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A world history [by] William H. McNeill. 1967
Leather Binding on Spine and Corners with Golden Leaf Printing on round Spine (extra customization on request like complete leather, Golden Screen printing in Front, Color Leather, Colored book etc.) Reprinted in 2021 with the help of original edition published long back [1967]. This book is printed in black & white, sewing binding for longer life, Printed on high quality Paper, re-sized as per Current standards, professionally processed without changing its contents. As these are old books, we processed each page manually and make them readable but in some cases some pages which are blur or missing or black spots. If it is multi volume set, then it is only single volume, if you wish to order a specific or all the volumes you may contact us. We expect that you will understand our compulsion in these books. We found this book important for the readers who want to know more about our old treasure so we brought it back to the shelves. Hope you will like it and give your comments and suggestions. - eng, Pages 550. EXTRA 10 DAYS APART FROM THE NORMAL SHIPPING PERIOD WILL BE REQUIRED FOR LEATHER BOUND BOOKS. COMPLETE LEATHER WILL COST YOU EXTRA US$ 25 APART FROM THE LEATHER BOUND BOOKS. {FOLIO EDITION IS ALSO AVAILABLE.} A world history [by] William H. McNeill. 1967 , McNeill, William Hardy, -.
550 pages, Leather Bound
Published January 1, 2021
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About the author
William H. McNeill
122 books211 followersWilliam Hardy McNeill was a historian and author, noted for his argument that contact and exchange among civilizations is what drives human history forward, first postulated in The Rise of the West (1963). He was the Robert A. Milikan Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Chicago, where he taught from 1947 until his retirement in 1987.
In addition to winning the U.S. National Book Award in History and Biography in 1964 for The Rise of the West, McNeill received several other awards and honors. In 1985 he served as president of the American Historical Association.
In 1996, McNeill won the prestigious Erasmus Prize, which the Crown Prince of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander presented to him at Amsterdam's Royal Palace.
In 1999, Modern Library named The Rise of the West of the 100 Best Nonfiction Books of the 20th century.
In 2009, he won the National Humanities Medal. In February 2010, President Barack Obama, a former University of Chicago professor himself, awarded McNeill the National Humanities Medal to recognize "his exceptional talent as a teacher and scholar at the University of Chicago and as an author of more than 20 books, including The Rise of the West: A History of the Human Community (1963), which traces civilizations through 5,000 years of recorded history".
In addition to winning the U.S. National Book Award in History and Biography in 1964 for The Rise of the West, McNeill received several other awards and honors. In 1985 he served as president of the American Historical Association.
In 1996, McNeill won the prestigious Erasmus Prize, which the Crown Prince of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander presented to him at Amsterdam's Royal Palace.
In 1999, Modern Library named The Rise of the West of the 100 Best Nonfiction Books of the 20th century.
In 2009, he won the National Humanities Medal. In February 2010, President Barack Obama, a former University of Chicago professor himself, awarded McNeill the National Humanities Medal to recognize "his exceptional talent as a teacher and scholar at the University of Chicago and as an author of more than 20 books, including The Rise of the West: A History of the Human Community (1963), which traces civilizations through 5,000 years of recorded history".
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August 6, 2024
A PROFESSOR OF HISTORY SUMMARIZES WORLD HISTORY
William Hardy McNeill (born 1917) is an American historian who has written other books such as 'The Rise of the West: A History of the Human Community,' etc. He wrote in the Preface to the 1979 edition of this book, "The success of my book 'The Rise of the West' made it plausible to believe that a shorter work would make my personal vision of the whole history of mankind more accessible to students and to general readers---a vision which... has the virtue of being cohesive and intelligible, something that can be grasped and remembered and reflected upon afterwards." (Pg. vi)
He states, "it is clear that mankind's achievements by 1700 B.C. were impressive... the pace of social change had assumed a dizzying rapidity... In short, civilized history, in all its complexity, was well launched." (Pg. 46-47) He notes, "The intellectual and religious evolution of ancient Middle Eastern society tended toward ethical and transcendental monotheism. But only the Jews were able consistently to carry the trend to a logical, unambiguous conclusion. Other peoples... could not throw away traditional polytheisms altogether." (Pg. 67)
He argues, "Such analysis of the antecedents of Christianity should not disguise the fact that the events so simply narrated in the Gospels and in Acts generated something new and enormously appealing... Around this tiny kernel of excited missionaries the vast fabric of historical Christianity gradually formed---a process as surprising and world-shaking as the similarly pervasive changes of behavior provoked by Buddha, Confucius, or any of the other great teachers of mankind." (Pg. 163)
