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It took almost two years, but I finally finished reading all 11 volumes of the Durants' Story of Civilization. It added up to 20 days, 3 hours and 38 audiobook minutes, though actual clock time was much lower as I was listening to it between 2x and 3x playback speed.
Was it worth it? It was at least enjoyable enough to keep going, though I rarely mind a good historical narrative. I can -- obviously! -- happily listen to those for hours on end out in the shop. It was, of course, very narrowly focused on European history. Literally one book out of the eleven covers anything east of the Suez. And it definitely comes from the early-mid 20th century, with plenty of passive sexism, terrible handling of homosexuality, and eugenicist interpretations. This faded in the later volumes, at least. It had a fundamentally conservative understanding of history, but mostly I didn't find that too annoying. I did appreciate the weight it gave to cultural history, often spending as much time covering art and literature as it did big flashy battles. It informed my reading list for months, and I was always looking up pictures of the artworks being described, so this was demonstrably effective at catching my interest.
Should you read it? Eh. If you need 20 complete days of pleasant, usually interesting background material, sure. I'd say it still provides a fine overview of European history, allowing for the issues mentioned above. Just don't go into it expecting challenging new historical interpretations. Its scope is vast and the detail impressive, but it rarely goes much deeper than the level of a high school AP class.
Was it worth it? It was at least enjoyable enough to keep going, though I rarely mind a good historical narrative. I can -- obviously! -- happily listen to those for hours on end out in the shop. It was, of course, very narrowly focused on European history. Literally one book out of the eleven covers anything east of the Suez. And it definitely comes from the early-mid 20th century, with plenty of passive sexism, terrible handling of homosexuality, and eugenicist interpretations. This faded in the later volumes, at least. It had a fundamentally conservative understanding of history, but mostly I didn't find that too annoying. I did appreciate the weight it gave to cultural history, often spending as much time covering art and literature as it did big flashy battles. It informed my reading list for months, and I was always looking up pictures of the artworks being described, so this was demonstrably effective at catching my interest.
Should you read it? Eh. If you need 20 complete days of pleasant, usually interesting background material, sure. I'd say it still provides a fine overview of European history, allowing for the issues mentioned above. Just don't go into it expecting challenging new historical interpretations. Its scope is vast and the detail impressive, but it rarely goes much deeper than the level of a high school AP class.