Western Civilization - A Brief History

A comprehensive yet concise introduction to Western Civilization, designed to interest and engage contemporary students
 
Western Civilization: A Brief History is a concise one-volume survey that covers the subject's ancient origins through to the early 21st century. Stressing social and intellectual history, rather than merely listing names and dates, this stimulating resource offers a more consistent and reader-friendly narrative than traditional textbooks. The author, with 40 years' experience teaching college-level Western Civilization and World History courses, emphasizes topics that stimulate student interest and encourage classroom participation.
 
A mixture of Judeo-Christian, Greco-Roman, Germanic traditions, Western Civilization first appeared in Europe following the fall of the Roman Empire in the West. The text explores key events, figures, themes, and characteristics in the history of Western Civilization. Grouped into six parts, chapters include brief chronologies of events, maps, and illustrations. Topics include Europe in the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Reformation, the rise of medieval Christianity, Darwin and the Theory of Evolution, the Industrial Revolution, imperialism, the World Wars of the 20th century, the Cold War, and many others. Written with the needs of today's students in mind, this textbook:
* Offers accessible and straightforward coverage of the history of Western Civilization
* Provides a consistent style of writing and organizational theme
* Includes chronological overviews of ancient Greece, Rome, and the Near East
 
Western Civilization: A Brief History is an ideal introductory textbook for both traditional and non-traditional programs and Western Civilization courses at universities and colleges, as well as for those in dual enrollment and home school settings.

List of contents

Preface xiii
 
Acknowledgements xv
 
Part I Ancient and Classical Civilization: An Overview 1
 
1 The Cradle of Civilization 3
 
Birth of Civilization 5
 
Egypt 9
 
Hebrews 15
 
Hebrew Contribution to Western Civilization 17
 
Later Empires 19
 
References 20
 
2 The Ancient Greeks and Their World 21
 
Minoan Civilization 22
 
Mycenaean Civilization 23
 
The Dark Ages (c. 1100-800 bc) 25
 
The Archaic Age (c. 800-480 bc) 25
 
Sparta and Athens 27
 
Persian Wars (492-449 bc) 29
 
The Classical Age (c. 480-338 bc) 30
 
The Hellenistic Age (323-31 bc) 32
 
Greek Society 33
 
Women in Greek Society 33
 
Slaves in Greek Society 34
 
Sex in Greek Society 34
 
Greek Philosophy 35
 
The Greek Legacy 38
 
References 39
 
3 The Roman World 41
 
Early Republic 42
 
Early Conquest Under the Republic 44
 
Roman Expansion in the East 46
 
Decline of the Republic 47
 
Pax Romana 50
 
Roman Cultural Life 53
 
The Rise of Christianity 54
 
Decline of the Empire 56
 
References 60
 
Part II Europe in the Middle Ages: An Overview 61
 
4 The Birth of Europe 63
 
Early Germanic Kingdoms 64
 
Disintegration of the Carolingian Empire 70
 
New Invasions 70
 
Feudalism 72
 
Feudal System 73
 
Manorial System 74
 
Europe's Neighbors 76
 
Rise of Islam 78
 
References 79
 
5 Dawn of the Age of Faith 81
 
Rise of the Papacy 82
 
Rise of Monasticism 84
 
Feudalism and the Church 85
 
Church Renewal 86
 
Crusades 88
 
Feudal Monarchies 92
 
England 93
 
France 96
 
Holy Roman Empire 96
 
References 100
 
6 The High Middle Ages, 1000-1300 101
 
Faith and Reason 102
 
Medieval Synthesis 108
 
Medieval Model of the Universe 109
 
Medieval Art and Literature 111
 
Late Middle Ages, 1300-1500 112
 
Famine 112
 
Plague 113
 
Hundred Years' War, 1337-1453 115
 
References 118
 
Part III Birth of Modern Europe: An Overview 119
 
7 The Renaissance and Reformation 121
 
Renaissance Italy 121
 
Renaissance Humanism 125
 
Leading Italian Humanists 127
 
Northern Renaissance 130
 
Leading Christian Humanists 131
 
Renaissance Art and Culture 132
 
Protestant Reformation 133
 
Background133
 
Mainline and Radical Reformation 136
 
Martin Luther 136
 
Huldrich Zwingli 137
 
John Calvin 137
 
Reformation in England 138
 
Catholic Reformation 139
 
Conflicts among the Protestant Reformers 140
 
Assessment 141
 
References 142
 
8 New Horizons 143
 
Rise of the Nation-States 144
 
Spain 144
 
France 145
 
England 147
 
Holy Roman Empire 150
 
Exploration and Discovery 151
 
Scientific Revolution 154
 
From Copernicus to Newton 156
 
Bacon and Descartes 159
 
Significance of the Scientific Revolution 161
 
References 162
 
9 Age of Enlightenment and Revolution 163
 
Enlightenment 164
 
Enlightenment Political Theory 166
 
Social Contract Theorists 167
 
Thomas Hobbes 167
 
John Locke 168
 
Jean-Jacques Rousseau 169
 
Montesquieu 17

About the author

PAUL R. WAIBEL is Professor of History Emeritus at Belhaven University. He has published numerous articles and reviews in scholarly journals, periodicals, reference works, and anthologies, and is author and co-author of several history texts including Twentieth-Century Europe: A Brief History and Martin Luther: A Brief Introduction to His Life and Works.

Product details

• Authors: Paul R Waibel, Paul R. Waibel, Paul R. (Belhaven College) Waibel, Waibel Paul R.
• Publisher: Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 23.03.2020
• EAN: 9781119160717
• ISBN: 978-1-119-16071-7
• No. of pages: 480
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Social sciences (general); Geschichte, Europäische Geschichte, Kulturwissenschaften, History, Cultural Studies, European History, westliche Kultur, westliche Welt, Western Culture