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The Western Humanities
Chronologically organized, The Western Humanities presents the cultural achievements of western civilization—art, music, history, literature, theater, film and the other arts—within their historical context. By examining the historical and material conditions that influenced the form and content of the arts and literature, the authors provide students a deeper understanding of the meaning of cultural works and a broader basis for appreciating the humanities. Hundreds of illustrations appear throughout the text, "Slices of Life" boxes bring to life the events of the day, and brief sections at the end of each chapter describe the cultural legacy of the era discussed.
800 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 7, 2022
An absolutely beautiful book...my favourite textbook.
September 15, 2011
I wish this woulda been twice as thick and incl more history. Like there are TONS of things that just aren't in this. Very little on Henry VIII, I am. But it's not a history book, it's humanities, so I am not complaining, just too lazy to also find a world history book. There's way TMI on music it feels like, esp since there ain't an accompanying CD. That woulda been much more helpful cuz I can only read so many pages describing medieval music and Gregorian chants before my eyes turn into x's. Lots of awesome info on art, like this horse sculpture they found in the ocean that has this little baby-child riding on it.
Byzantium->Constantinople->Istanbul.
And Christians are turds. From a historical standpoint. But we already knew that.
Chapter 1: Prehistory and Near Eastern Civilizations:
Trivia question: What were the 3 languages on the Rosetta Stone, which was discovered in 1799 by Napoleon's troops?
Answer: Hieroglyphics, Egyptian cursive script, and Greek
This chapter states that "the most important event in human history" was when hunters and gatherers became farmers and herders i.e. the agrarian revolution (8,000 to 3,000 BC) where, no longer needing to be nomads, people settled and thus, stationary communities formed.
Mesopotamia (Sumerians, Akkadians, and Babylonians)
and
Egypt
Has anyone read "The Epic of Gilgamesh"? (Sumerian) I have NOT.
More trivia: Name the 3 kings that the 3 pyramids at Giza were built in honor of.
Answer: Menkure, Khufu, and Khafre (the big one in the middle)
The main literary contribution of Eastern culture from this time period was "The Brown Wall" by Hoo Flung Pu
Byzantium->Constantinople->Istanbul.
And Christians are turds. From a historical standpoint. But we already knew that.
Chapter 1: Prehistory and Near Eastern Civilizations:
Trivia question: What were the 3 languages on the Rosetta Stone, which was discovered in 1799 by Napoleon's troops?
Answer: Hieroglyphics, Egyptian cursive script, and Greek
This chapter states that "the most important event in human history" was when hunters and gatherers became farmers and herders i.e. the agrarian revolution (8,000 to 3,000 BC) where, no longer needing to be nomads, people settled and thus, stationary communities formed.
Mesopotamia (Sumerians, Akkadians, and Babylonians)
and
Egypt
Has anyone read "The Epic of Gilgamesh"? (Sumerian) I have NOT.
More trivia: Name the 3 kings that the 3 pyramids at Giza were built in honor of.
Answer: Menkure, Khufu, and Khafre (the big one in the middle)
The main literary contribution of Eastern culture from this time period was "The Brown Wall" by Hoo Flung Pu
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews