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.

Table of Contents:
  Table of Contents   Introduction   PART ONE: DEPARTURE PREHISTORY TO 1000 BCE   Chapter 1: The Birth of Civilization Larger Issue: How do environments shape human communities and human communities alter environments?     The Evolution of the Prehistoric Cultures      The Archaic States       The Origin of Civilization in Mesopotamia: Sumer       The Rise of Civilization in Egypt   Chapter 2: The Rise of Empires and the Beginning of the Iron Age Larger Issue: Does civilization promote or intensify divisions among peoples?     The Transition States     Imperial Egypt: The New Kingdom      The Indo-Europeans and the Clash of Empires     The Bible and History   PART TWO: THE CLASSICAL ERA 2000 BCE to 30 CE   Chapter 3: Aegean Civilizations Larger Issue: When does civilization in the West become “Western” civilization?     Minoan Mentors     The Mycenaeans, Greece’s First Civilization      The Aegean Dark Age     The Hellenic Era     The Rise of the Mainland Powers     The Persian Wars: Crucible of a Civilization   Chapter 4: The Hellenic Era Larger Issue: What did the Greeks contribute to the development of modern civilization?     Persian Wars as Catalyst     The Peloponnesian War      Intellectual and Artistic Life in the Polis   Chapter 5: The Hellenistic Era and the Rise of Rome Larger Issue: What circumstances are likely to undermine governments by the people?     The Hellenistic Era     The Origin of Rome     The Roman Republic     Rome’s Civil War   Chapter 6: Rome’s Empire and the Unification of the Western World Larger Issue:  Do people prefer order to liberty?     The Augustan Era      Order and Continuity: The Dynastic Option      Order and Continuity: The Elective Option      Life in an Imperial Environment      The Decline of Rome   PART THREE: THE DIVISION OF THE WEST 300 TO 1300   Chapter 7: The West’s Medieval Civilizations Larger Issue:  Should freedom of religion be limited?     The Christian Element      The German Element      The Byzantine Empire of Constantinople      Islam   Chapter 8: The Emergence of Europe Larger Issue: How did Europe build on its legacies from the ancient world?     The Merovingian Kingdom: Europe’s Nucleus     The Franks’ Neighbors      The Carolingian Era      Retrenchment and Reorganization      The Culture of Europe’s Dark Age   Chapter 9: Europe Turns Outward Larger Issue: Was conflict among the medieval civilizations inevitable?     Islam’s Crest and Byzantium’s Resurgence     The Reorganization of Feudal Europe     The Eleventh-Century Turning Point   Chapter 10: Europe’s High Middle Ages Larger Issue: Why are some societies more open to change than others?     The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century     Universities and Scholasticism     Religious Revival and Diversity of Opinion     The Artistic Vision of the High Middle Ages     Government in the High Middle Ages   PART FOUR: CHALLENGES, CONFLICTS, AND DEPARTURES 1300 to 1700   Chapter 11: Challenges to the Medieval Order Larger Issue: What did the crises of the late medieval era reveal about the strengths and weaknesses of Europe’s civilization?     Challenges from Nature       Turmoil in the Middle East      Spiritual Crises      Political Responses: The Burdens of War   Chapter 12: Renaissance and Exploration Larger Issue: How should a society use its history?     The Context for the Renaissance       The Culture of the Renaissance      The Northern Renaissance       The Middle East: The Ottoman Empire      Europe and Atlantic Exploration   Chapter 13: Reformation, Religious Wars, and National Conflicts Larger Issue: How do civilized societies justify war?     The Lutheran Reformation     The Swiss Reformation      The Catholic Reformation      The Habsburg-Valois Wars      England’s Ambivalent Reformation      Convergence of Foreign and Domestic Politics: England, Spain, and France      The Final Religious Upheaval    PART FIVE: THE REVOLUTIONARY IMPULSE   Chapter 14: The Early Modern State Larger Issue: How do political systems reflect the structure of social and economic life?     Society in Early Modern Europe     Forging Centralized States     Absolutism in France     Constitutionalism in England     Wars of Empire and Global Markets     Central and Eastern Europe     Europe’s Declining Powers   Chapter 15: New World Views: Europe’s Scientific Revolution Larger Issue: How does the study of the natural world influence religious belief and the understanding of truth?     