In this second edition of The Rise of Western Power, Jonathan Daly retains the broad sweep of his introduction to the history of Western civilization as well as introducing new material into every chapter, enhancing the book's global coverage and engaging with the latest historical debates. The West's history is one of extraordinary success: no other region, empire, culture, or civilization has left so powerful a mark upon the world. Daly charts the West's achievements-representative government, the free enterprise system, modern science, and the rule of law-as well as its misdeeds: two World Wars, the Holocaust, imperialistic domination, and the Atlantic slave trade. Taking us through a series of revolutions, he explores the contributions of other cultures and civilizations to the West's emergence, weaving in historical, geographical, and cultural factors. The new edition also contains more material on themes such as the environment and gender, and additional coverage of India, China and the Islamic world. Daly's engaging narrative is accompanied by timelines, maps and further reading suggestions, along with a companion website featuring study questions, over 100 primary sources and 60 historical maps to enable further study.

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.

This text is primarily concerned with enhancing the reader's study by focusing on particular themes developed within the traditional chronological framework of western civilization. Historical themes, such as Myth and Reality in the Ancient World, Church and State in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, Politics, Society, and Revolution in 18th-century Europe, and New Imperialism, allow instructor and student alike to engage in an in-depth analysis of some of the most important aspects of the development of civilization. The readings contained in this volume extend from the beginning of civilization in the Ancient Near East and Egypt through the Modern Age and provide balanced coverage of periods and aspects of the history of western civilization.

The Rise of the West, winner of the National Book Award for history in 1964, is famous for its ambitious scope and intellectual rigor. In it, McNeill challenges the Spengler-Toynbee view that a number of separate civilizations pursued essentially independent careers, and argues instead that human cultures interacted at every stage of their history. The author suggests that from the Neolithic beginnings of grain agriculture to the present major social changes in all parts of the world were triggered by new or newly important foreign stimuli, and he presents a persuasive narrative of world history to support this claim. In a retrospective essay titled "The Rise of the West after Twenty-five Years," McNeill shows how his book was shaped by the time and place in which it was written (1954-63). He discusses how historiography subsequently developed and suggests how his portrait of the world's past in The Rise of the West should be revised to reflect these changes. "This is not only the most learned and the most intelligent, it is also the most stimulating and fascinating book that has ever set out to recount and explain the whole history of mankind. . . . To read it is a great experience. It leaves echoes to reverberate, and seeds to germinate in the mind."—H. R. Trevor-Roper, New York Times Book Review