Perspectives in Western Civilization: Essays from Horizon

by William L. Langer

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 006043841X
• ISBN13: 9780060438418
• Release Date: January 1972
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Length: 2 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.

Customer Reviews

definitely worth having

A keeper indeed, as the reviewer mentioned; an outstanding collection of essays on various aspects of Western civilization as examined through a variety of people and perspectives. Topics include Cervantes's Spain, Rousseau, Queen Victoria, the much-misunderstood Sir Isaac Newton (if Blake had to attack anyone, he should have picked on Descartes instead: Newton despised the clockwork model of Creation), a piece on Nelson's victory in the Battle of the Nile, Charles Darwin (from whom the term "survival of the fittest" did NOT originate), Leon Trotsky's rise and fall... The scholars selected for this anthology write clearly, vividly, and in places dramatically. No heavy citations or footnotes: instead, gripping narratives of the people and events that have forged the history and development of the West. I would have liked to see more essays by and about women, however, and by and about pivotal non-white individuals. The book is plainly white Euro, which is a shame because it's an otherwise excellent set of selections. Wish list for future editions: pieces on Susan B. Anthony, Mary Shelley, Malcolm X, the Islamic contribution to Western arts and sciences.

Accessible and Fascinating

This book is a keeper. It was an auxiliary reading assignment for my History of Western Civilization course in college. I have read it more times the "The Hobbit" or for initiates, "There and Back Again."Each article is from a recognized authority on their subject. The articles are concise and accessible to the interested reader without any specific knowledge of the period or the subject. That is rare. While I love history, historians frequently bore me to tears. None of the authors in this volume failed to interest me.