The Medieval World View     Anticipating the New Science     New Directions in Astronomy and Physics     New Approaches to Truth     Theory and Application     Politics as Science     Science as Religion     Superstition and Its Victims   Chapter 16: The Age of Enlightenment: Rationalism and its Uses Larger Issue: How do people construct ideas of progress?     Critiquing the Traditional Way of Life     Formulas for Improving Material Conditions     Enlightened Despots     Critiquing the Enlightenment     The Arts in the Age of Reason   Chapter 17: Rebellion and Revolution: American Independence and the French Revolution Larger Issue: Can political change occur without social and economic upheaval?     America Rejects Europe     Revolution in France     Napoleon Bonaparte and the Export of Revolution, 1799–1815     The French Revolution and the Americas   PART SIX: EUROPE TRIUMPHANT 1815-1914 Chapter 18: Industry, Society, and Environment Larger Issue: How do technology and urbanization influences the relationship between humans and nature?     From Rural to Urban Lifestyles in Europe     Agriculture, Demographics, and Labor     Innovations in Production     The Social Consequences of Industrialization     Industry, the State, and Global Power     Chapter 19: The Age of Ideology in Western Europe Larger Issue: What leads people to challenge conventional ideas and practices?     The Congress System and the Conservative Agenda     Ideological Ferment     The Revolutions of 1848         Britain and Reform     The Romantic Movement     Utilitarianism and Utopian Socialism     The Marxist Challenge    Chapter 20: The Consolidation of Nation States Larger Issue: Is nationalism a constructive force in the modern age?     Italian Unification     The Creation of Modern Germany     Constitutional Change in France and Britain     The Waning of the Habsburg, Russian, and Ottoman Empires     The United States and Western Europe     Nationalism and Race   Chapter 21: Global Empire and European Culture Larger Issue: How does the projection of power reflect wider cultural values?     The New Imperialism: Motives and Methods     The Scramble for Empire: Africa     The Scramble for Empire: South and East Asia     The Legacy of Empire     Imperialism, Intellectual Controversy, and European Culture     Transformation in the Arts   PART SEVEN: EUROPE IN CRISIS 1914-1945   Chapter 22: World War I: The End of Enlightenment Larger Issue: Are nation states inherently adversarial?     The Alliance System     The Experience of Modern Warfare     The Eastern Front and Europe’s Empire     Naval War and American Entry     The Impact of Total War at Home     Bolshevik Revolution in Russia     Peace Settlement and European Consciousness  Chapter 23: The Troubled Interwar Years Larger Issue: Can personal liberty be maintained under conditions of material hardship?     Postwar Problems in Western Europe     The Price of Victory     The Great Depression, 1929–1939     Coping with the Depression     Italy: The First Fascist State     Authoritarian Regimes in Spain and Eastern Europe     The Emergence of Nazi Germany     Imperial Japan     The Soviet Union under Stalin   Chapter 24: World War II: Europe in Eclipse Larger Issue: Can the force of ideas sustain a civilization under attack?     The Process of Appeasement, 1933–1939     Nazism Triumphant, 1939–1941: Europe and North Africa     The German Empire     The Destruction of the Jews     The Home Front and the Role of Women     War in Asia and the Pacific     The Tide Turns, 1942–1945     Planning for the Postwar World   PART EIGHT: THE POSTWAR WESTREN COMMUNITY 1945-2008   Chapter 25: Decolonization and the Cold War Larger Issue: How does ideology shape public policy?     The Eclipse of Postwar Optimism     The End of European Empire     Expanding the Cold War     The Cold War and Nuclear Threat     Cuban Missile Crisis     Divisions and Detente   Chapter 26: Western Civilization and the Global Community Larger Issue: Has the West defined the process of globalization?     The End of Communism     United Europe?     Science, Technology and the Envirnoment     Women and the Struggle for Equality     Religious Divides and Ethnic Nationalism     The Postindustrial West