The Western Experience

by Raymond Grew, Rabb, David Herlihy, et al.

Book Overview

This book integrates social, economic, cultural and political elements of Western civilization. Each chapter is written as a complete unit - exploring historical themes, causes and processes, rather... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394364325
• ISBN13: 9780394364322
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
• Weight: 2.60 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Fast delivery in the condition expected!

Lost this textbook and needed a replacement fast. This book was delivered within a week after placing the order. I would order from this seller again!

Comprehensive and easy to understand

This history textbook is very comprehensive and covers a great amount of material. Practically it combines everything that one could see in all of previous editions. The language is very easy to understand. The visuals and maps are very helpful in recreating a clear image of situations and trends of certain periods of time. The one that I have came with a brand new CD that I found very helpful in exploring the book. It also comes with an online helper that you can use to deepen your understanding. Usually brand new books have the serial number for that online feature at the beginning of the book. Make sure that the one you are buying has all of that. Used books are not likely to have the online feature unless the owner did not use it for whatever reasons.I am very happy with this textbook.

"Western Experience" a good experience

This book covers everything I needed for my high school sophomore AP European History class. Though it is at a college freshman level, and I found the reading tedious sometimes because of the information, it is, all in all, no more and no less than the history scholar would need. The authors did a superb job of tying everything together and explaining not only the "when", but the "why" and the "how" of the events covered. No irrelevant information is presented; it is all important to the study of European History. Plus, there is a bibliography in the back of each chapter for further reading and information sources. There is a list of maps, an introduction, and an epilogue, all of which are helpful. The book has many helpful maps, charts, and boxes with the chronology of certain important events (i.e. the "fall" of Rome and the Persian Wars.) There are also pale yellow boxes throughout containing sections of literature and poetry from or about the time period that is being covered. The text not only covers major battles and people, but a bit about the lifestyles of the people being studied. In short, this book is a wonderful resource for all those learning about European History.

Tapestry of Life , Through the Ages

The Western Experience`The Western Experience, Volume 1, To the Eighteenth Century ` is a fascinating journey through the history of Europe and the Middle East, from the Agrarian Neolithic Revolution in c 10 000 BCE to the Peace of Hubertusburg in 1763 CE, which ended the Seven Years War in Europe.It is illustrated with wonderful colorful maps, and magnificent and exquisite art through the ages, decorates the pages. Examples include a Roman wall painting showing Theseus having killed the Minotaur (pg 69), photographs of Ancient sites and Ancient Greek and Roman vases, magnificent statues such as the Venus of Cyrene , a most elegant and graceful depiction of ideal female beauty (pg 78) , the art of Egyptian , Greek and Etruscan tombs , the fine Christian mosaics in Ravenna (pg 143) , a twelfth century silver reliquary from Aachen representing Charlemagne (pg 150) , a Christian tapestry of Ezra restoring the Bible (pg 177) , a Silk Textile from Constantinople ( pg 193) , an effigy of Eleanor of Aquitaine (pg 229) , a Crown of the Holy Roman Empire (pg 232) , photographs of glorious cathedrals , a manuscript illustration of Women Assisting Knights (pg 282) , the Onion domes of Khizi in Russia (pg 309) , Joan of Arc , 1484 ( pg 333) , Procession of the Three Kings by Benozzo Gozzoli (pg 339) , Federigo Montefeltro by Joos van Wassenhove and Pedro Berruguete (pg 358) , The Expulsion of Adam ca 1425 and Eve by Masaccio (pg 362) , Birth of Venus ca 1480 by Sandro Boticcelli , the Creation of Man by Michelangelo , Bacchanai by Titian 1518 (pg 367) , The Peasant Dance 1567 (pg 388) , The Three Ages of Women 1510 by Hans Baldung Grien (pg 390) , Cartoon from Lutheran Woodcut Broadside (pg 402) , Carnival and Lent 1559 by Pieter Brueghel The Elder ( pg 427) , Francis I and His Court (pg 443) , The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Day by Francois Dubois (pg 460) , The Spanish Inquisition 1560 (pg 489) , The Ecstasy of St Theresa 1652 (pg 517) , Judith Slaying Holofernes 1620 (pg 523) , The Palace of Versailles in 1668 (pg 534) , Maria Theresa And Her Family , 1750 (pg 563) , Engraving From The Westminster Magazine , 1774 (pg 567) and The Battle of Fontenoy , 1745 (pg 568) are just a few of the host of splendid works of art throughout the ages which this book presents. These are not just decorations but give us the essence of the life of the ages explored in this book.This book explores the politics, economics, society, culture, art and literature of the various periods covered. It also explores the roles of women. Unlike many books about World History, there is a fairly comprehensive section on Ancient Israel, which is unfortunately referred to as usual as Palestine (Palestine was named by the Emperor Hadrian around 70 BCE, in order to humiliate the Jews, by using the name of their ancient enemies, the Philistines).The religious conflicts and the Reformation and Renaissance are well covered.This book arouses your interest for more information giving a list of

A good coverage of social, cultural and economic history .

The Western Experience is suppose to be a survey for a western civilization course yet there is great confusion about what is Western Civilization. The Western experience is purported to be part of the European civilization considering European Civilization as the civilization of Modern Europe and America. The concept of civilization is avoided in spite of the fact that the text was designed to provide an analytical and comprehensive account of the processes by which European society and civilization evolved. Civilization is defined as just a social organization with more complex rules than those of the cavemen. The proper concept of civilization is not treated in a rational and coherent manner. There is just a superficial reference to the forming of Greek Civilization and Cretan Civilization, while in the case of Egyptian civilization only the Nile River is mentioned as the basic element without considering the other elements that constitute or make-up Egyptian civilization such as organized government, law, religion, writing, etc.