Synopses & Reviews
More than any other text,
A History of World Societies introduces students to the families, foods, workplaces, religions, and diversions of peoples of the past through lively, descriptive writing and extensive primary sources that give voice to a wide range of individuals. This hallmark treatment of social history combines with strong political, cultural, and economic coverage and a clear, easy-to-manage organization to provide students with the most vivid account available of what life was like throughout human history.
The Eighth Edition welcomes to the author team Merry Wiesner-Hanks and Clare Crowston, experienced world-history teachers and highly regarded scholars who bring additional attention to gender and cultural history. It also expands the text's global perspective by strengthening coverage of non-Western topics and comparisons among world societies. A fresh, colorful look and a completely new map program showcase a narrative that the authors judiciously shortened for even greater power and accessibility.
Bedford/St. Martins is proud to have recently acquired the stellar McKay franchise in World History and Western Civilization. These wonderful books fit well with our publishing philosophy at Bedford/St. Martins, emphasizing innovation, quality, and a focus on the needs of students and instructors. We hope to contribute to their future success with the care and attention to detail we give every book we publish.
About the Author
John P. McKay, Professor of History at the University of Illinois, received his Ph.D. from the University of Columbia, Berkeley in 1968. Author of three books, he won the Herbert Baxter Adams Award from the American Historical Association with his Pioneers for Profit. He is a Senior Fulbright Fellow and recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship.
Bennett D. Hill (deceased), a former Chairman and Professor of History at the University of Illinois, received his Ph.D. from Princeton in 1963. He taught at the University of Maryland and was most recently a visiting professor at Georgetown University. He published two books and many journal articles.
John Buckler, a Professor of History at the University of Illinois, earned his doctorate at Harvard University in 1973. He has published numerous journal articles and written a monograph, The Theban Hegemony, published by Harvard University Press.
Patricia B. Ebrey, Professor with Joint Appointment: Early Imperial China, Song Dynasty, at the University of Washington in Seattle, received her Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1975. She has published numerous journal articles and published The Cambridge Illustrated History of China (Cambridge University Press, 1996), as well as numerous monographs. Merry Wiesner-Hanks, UWM Distinguished Professor at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, earned her B.A. from Grinnell College in 1973 and her Ph.D. in 1979 at University of Wisconsin - Madison. She is the co-editor of the Sixteenth Century Journal and the author or editor of nineteen books and many articles that have appeared in many languages. She is currently the Chief Reader for Advanced Placement World History.
Clare H. Crowston, Associate Professor of History at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, earned her B.A. in 1985 from McGill University and her Ph.D. in 1996 from Cornell University. The author of many articles, she has also written Fabricating Women: The Seamstresses of Old Regime France, 1675-1791 (Duke University Press, 2001), which won two awards, the Berkshire Prize and the Hagley Prize. She is a past-President of the Society for French Historical Studies and a former chair of the Pinkney Prize Committee.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Early Civilizations of the Near East, to 464 B.C.E Birth and Growth of Mesopotamian Civilization (ca 3000-2331 B.C.E.) The Invention of Writing and Intellectual Advances (ca 3000-2331 B.C.E.) Sumerian Thought and Religion Sumerian Society The Triumph of Babylon and the Spread of Mesopotamian Civilization (2331-ca 1595 B.C.E.) Egypt, the Land of the Pharaohs (3100-1200 B.C.E.) The God-King of Egypt The Pharaohs People The Hyksos in Egypt (1640-1570 B.C.E) The New Kingdom: Revival and Empire (1570-1075 B.C.E) Individuals in Society: Nefertiti The Rise of the Hittites A Shattered Egypt and a Rising Phoenicia The Children of Isreal Daily Life in Israel Assyria, the Military Monarchy (859-612 B.C.E) The Empire of the Persian Kings (ca 1000-464 B.C.E) The Creation of the Persian Empire (550-464 B.C.E) The Religion of Zoroaster The Span of the Persian Empire
