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Western Civilization: A History of European Society
This book will appeal to instructors who focus on the social history of western civilization, rather than merely the political history. The many historical documents and statistics incorporated into the text enhance the discussion of the lifestyle of the general populace across western civilization.
1018 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
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July 19, 2016
The thing about history, the important thing about a linear chronology, is its ability to offer perspective. While no anthropologist today is likely to seriously consider ancient and medieval claims of a cyclical history as offered by Thucydides and Machiavelli, certain recurrent themes and a context in which to apply social sciences are offered by history alone.
Hause does much more than merely outline the broad progression of European society from Phoenicia, the Greeks, the Hellenistic kingdoms, to the Romans, the subsequent split, Byzantine, Charlemagne, feudalism, the renaissance, to the modern world. He lays significant stress on the most important part of history, so frequently ignored in most chronologies. The causal links between the rise and fall of civilizations. From Macedonian innovations in creating a lopsided phalanx, to the higher grain yield of western Europe and its subsequent enrichment, Hause supplements chronology with statistical data and excerpts from historically significant speeches and documents, alongside illustrated expositions of the artistic and literary ideas of each age. In doing so, however, he still manages to ensure a comfortable brevity while narrating a tale that, perhaps, eclipses any human fiction from any age. The story of Europe.
Hause does much more than merely outline the broad progression of European society from Phoenicia, the Greeks, the Hellenistic kingdoms, to the Romans, the subsequent split, Byzantine, Charlemagne, feudalism, the renaissance, to the modern world. He lays significant stress on the most important part of history, so frequently ignored in most chronologies. The causal links between the rise and fall of civilizations. From Macedonian innovations in creating a lopsided phalanx, to the higher grain yield of western Europe and its subsequent enrichment, Hause supplements chronology with statistical data and excerpts from historically significant speeches and documents, alongside illustrated expositions of the artistic and literary ideas of each age. In doing so, however, he still manages to ensure a comfortable brevity while narrating a tale that, perhaps, eclipses any human fiction from any age. The story of Europe.
Displaying 1 of 1 review