History

For survey courses in Western Civilization.

A text conceived from its inception to be brief, The West takes an idea-based approach to examine Western Civilization in the broadest possible terms. By placing Western Civilization in a larger context, The West helps students to better understand current events and to re-evaluate common assumptions. Going beyond the purview of traditional texts, The West urges students to think more deeply about the nature of civilized life by consistently relating historical developments to environmental contexts—both natural ecologies and cultural legacies. Finally, The West encourages students to relate the experiences of long-vanished peoples to their own lives by posing a “Larger Issue”—a question of broad scope or general significance—at the beginning of each chapter. Each “Larger Issue” provides a springboard for wide-ranging class discussions on the fundamental social and political issues in Western Civilization. The Portfolio Edition format features a concise, trade—like narrative for approximately 60% less cost to the student than a comprehensive text.

• Idea-Based Approach—Located at the beginning of each chapter, “Larger Issues” provide for an idea-based approach to the study of Western Civilization. Examples include, “How did Europe adapt the civilization it inherited from the ancient world?” (Chapter 8); “How should a society use its history?” (Chapter 12); and “Has the West defined the process of globalization?” (Chapter 26). Each chapter concludes with a “Larger Issue Revisited” section that re-examines the Larger Issues in light of the chapter's discussion.

  • Encourages students to relate the experiences of long-vanished peoples to their own lives and provides topics for class discussion.

• Environmental Context—More than any other text, The West consistently relates historical developments to environmental contexts—both natural ecologies and cultural legacies—and it defines civilization as a survival strategy characteristic of the human instinct. A special introduction in each volume outlines the interplay between environment and civilization that characterizes the history of the West.

  • Helps students improve perspectives on their personal points of view by reminding them that cultures train their members to perceive the world around them in specific ways.

• Coverage of Islam—The West is defined in the broadest possible terms as encompassing all the cultures that trace at least some ancestry to the ancient Mediterranean world, emphasizing the critical contributions of Hebraic and Muslim traditions to the making of the Western culture.

  • Provides students with the opportunity to develop historical perspective on what has become a crucial problem in contemporary international relations.

• People in Context and Culture in Context—Two special sidebar essays in each chapter highlight an individual whose life was characteristic of the era being described (“People in Context”) and explore a significant technological or cultural development (“Culture in Context”).

  • Increases the human element in the narrative and provides fascinating glimpses into various aspects of Western culture and technology.

• Four-color inserts—Entitled, “A Sense of Place: The World Through Human Eyes” two 8-page color plates graphically illustrate how views of the world change in tandem with the evolving interests and values of human communities.

  • Reinforces for students the connections between culture and the environment.

• Primary source quotations—Introduce the theme for each chapter.

  • Piques student interest with lively insights into the discussions that follow.

• Numerous maps, illustrations, chronologies, and timelines.

  • Helps students interact with the narrative by offering an unexpectantly high level of pedagogical support for a book of this size.

• Documents CD-ROM—Bound into the back of every new text for no additional charge is a CD-ROM containing over 200 PDF documents introducing students to important sources in Western Civilization. Each document includes a headnote and questions for analysis that can be answered online via a companion Web site. The end of each chapter lists relevant documents found on the CD-ROM. Documents may be printed out for in-class discussion.

  • Saves instructors time when having to research these sources, and saves students money.

• Text-specific open access Companion Web site—Includes online study guides, document-based questions, map exercises, and learning activities that extend the scope of the narrative.

  • Provides students with Web-based review and assessment opportunities, as well as a wealth of course enhancement material.

• Brief and Inexpensive.

  • Allows for maximum flexibility, as other material can be assigned without unduly burdening students.