Chapter 2: The Foundation of Indian Society, to 300 C.E. The Land and Its First Settlers (ca3000-1500 B.C.E) The Aryans and the Vedic Age (ca 1500-500 B.C.E) Early Indian Society, 1000-500 B.C.E. Brahmanism Indias Great Religions Jainism Individuals in Society: Gosala Siddhartha Gautama and Buddhism Hinduism India and the West (ca 513-298 B.C.E) The Mauryan Empire (ca 322-185 B.C.E) The Reign of Ashoka (ca 269-232 B.C.E) Small States and the Trading Networks (200 B.C.E. -300 C.E. Chapter 3: Chinas Classical Age, to 256 B.C.E. The Emergence of Civilization in China The Neolithic Age The Shang Dynasty (ca 1500-ca1050 B.C.E) The Early Zhou Dynasty (ca 1050-500 BCE) Zhou Politics Zhou Society The Warring States Period (500-221 BCE) Confucius and His Followers Individuals in Society: Guan Zhong Daoism, Legalism, and Other Schools of Thought Daoism Legalism Yin and Yang Chapter 4: The Greek Experience (ca 3500-146 B.C.E) The Polis (ca 800 B.C.E) The Archaic Age (ca 800-500 B.C.E) Overseas Expansion The Growth of Sparta The Evolution of Athens The Classical Period (500-338 B.C.E) The Deadly Conflicts (499-404 B.C.E) Athenian Arts in the Age of Pericles Aspects of Social Life in Athens Greek Religion The Flowering of Philosophy From Polis to Monarchy (404-323 B.C.E) The Spread of Hellenism Cities and Kingdoms Building a Shared Society The Economic Scope of the Hellenistic World Hellenistic Intellectual Advances Religion in the Hellenistic World Philosophy and the People Hellenistic Science Individuals in Society: Archimedes Hellenistic Medicine Chapter 5: The World of Rome (753 B.C.E- 479 C.E.) The Etruscans and Rome (ca 750-290 B.C.E) The Etruscans and the Roman Settlement of Italy (ca 750-509 B.C.E) The Roman Conquest of Italy (509-209 B.C.E) The Roman Republic Social Conflict in Rome Roman Expansion and Its Repercussions (282-27 B.C.E) The Age of Overseas Conquest (282-45 B.C.E) Old Values and Greek Culture The Late Republic (133-31 B.C.E) The Pax Romana Augustuss Settlement (31 B.C.E-14 C.E) Administration and Expansion under Augustus The Coming of Christianity Unrest in Judaea The Life and Teachings of Jesus The Spread of Christianity The Appeal of Christianity The "Golden" Age Individuals in Society: Plutarch of Chaironeia Life in the Golden Age Rome and the East (235-284 C.E.) Conflict and Commerce between Rome and Parthia Contacts Between Rome and China The Empire from crisis to Triumph (284-337 C.E.) Reconstruction under Diocletian and Constantine (284-337 C.E.) The Acceptance of Christianity The Construction of Constantinople From the Classical World to Late Antiquity Chapter 6: East Asia and the Spread of Buddhism, 256 B.C.E.-800 C.E. The Age of Empire in China The Qin Unification (256-206 BCE) The Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE) Inner Asia and the Silk Road Han Intellectual and Cultural Life Economy and Society in Han China Individuals in Society: The Ban Family China and Rome The Fall of the Han and the Age of Division The Spread of Buddhism Out of India The Chinese Empire Re-created: Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) The Tang Dynasty (618-907) Tang Culture The East Asian Cultural Sphere Vietnam Korea Japan Chapter 7: Europe and Western Asia, ca 350-850 The Byzantine Empire Sources of Byzantine Strength The Sasanid Kingdom of Persia and Byzantium Individuals in Society: Theodora of Constantinople The Law Code of Justinian Byzantine Intellectual Life Constantinople: The Second Rome The Growth of the Christian Church The Church and its Leaders The Western Church and the Eastern Church The Iconoclastic Controversy Christian Monasticism Christian Ideas and Practices Adjustment to Classical Culture Saint Augustine Missionary Activity Conversion and Assimilation Migrating Peoples Celts, Huns, and Germans Barbarian Society Social and Economic Structures The Frankish Kingdom Charlemagne Chapter 8: The Islamic World, ca 600-1400 The Origins of Islam Muhammad The Islamic Faith Islamic States and Their Expansion Reasons for the Spread of Islam The Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate Administration of the Islamic Territories Fragmentation and Military Challenges (900-1400) The Ascendancy of the Turks The Mongols Invasions Muslim Society: The Life of the People The Classes of Society Slavery Women in Classical Islamic Society Trade and Commerce Cultural Developments Individuals in Society: Abu ‘Abdallah Ibn Battuta Education and Intellectual Life Sufism Muslim-Christian Encounters. Chapter 9: African Societies and Kingdoms, ca 400-1450 The Land and Peoples of Africa Egypt, Africa, and Race Early African Societies Bantu Migrations Kingdoms of the Western Sudan, ca 1000 BCE-1500 CE The Trans-Saharan Trade African Kingdoms and Empires (ca 800-1450) The Kingdom of Ghana (ca 900-1100) The Kingdom of Mali (ca1200-1450) Ethiopia: the Christian Kingdom of Axum Individuals in Society: Amda Siyon The East African City-States Southern Africa Chapter 10: Civilizations