Synopses & Reviews
A grand sweep of history by the late Fernand Braudel-one of the twentieth centurys most influential historians-
Memory and the Mediterranean chronicles the Mediterraneans immeasurably rich past during the foundational period from prehistory to classical antiquity, illuminating nothing less than the bedrock of our civilization and the very origins of Western culture.
Essential for historians, yet written explicitly for the general reader, this magnificent account of the ebb and flow of cultures shaped by the Mediterranean takes us from the great seas geologic beginnings through the ancient civilizations that flourished along its shores. Moving with ease from Mesopotamia and Egypt to the flowering of Crete and the early Aegean peoples, and culminating in the prodigious achievements of ancient Greece and Rome, Braudel conveys in absorbing detail the geography and climate of the region over the course of millennia while brilliantly explaining the larger forces that gave rise to agriculture, writing, sea travel, trade, and, ultimately, the emergence of empires. Impressive in scope and gracefully written, Memory and the Mediterranean is an endlessly enriching work of history by a legend in the field.
Synopsis
A grand sweep of history from the late Fernand Braudel -- unquestionably one of the century's greatest and most influential historians -- Memory and the Mediterranean is nothing less than the story of the bedrock of our civilization and the very origins of Western culture.
Absolutely essential for historians, yet written explicitly for the general reader, here is a magnificent account of the Mediterreanean, from its geologic beginnings through the ancient civilizations that flourished along its shores. An elemental narrative, Memory and the Mediterranean conveys in exquisite detail the geography, topography, and climate of the region over the course of millennia while brilliantly explaining the larger forces that gave rise to agriculture, writing, commerce, and, ultimately, the emergence of empires. Impressive in scope, it treats the foundational period from prehistory to antiquity with the same authority and elegance as Jacques Barzun's bestselling From Dawn to Decadence.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 345-347) and index.
About the Author
Fernand Braudel (1901-1985), the most celebrated French historian of the postwar era, taught at the Collège de France and was a member of the École Pratique des Hautes Études. His widely acclaimed works include
A History of Civilizations,
On History,
The Structures of Everyday Life, and
The Wheels of Commerce.
From the Hardcover edition.