 1. The Birth of Civilization.


 2. The Rise of Empires and the Beginning of the Iron Age.


 3. Aegean Civilizations.


 4. The Hellenic Era.


 5. The Hellenistic Era and the Rise of Rome.


 6. Rome's Empire and the Unification of the Western World.


 7. The West's Medieval Civilizations.


 8. The Emergence of Europe.


 9. Europe Turns Outward.


10. Europe's High Middle Ages.


11. Challenges to the Medieval Order.


12. Renaissance and Exploration.


13. Reformation, Religious Wars, and National Conflicts.


14. The Early Modern State, 1600-1789.


15. New World Views: Europe's Scientific Revolution.


16. The Age of Enlightenment: Rationalism and Its Uses.


17. Rebellion and Revolution: American Independence and the French Revolution.


18. The Age of Ideology in Western Europe, 1815-1848.


19. Industry, Society, and Environment.


20. The Consolidation of Nation-States.


21. Global Empire and European Culture, 1870-1914.


22. World War I: The End of Enlightenment.


23. The Troubled Inter-War Years, 1919-1939.


24. World War II: Europe in Eclipse.


25. The Cold War Era.


26. Western Civilization and the Global Community.

Western Civilization: Combined Volume  [BRIEF]   (Western and World History)

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  West, The: A Narrative History, Combined Volume, 2/E
  Frankforter & Spellman
  ©2009 | Prentice Hall | Paper; 848 pp | Instock
  ISBN-10: 0136056342 | ISBN-13: 9780136056348
  Brief Description | Buy from myPearsonStore

  

  The West: a Narrative History is a unique text in its field, as it was conceived and developed as a brief introduction to the history of the West. It is not a reduced version of a larger study, but a fully realized project in its own right. It defines the West in its broadest terms, encompassing all of the varied cultures that trace at least some of their ancestry to the ancient Mediterranean world. In addition, it consistently reminds its readers of the links between the people who have come to define the West and those in other regions of the world.

   

   

   

"The writing is the best I have seen in a textbook. One of the goals in my courses is to teach students how to write effectively, concisely, and forcefully. The authors' writing is simple, to the point, and utterly engaging. It is the way I want my students to write." — Larissa J. Taylor, Colby College

"This text will serve me well. It is written clearly and compactly and does an admirable job of addressing some issues, such as race and feminist concerns, that are typically added onto other texts." — Sean Moran, Oakland University

"What makes this text readable is the extent to which interpretive issues are interwoven with facts. Textbooks that are hard to read cram a lot of information into a condensed space without helping students think about what they are learning. This book avoids that problem and is a good match for my students." — Laurel Carrington, St. Olaf College

"The Larger Issues are perhaps the most interesting way of beginning a text that I have ever seen." — James Halverson, Judson College

Daniel Frankforter is Professor of Medieval History at the Pennsylvania State University. He holds a bachelor's degree (philosophy) from Franklin and Marshall College, a master of divinity degree from Drew University, and master's and doctoral degrees (in medieval history and religious studies) from Penn State. His research has focused on the medieval English church and on the evolving role of women in medieval society. Articles on these topics have appeared in Manuscripta, Church History, The British Studies Monitor, The Catholic Historical Review, The American Benedictine Review, The International Journal of Women's Studies, Classical and Medieval Literature and Criticism, The Encyclopedia of Monasticism, and The Journal of Women's History. His books include: A History of the Christian Movement: An Essay on the Development of Christian Institutions, Civilization and Survival (vol. 1), The Shakespeare Name Dictionary (with J. Madison Davis), The Medieval Millennium: An Introduction, (2nd edition) The Western Heritage, Brief Edition (3rd edition, with Donald Kagan, Steven Ozment, and Frank Turner), an edition and translation o£ Poullain de la Barre's De L'Egalite des deux Sexes, and Stones for Bread: A Critique of Contemporary Worship. With over thirty years of teaching experience, he has developed fifteen courses focusing on aspects of the ancient and medieval periods of Western civilization, religious studies, and gender studies. His work in the classroom has been acknowledged by the Penn State Behrend Excellence in Teaching Award and the prestigious Amoco Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching Performance.

William M. Spellman is Professor of History at the University of North Carolina, Asheville. He is a graduate of Suffolk University, Boston, and holds the Ph.D. from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He is the author of John Locke and the Problem of Depravity (Oxford, 1988); The Latitudinarians and the Church of England, 1660-1700 (Georgia, 1993); John Locke (Macmillan, 1995); European Political Thought, 1600-1700 (Macmillan, 1997); Monarchies, 1000-2000 (Reaktion, 2000); and The Global Community: Migration and the Making of the Modern World, 1500-2000 (Sutton, 2002).

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