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Since my teens (1970s) I've known about these books but in the intervening decades haven't sought to read (tackle?) them. Even then I wondered and now moreso: are the contents in these volumes dated? are they comsidered to be accurate today? were the methods used by the Durants reliable? I'm sure they have some value -- but I'm not a historian or scholar and therefore need to rely on the information being factual -- not for me to separate "the wheat from the chaff." Can anyone reply to my concerns?

Read them why you are young enough to profit from their great wisdom and knowledge. I have read them twice and still go back to them often. I am almost ninety years old, have a Ph.D., have taught at several universities, read many books, and still feel that these books contain more wisdom and knowledge than anything else that I have read!

Like 84❤ excelent book 👍💚✨️📖📖📖

😍 Wow! I'm so glad this video came from the algorithm.

An 11,000

Great plans!! The last few years I have had a special focus on classics too. I love The Great Gatsby, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and The Invisible Man - hope you enjoy them too!

The UK right now

When I was a pre-teen my older sister bought me the entire collection for Christmas. My favorite was the first book. The true stars of the books are Will and Ariel Durant. They were married for 70 years and died within two weeks of one another. The books are also available as E-books which makes them easier to handle and much cheaper to buy. They are one of the greatest achievements in writing and research.

Great haul. I wouldn't say no either

Fred, please find the movie Hidden Figures.............. unbelievable !!! Super good !!

Fred, if you take a dryer sheet and put it into your book it will take away a lot of the smell and get rid of any bug eggs that might be there. A good way to protect your book.

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 fabulous free book haul. Those look magnificent. Enjoy 😊

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!

Be still my heart! I find myself being overpowered by jealousy. Congratulations!

I do love the look and feel of old books... even if I don't typically read them 😅

okay now i wanna purchase a complete set today lol

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!

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.

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.

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.

Great find!

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.

Reading it as 14 years old.. literally speechless for the book..

Cool set of books. I like maps in books. 😃

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!

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.

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’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!

I just unhauled that same set at my local library for their spring book sale. I hope they good to a good home.

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

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!

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." 🤔

Excellent reading goals this new year, Fred!

The Age of Reason would be the most interesting, so should be the longest book.

I love how they look with the jackets off!!! Nice video as well

Good luck with these reading goals for the year. I am hoping to read more classics in 2025 as well. I love The Picture of Dorian Gray and We Have Always Lived in the Castle. It is my favorite Shirley Jackson. The War of the Worlds is great as well.

Liking your list. I’m always pleased when the classics are dusted off and read. Do Enjoy. 2025: Reading by the River list includes all the books selected for our book club, most of the Book Naturalist BC books, our county picks an everybody reads book - this year it is Solito, and on my list. I’m selecting enough books to fill a bookcase of books I’ve paused while reading and books I’ve ment to read years ago. Trusting this column allows me to select books on a whim, rescue books from the land of the unfinished, and retire books from my shelves. I also hope it cuts my spending way back. Joyful reading to you. Glad you are back. You were missed.

Hope you enjoy your reads! 😃

That is a great variety of classics 🤗

My reading list: They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Horace McCoy (almost done in 1/2025) The Moon is Down John Steinbeck 1984 >>> high school reread George Orwell Macbeth >> high school reread Willuam Shakespeare King Lear >> high school reread William Shakespeare Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller The Price Arthur Miller Song of the Open Road Walt Whitman ≈====== non-fiction Talking to Strangers Malcolm Gladwell Habeas Data Cyrus Farivar The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k Mark Manson The New Testament Acts to Revelation The Examen Prayer Fr. Timothy Gallegher Discerning the Will of God Fr. TImothy Gallegher >>>>>>>>> bio Holding on to the Air Bio of Suzanne Farrell, ballerina Hopefully I keep to this list, but I may add in additional poetry or other non-fiction as time allows. In prior years, I've read the New Testament between Easter and Labor Day. Last year, I did not do this, so I'm picking it up again this year at that time. BTW, In 2024 I reread The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men. These stories resonated with me so much more as an adult. I don't even recall paying attention much when these were discussed in high school.

Lovely science set and goals Fred! Hope you have fun with your science projects!

Happy 2025, Fred! Your reading goals for the year are fantastic-such a great balance of literature, science, and personal learning. I’m especially excited to hear your thoughts on We Have Always Lived in the Castle-Shirley Jackson does such an incredible job with unsettling atmospheres. And The Great Gatsby-oh, that one is an all-time favorite for me! I was never forced to read it in high school, so I got to discover it on my own, and I just love its themes of longing, illusion, and excess. Your science reading plan is impressive too-there’s something really satisfying about actually reading the books we collect rather than just admiring them on the shelf! Looking forward to your reviews as you make your way through these!

Well you have some really great choices there Fred!! I'm looking forward to hearing you talk about them! Also how is The Great Courses going for you?