they sit on your shelves until retirement!
The dedication to Ariel is such a sweet touch, and those maps in the covers are just the kind of thoughtful detail that makes books like this so special. I have to admit, I’d probably start with The Life of Greece-there’s something about the drama of the Greek city-states and Alexander the Great’s conquests that always grabs me.
Also, as someone who’s definitely "adopted" books from the brink of recycling, I appreciate the joy of saving something valuable. If you do pick one of these up before 2026, I’d love to hear your thoughts. They may be massive, but it seems like they’d be worth the effort. Happy reading and happy rescuing!
With so many people commenting on how good these books are, I may start with the first one and read one a year. If I do I'll definitely post a video :)
Glad you found access to these. I've been steadily making my way through each volume between reading other books. There may be more scholarly and thorough works on these subjects, but there are few as beautifully written. I adore Durant's style. I hope you find yourself adoring it too.
That's great to hear. I've heard Durant has an engaging writing style so I am looking forward to getting to these :)
What a fabulous free book haul. Those look magnificent. Enjoy 😊
Thanks Debs! :)
I do love the look and feel of old books... even if I don't typically read them 😅
They do look great, and the work that went into researching and writing them - wow!
I read the entire series. It took me 23 years to get through them all. I read them starting in Februrary, and I quipped that I did all my aging for the year while reading them. It often took me until April to finish the book. The 4th book on the middle ages psyched me out and i procrastinated for about a decade until I finally decided to skip over to the age of Enlightenmment. After getting through to Napolean, I circled back to the middle ages and continued from there. I suggest you start reading them now while your eyes are good enough to read the small print.
Wow, 23 years! lol, yup - I should start reading them now while I can still read the print :) I might do the first book and the age of Reason to start. Doubtful I'll read them in order.
I’ve had this entire set of the History of Civilization with the Durant’s for over 30 years in my bookshelf and have yet to read one but that’s because I am reading other things. So many great books, so little time. I have finally retired and guess what I will be doing? You may have encouraged me to begin reading the history of civilization! Thank you!
Congratulations on your retirement Marina! It will be quite an undertaking to read one, if not all of them :) Best wishes for 2025 and beyond :)
Good luck and cool pick up Fred! I have a set as well though mine are all just the red hardbacks without the jackets. (The Napoleon one doesnt match and is a black hardcover.) Ive never mustered the fortitude to go for them though haha. Great vid Fred!
Thanks Justin! I'm happy I got them - the amount of research/work/effort to write these over a 40 year period. The history of the books themselves is as impressive as the history within their pages!
Cool set of books. I like maps in books. 😃
Thanks Storm. I like maps within books as well as it gives me a more visual sense of where things are taking place. I will get to reading these books ... eventually :)
I have the book on Rome in my physical library. But, I have all of these on my kindle. As much as I would like to, I know I'm going to read all of them digitally. But like you I'm definitely waiting for a quieter time in my life. A buddy read would also be nice on the channel.
It's definitely going to take time to read them all - like you, I'll be waiting for a more quieter time to read them as well. A buddy read is a great idea :)
Great video Fred! It's still good to read and collect older books even if they are a little dated! I hope to read Poetry, Fantasy, and History this year!
Thanks Todd. Poetry, fantasy and history are great genres for 2025. Wishing you the best in the new year :)
Put dryer sheets between the pages about five to six per book and let them sit a week. Also have a fan gently oscillating over them. I had a Harvard set with a cigarette smell and this got rid of it.
That sounds like a good idea, but there was no stain on the pages as a result? I'll definitely have to do something prior to reading them :)
@ I use non scented when I did it with no issues but it could also vary based on the paper. I’d consider rotating them you often if you are worried about contamination
I love how they look with the jackets off!!! Nice video as well
They do have a beautiful burgundy color to them. I'm pretty happy I was able to get the complete set, for free! :)
I just unhauled that same set at my local library for their spring book sale. I hope they good to a good home.
That's very nice of you! I'm sure that someone will appreciate the history (and effort involved) in writing this series and take good care of them :)
okay now i wanna purchase a complete set today lol
Hah, good luck! They look beautiful, but the complete set is not cheap ... well, unless you find someone giving them away like I did :)
Great find!
Thanks! I'm looking forward to reading each ... well, eventually :)
Impressive set of books. I am taking part in Historathon. I am going to read 4 history books, but they may not be in the Historathon time frames.
I never rescued books that were going to be throw away.
Great to hear that you're taking part in Historathon Stuart! Yup, when I saw that these were going to be recycled, I offered to take them - glad I did, they are a testament to 40 years of work from two historians.
Be still my heart! I find myself being overpowered by jealousy. Congratulations!
Hah, thank you :) I might read one a year so that I get to them _before_ I retire :p
Ah, the Durant series! Just don't let Justin from the Triumphal Reads Channel hear you singing Alexander's praises too loudly. 😂
But anyway, I've seen individual volumes all over the place, but you managed to acquire a fine looking complete set. Well done! It's probably not a shock that I report particular interest at the mention of Galileo, Descartes, Pascal, Newton, and the like. 😉
I have the complete text on my e-reader, but I haven't tackled it in any serious manner yet. Story of my life. 😊
Fun video, and I hope you have a nice weekend. And I wonder if there's a commercial fragrance called "Noticable Old Book Smell." 🤔
lol, "old book smell" fragrance! That would be funny. The complete text as an eBook? Wow, I'm hoping it's 11 eBooks and not one big eBook (I have the complete works of Jules Verne as one eBook, and it makes my eReader crawl at times).
Happy new year Bryan, wishing you the best for 2025 :)
@ReadbyFred Yeah, it's eleven separate e-books. And they weren't very expensive -- probably because they're (gasp) outdated. But I'm able to accept that every generation is both living at the cutting edge of modernity and doomed to be dismissed as misguided relics by the hordes of whipper-snappers they spawn to replace themselves. And of course, said whipper-snappers believe deep down that they'll somehow prove exempt from the same fate, even though they KNOW otherwise. 😜 Best to accept the cycle while realizing that people of the past weren't idiots and might just have some interesting insights to offer even if it doesn't conform with the current academic fads. 🙄
Go ahead and sneer, good sirs, but there are many fragrances out there that try to capture the smell of old books or libraries, or the smell of ink and paper or papyrus. Just do a general Google search for "Perfumes that smell like books" or whatever aspect you're interested in.
Those books look incredible! When were they published? I would love to read those if I had a million free hours on my hands, ancient civilizations are so interesting. How awesome that you found these through a friend of yours!
They were published over a 40 year period, but the reprints that I have were published between the 60s and 70s. Hah, I think I would need a million free hours to get through all of these :)
These books sound very interesting, I love history, but I've never known what to go about reading on it. Would you recommend these books for me? I am a sophomore in high school, but I read a lot of classic literature in my spare time, so I have experience in more advanced reading.
The content is dated (the last book being written 50 years ago) so you may want to look for something more current to start :)
I am taking part in historathon! I’m sad to hear you are not but understand. Soooo many books:) I’m currently reading The First Ghosts
That's awesome Karina! I'm hoping you enjoy Historathon :) Unfortunately my focus in 2025 will be on literature and science so I'm stepping back from a bunch of reading events this year. _First Ghosts_ by Irving Finkel? I looked it up and it sounds great! Hoping you enjoy it :)
The Age of Reason would be the most interesting, so should be the longest book.
The _Age of Faith_ is 1196, while the _The Age of Reason Begins_ is 730. Funny how it's not the other way around. Both will be very interesting reads (when I eventually get to them :p). Happy 2025 Bill! :)