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