of the Americas, 2500 BCE- 1500 CE The Early Peoples of the Americas Settling the Americas The Development of Agriculture Early Civilizations Mounds, Towns, and Trade in North and South America The Olmecs Classical Era Mesoamerica and North America Maya Technology and Trade Maya Science and Religion Teotihuacán and the Toltecs Hohokam, Hopewell, and Mississippian The Aztecs Religion and War in Aztec Society Individuals in Society: Tlacaélel The Life of the People The Cities of the Aztecs The Incas Earlier Peruvian Cultures Inca Imperialism Inca Society Chapter 11: Central and Southern Asia, to 1400 Central Asian Nomads The Turks The Mongols Daily Life Chinggis Khan and the Mongol Empire Chinggiss Successors The Mongols as Rulers East-West Communication During the Mongol Era India, 300-1400 The Gupta Empire (ca 320-480) Indias Medieval Age (ca 500-1400) and the First Encounter with Islam Individuals in Society: Bhaskara the Teacher Daily Life in Medieval India Southeast Asia, to 1400 The Spread of Indian Culture in Comparative Perspective Chapter 12: East Asia, ca 800-1400 The Medieval Chinese Economic Revolution (800-1100) China During the Song Dynasty (960-1279) The Scholar-Officials and New-Confucianism Individuals in Society: Shen Gua Womens Lives Japans Heian Period (794-1185) Fujiwara Rule Aristocratic Culture The Samurai and The Kamakura Shogunate (1185-1333) Military Rule Cultural Trends Chapter 13: Europe in the Middle Ages, 850-1400 Political Developments Feudalism and Manorialism Invasions and Migrations The Restoration of Order Law and Justice Revival and Reform in the Christian Church Monastic Reforms Individuals in Society: Hildegard of Bingen Papal Reforms Popular Religion The Expansion of Latin Christendom Toward a Christian Society The Crusades Background of the Crusades The Course of the Crusades Consequences The Changing Life of the People Those Who Work Those Who Fight Towns and Cities The Expansion of Long-Distance Trade The Culture of the Middle Ages Universities and Scholasticism Cathedrals Troubadour Poetry Crises of the Later Middle Ages The Great Famine and the Black Death The Hundred Years War Challenges to the Church Peasant and Urban Revolts Chapter 14: Europe in the Renaissance and Reformation, 1350-1600 Renaissance Culture Economic and Political Context Intellectual Change Individuals in Society: Leonardo Da Vinci Secularism Christian Humanism The Printed Word Art and the Artist Social Hierarchies Race Class Gender Politics and the State in the Renaissance (ca 1450-1521) France England Spain The Habsburgs The Protestant Reformation Criticism of the Church Martin Luther Protestant Thought and Its Appeal The Radical Reformation and the German Peasants War The Reformation and Marriage The Reformation and German Politics The Spread of the Protestant Reformation Calvinism The Catholic Reformation The Reformed Papacy and the Council of Trent New Religious Orders Religious Violence French Religious Wars The Netherlands Under Charles V The Great European Witch-Hunt Chapter 15: The Acceleration of Global Contact The Indian Ocean: Hub of an Afro-Eurasian Trading World People and Cultures Religious Revolutions Trade and Commerce European Discovery, Reconnaissance, and Expansion Causes of European Expanision Technological Stimuli to Exploration The Portuguese Overseas Empire Individuals in Society: Zheng He The Problem of Christopher Columbus New World Conquest The Impact of Contact Colonial Administration The Columbian Exchange Spanish Settlement and Indigenous Population Decline Sugar and Slavery Global Trade Networks The Chinese and Japanese Discovery of the West The World-Wide Economic Effects of Spanish Silver Chapter 16: Absolutism and Constitutionalism in Europe, ca 1589-1725 Seventeenth-Century Crisis and Rebuilding Economic and Demographic Crisis The Return of Serfdom in the East The Thirty Years War Seventeenth-Century State-Building: Common Obstacles and Achievements Absolutism in France and Spain The Foundations of Absolutism: Henry IV, Sully, and Richelieu Louis XIV and Absolutism Financial and Economic Management Under Louis XIV: Colbert Louis XIVs Wars The Decline of Absolutist Spain in the Seventeenth Century Absolutism in Eastern Europe: Austria, Prussia, and Russia The Austrian Habsburgs Prussia in the Seventeenth Century The Consolidation of Prussian Absolutism The Mongol Yoke and the Rise of Moscow Tsar and People to 1689 The Reforms of Peter the Great Constitutionalism Absolutist Claims in England (1603-1649) Religious Divides Puritanical Absolutism in England: Cromwell and the Protectorate The Restoration of the English Monarchy The Triumph of Englands Parliament: Constitutional Monarchy and Cabinet Government The Dutch Republic in the Seventeenth Century Individuals in Society: Glückel of Hameln