WRITER

Will Durant

1885 - 1981

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William James Durant (; November 5, 1885 – November 7, 1981) was an American historian and philosopher, best known for his 11-volume work, The Story of Civilization, which contains and details the history of Eastern and Western civilizations. It was written in collaboration with his wife, Ariel Durant, and published between 1935 and 1975. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Will Durant has received more than 1,521,857 page views. His biography is available in 44 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 39 in 2019). Will Durant is the 982nd most popular writer (up from 1,031st in 2019), the 1,133rd most popular biography from United States (up from 1,218th in 2019) and the 109th most popular American Writer.

Durant is most famous for being the first player to score 40 points in a game since Michael Jordan.

Memorability Metrics

  • 1.5M

    Page Views (PV)

  • 61.81

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 44

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 5.03

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 3.90

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Notable Works

The story of civilization
Civilization
1935
The lessons of history
History
A concise survey of the culture and civilization of mankind, The Lessons of History is the result of a lifetime of research from Pulitzer Prize–winning historians Will and Ariel Durant. With their accessible compendium of philosophy and social progress, the Durants take us on a journey through history, exploring the possibilities and limitations of humanity over time. Juxtaposing the great lives, ideas, and accomplishments with cycles of war and conquest, the Durants reveal the towering themes of history and give meaning to our own.
19685 / 5
The story of philosophy
1926
Caesar and Christ
1944
Our Oriental heritage
1935
Transition
Biography & Autobiography
This volume is the autobiography of American writer, historian, and philosopher Will Durant (1885-1981), best known for his epic work "The Story of Civilization." Originally published in 1927, this work covers up to the time of his daughter's birth; it reveals a great deal about his character. Durant had a brilliant mind, but as an idealistic young man, he was also an agitator who had associations with people who were not merely counter-cultural, but anarchists. Durant himself never quite stepped over the line into anarchy, but he flirted with those who did until he realized how self-defeating such an approach is. Durant was always a self-admitted socialist, and he was critical of capitalism all his life. Nevertheless, he offered some deeply thought-provoking analysis of history that are quite relevant to the present day. This work shows us the man behind the thought, his human struggles, his loves, his mistakes and his regrets, and ultimately his growth in personal integrity. Readers learn how the revolutionary learned to use the power of historical insight to make the points that bombs and violence never could make.
1927

Among WRITERS

Among writers, Will Durant ranks 982 out of 7,302. Before him are Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse, Donna Leon, Bar Hebraeus, H. Rider Haggard, James Hadley Chase, and Khachatur Abovian. After him are David Grossman, Aristarchus of Samothrace, Prudentius, Jean de Joinville, Richard Matheson, and Christoph Martin Wieland.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1885, Will Durant ranks 44. Before him are Kato Svanidze, Tomoyuki Yamashita, Giacomo Matteotti, Eduard Künneke, Nikolaus von Falkenhorst, and Tamara Karsavina. After him are Romano Guardini, Clementine Churchill, Christian Wirth, Aristides de Sousa Mendes, Velimir Khlebnikov, and Uzeyir Hajibeyov. Among people deceased in 1981, Will Durant ranks 31. Before him are A. J. Cronin, Karl Böhm, Miroslav Krleža, Georges Brassens, Max Delbrück, and Abel Gance. After him are Joseph Murphy, Zarah Leander, Mehmet Shehu, Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark, Omar Torrijos, and David Wechsler.

Others Born in 1885

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Others Deceased in 1981

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In United States

Among people born in United States, Will Durant ranks 1,133 out of 20,380. Before him are Stanley Tucci (1960), James M. Buchanan (1919), Richard S. Castellano (1933), Ike Turner (1931), Stanley Miller (1930), and Willie Nelson (1933). After him are Hugh David Politzer (1949), Richard Matheson (1926), Gordon Parks (1912), James Cagney (1899), William Styron (1925), and Charles Cooley (1864).

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Among WRITERS In United States

Among writers born in United States, Will Durant ranks 109. Before him are Nellie Bly (1864), James Jones (1921), L. Frank Baum (1856), Virginia Satir (1916), Stephen Covey (1932), and Donna Leon (1942). After him are Richard Matheson (1926), William Styron (1925), Jean Webster (1876), Edith Wharton (1862), Noah Gordon (1926), and William Gibson (1948).

American born Writers

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