Our Oriental Heritage: 001 Hardcover – 1 Jan. 1976

Great approach of history from a very cultivated author. His collection should be available in any college and university.Excellent book.

Have just finished the first volume . It is an interesting read. Some of his prejudices come across in the book but at the time he was writing this was quite normal . He is witty . I would certainly read them .

Great history book by a great historian - for serious students of history. Not for those who watch the History Channel version of the past. This one's for the grown ups. Durant always writes history with a rare wit, insight and charm. Great understanding of human nature.

Yes much is outdated. But much of it is relevant. The insightful views of events by Mr Durant make it an enjoyable and informative read.

I heard it first in Audible and ibuy the book to read it more carefullyall the STORY OF CIVILIZATION is amazing if you are interested in history culture etc.

Very good

Our Oriental Heritage is the first of 11 volumes of Will (and Ariel) Durant’s The Story of Civilization, which taken as a whole, is a classic, readable work of history, still unsurpassed to this day.This series is a phenomenal set of books. I first came across them referenced in a number of history books, before actually finding the 11 complete volumes in one of my local libraries. (Though now, with all the changes currently taking place within the library system and recent closures, I doubt if these books remain part of the current stock.) However, if you can get your hands on a set of these volumes, you would certainly have your hands on a unique set of history books covering history from the beginning of civilization with this book (Our Oriental Heritage) to the end of the Napoleonic era. This is when the Durant’s ceased to write any additional volumes which would have brought the story of civilization to more current times.I think it’s fair to say the the Durants (I say ‘Durants’, rather than ‘Durant’, as husband and wife became co-authors for the later volumes in the series) intended to write a number of further volumes, but unfortunately time ran out for them as each volume took many years to compile. I say they are unique for a number of reasons, but mainly I’d say this comes down to a few factors, the main one being the simple readability of each volume; anyone, without any real knowledge of history, can read these books and embark on a fantastic journey, learning a great deal of history along the way, and being enlightened by the people who have shaped our world and of the many civilizations that have come and gone in the process.Another positive includes the sheer comprehensiveness of the history covered. Indeed each topic covered gets very good treatment from the Durants. And though these works cannot be compared to those micro histories that cover nearly every detail of history (both large and small) such works are not to everyone’s taste. In addition to this, The Story of Civilization, so clearly written and informative as it is, will hopefully lead it readers to other historical works, as they endeavour to follow up what they have read here, seeking out other works that cover themes and topics first encountered within the pages of The Story of Civilization.There are few historical books comparable to The Story of Civilization. In fact I can’t really think of a better source than these volumes themselves, even though they were written some years ago. The only author, in my view, that is making some headway with a similar volume of works is Susan Wise Bauer, whose history of the world history is, in more than one way, a modern contender to Durant’s multi-volume history. Three volumes are published so far, though hopefully there is an anticipated fourth volume on its way. These books, in my view, still have some way to go if they are ever going to surpass the magnum opus, The Story of Civilization, written by the Durants. Five stars, easily.I hope you find my review helpful.