He suggests, "Insofar as Asia has any community of cultural tradition uniting the Indian with the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Tibetan, Burmese, Cambodian, and Ceylonese peoples, it is due to the contagion of ancient Indian civilization, especially in its religious manifestation. The achievement of Hellenism was no greater." (Pg. 193) He contends, "The self-transformation and expansion of Islam was the most dramatic and conspicuous shift in world history that took place between A.D. 1000 and 1500." (Pg. 256) Later, he adds, "Islam was in a flourishing condition between 1500 and 1700. Not decay... but vigorous growth is the right phrase with which to describe Islamic society in this period... precisely during those years of success Islam failed to grapple with or even notice vital challenges which Europeans were beginning to present both on the economic and on the intellectual level." (Pg. 347)
Of the scientific outlook in the 17-th-18th centuries, he observes, "It requires... an act of the imagination to understand how extraordinary and exciting such discoveries were... Men who had been brought up to conceive the universe as ruled by a very active, personal God, who might intervene in any situation at any moment to work a miracle... found the Newtonian vision of the universe both frightening and liberating. God, it appeared, was a mathematician and had chosen to create the universe accordingly. In such a universe it seemed almost beneath God's dignity to work a miracle." (Pg. 371)
He concludes, "it is worth pondering that the civilized societies that have flourished and grown great in times past all accepted ethical systems that emphasized kindliness and love. All the major world religions taught such doctrines, and persons who ... tried to live in accordance with the precepts of their faith were probably more likely to leave descendants than those who rejected kindliness as a principle of conduct." (Pg. 540-541)
This is an excellent one-volume world history.
William Hardy McNeill (born 1917) is an American historian who has written other books such as 'The Rise of the West: A History of the Human Community,' etc. He wrote in the Preface to the 1979 edition of this book, "The success of my book 'The Rise of the West' made it plausible to believe that a shorter work would make my personal vision of the whole history of mankind more accessible to students and to general readers---a vision which... has the virtue of being cohesive and intelligible, something that can be grasped and remembered and reflected upon afterwards." (Pg. vi)
He states, "it is clear that mankind's achievements by 1700 B.C. were impressive... the pace of social change had assumed a dizzying rapidity... In short, civilized history, in all its complexity, was well launched." (Pg. 46-47) He notes, "The intellectual and religious evolution of ancient Middle Eastern society tended toward ethical and transcendental monotheism. But only the Jews were able consistently to carry the trend to a logical, unambiguous conclusion. Other peoples... could not throw away traditional polytheisms altogether." (Pg. 67)
He argues, "Such analysis of the antecedents of Christianity should not disguise the fact that the events so simply narrated in the Gospels and in Acts generated something new and enormously appealing... Around this tiny kernel of excited missionaries the vast fabric of historical Christianity gradually formed---a process as surprising and world-shaking as the similarly pervasive changes of behavior provoked by Buddha, Confucius, or any of the other great teachers of mankind." (Pg. 163)
He suggests, "Insofar as Asia has any community of cultural tradition uniting the Indian with the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Tibetan, Burmese, Cambodian, and Ceylonese peoples, it is due to the contagion of ancient Indian civilization, especially in its religious manifestation. The achievement of Hellenism was no greater." (Pg. 193) He contends, "The self-transformation and expansion of Islam was the most dramatic and conspicuous shift in world history that took place between A.D. 1000 and 1500." (Pg. 256) Later, he adds, "Islam was in a flourishing condition between 1500 and 1700. Not decay... but vigorous growth is the right phrase with which to describe Islamic society in this period... precisely during those years of success Islam failed to grapple with or even notice vital challenges which Europeans were beginning to present both on the economic and on the intellectual level." (Pg. 347)
Of the scientific outlook in the 17-th-18th centuries, he observes, "It requires... an act of the imagination to understand how extraordinary and exciting such discoveries were... Men who had been brought up to conceive the universe as ruled by a very active, personal God, who might intervene in any situation at any moment to work a miracle... found the Newtonian vision of the universe both frightening and liberating. God, it appeared, was a mathematician and had chosen to create the universe accordingly. In such a universe it seemed almost beneath God's dignity to work a miracle." (Pg. 371)
He concludes, "it is worth pondering that the civilized societies that have flourished and grown great in times past all accepted ethical systems that emphasized kindliness and love. All the major world religions taught such doctrines, and persons who ... tried to live in accordance with the precepts of their faith were probably more likely to leave descendants than those who rejected kindliness as a principle of conduct." (Pg. 540-541)
This is an excellent one-volume world history.
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