Dark Brilliance

In "The Age of Reason," historian Paul Strathern delves into the transformative 1600s, a time marked by significant advancements in art, science, philosophy, and political thought amidst extreme political upheaval, including the devastating Thirty Years' War. The era not only witnessed the rise of European empires and a booming transatlantic commerce that enriched Western Europe but also revealed the darker reality of human slavery underpinning this wealth. Through the stories of influential figures such as Caravaggio, Newton, and Louis XIV, Strathern vividly illustrates the complexities and costs associated with the progress that shaped the modern Western world.