The Lessons of History

By Will Durant, Ariel Durant,

Book cover of The Lessons of History

Book description

In this illuminating and thoughtful book, Will and Ariel Durant have succeeded in distilling for the reader the accumulated store of knowledge and experience from their five decades of work on the eleven monumental volumes of The Story of Civilization. The result is a survey of human history, full of…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Lessons of History as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This classic, written by the authors of the 11-volume The Story of Civilization, is a must-read for those who want to understand everything, from history to economics, from foreign policy to politics. I have read and re-read this book multiple times as it is my go-to book for when I rethink issues and problems. This short collection of essays offers simple yet critical lessons on geography, biology, economics, religion, and government all of which help explain the foreign policies of empires and states.  

From Aparna's list on history and foreign policy.

Want books like The Lessons of History?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Lessons of History.

Browse books like The Lessons of History

Book cover of The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam
Book cover of Special Providence: American Foreign Policy and How It Changed the World
Book cover of Magnificent Delusions: Pakistan, the United States, and an Epic History of Misunderstanding

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,189

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in philosophy, economics, and presidential biography?

Philosophy 1,771 books
Economics 411 books