Synopses & Reviews
Greer/Lewis's A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WESTERN WORLD gives you a comprehensive view of the development of Western civilization in half the pages of other texts. Each chapter provides broad coverage of political, social, cultural, and religious themes. Includes a CD-ROM and access to an online university library.
Review
"This is the best one-volume survey of Western history that I know of. Unlike most such texts, it is truly written on the college level. It doesn't talk down to its readers, though it subtly gives them the background they need."
Review
"I think this book is very readable and well organized. It has many important organizational advantages. It attempts to take a balanced view of various cultural and religious issues. I am very impressed with the overall quality of the text book. I will recommend that the rest of the committee look at this as an alternative to the Perry book."
Review
"This text is set apart from comparable competing texts by the sophistication of its narrative. Most comparable texts water down the content and simplify the vocabulary. This text presents a quality narrative that matches that of much longer texts."
Review
"I believe its most obvious special strength is its organization. The clear explanations of both political/diplomatic and cultural/intellectual developments woven into the narrative structure used makes the text readable and accessible for students."
Review
"The timelines are very appealing and strikingly laid out. The overviews at the beginning of each chapter are nicely presented and do a fine job of tying the chapter's themes together. The impact of technology and science is consistently well explained, and art and music are integrated nicely."
About the Author
Thomas H. Greer has studied and taught Western civilization for more than thirty-five years. He was one of the founders and developers of the highly regarded one-year humanities course at Michigan State University, completed by over 100,000 students, and served as department chairman. He is a specialist in contemporary world affairs. Among his publications are AMERICAN SOCIAL REFORM MOVEMENTS: THEIR PATTERN SINCE 1865; THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AMERICAN DOCTRINE OF AIR POWER, 1917-1941; THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II (coauthor); WHAT ROOSEVELT THOUGHT: THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL IDEAS OF F.D.R.; and CLASSICS OF WESTERN THOUGHT (general editor).Gavin Lewis received his Bachelor of Arts from Oxford University and his Ph.D. from Princeton University. His research and publications include studies of central European history, Sumerian civilization, Athenian politics and religion, print and culture in the Renaissance, and the decipherment of Egyptian writing. He has over thirty years? experience teaching Western civilization to undergraduates. He is the author of CHURCH AND PARTY IN POLITICAL CATHOLICISM: THE CLERGY AND THE CHRISTIAN SOCIAL PARTY IN LOWER AUSTRIA, 1887-1907; TOMS MASARYK; and CLOSE-UPS OF THE PAST: WESTERN CIVILIZATION IN CASE STUDIES.
Table of Contents
(Single volume includes Parts One to Five, Chapters 1-16; Volume I: To 1789 includes Parts One to Three, Chapters 1-10, Volume II: Since 1300 includes Parts Three to Five, Chapters 7-16) Prologue: What Is Western Civilization? PART ONE: The Ancient World: Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Civilization. 1. The Birth of Civilization in the Middle East. 2. The Greek Beginnings of Western Civilization. 3. The Roman Triumph and Fall. 4. A Conquering New Faith: Christianity. PART TWO: Medieval Civilization. 5. The Creation of Europe: Political and Social Foundations. 6. The Flowering of Medieval Culture. PART THREE: The Remaking of Europe. 7. The Transformation and Expansion of Europe. 8. The Renaissance: Upsurge of Humanism. 9. The Reformation: Division and Reform in the Church. PART FOUR: The RISE OF THE MODERN West. 10. Absolute Monarchy, Science, and Enlightenment. 11. The First Modern Revolutions. 12. Liberalism, Nationalism, and Conservatism. 13. The Impact of the Machine. PART FIVE: The West and the World in the Era of Global Civilization. 14. The West Divided: Imperialism, World War, and Competing World Orders. 15. The West Reunited: The Cold War, Decolonization, and the End of Communism. 16. The Revolution in Western Culture. 17. Western Civilization in the World of Today.