Recent Themes In World History And The History Of The West

New insights on global histories and Western civilization from leading scholars in the field Described as "the New York Review of Books for history," Historically Speaking has emerged as one of the most distinctive historical publications in recent years, actively seeking out contributions from a pantheon of leading voices in historical discourse from both inside and outside academia. Recent Themes in World History and the History of the West represents some of the best writing on Western civilization and world history in the past five years. This collection of essays and interviews from Historically Speaking gives leading historians' approaches to the continually evolving field of world history, with a specific emphasis on the relationship of Western civilization to the history of the world. The book also discusses the effect of empire on global history and the many ways empire continues to manifest in the contemporary world. The contributors discuss world history as an intricate story of the connections within the global community, rather than a tidy, static narrative that attempts to summarize everything in our global past. In this volume the study of world history is presented as a constantly comparative endeavor, concerned with the major themes that link and divide humanity.

Western civilization and world history are often seen as different, or even mutually exclusive, routes into historical studies. This volume shows that they can be successfully linked, providing a tool to see each subject in the context of the other, identifying influences and connections. Western Civilization in World History takes up the recent debates about the merits of the well-established 'Western civ' approach versus the newer field of world history. Peter N. Stearns outlines key aspects of Western civilization - often assumed rather than analyzed - and reviews them in a global context.

This title offers new insights on global histories and Western civilization from leading scholars in the field. Described as 'the New York Review of Books for history', Historically Speaking has emerged as one of the most distinctive historical publications in recent years, actively seeking out contributions from a pantheon of leading voices in historical discourse from both inside and outside academia. Recent Themes in World History and the History of the West represents some of the best writing on Western civilization and world history in the past five years. This collection of essays and interviews from Historically Speaking gives leading historians' approaches to the continually evolving field of world history, with a specific emphasis on the relationship of Western civilization to the history of the world. The book also discusses the effect of empire on global history and the many ways empire continues to manifest in the contemporary world. The contributors discuss world history as an intricate story of the connections within the global community, rather than a tidy, static narrative that attempts to summarize everything in our global past. In this volume the study of world history is presented as a constantly comparative endeavor, concerned with the major themes that link and divide humanity. Designed as a supplemental reader for those studying world history and Western civilization, this volume will appeal to students and general readers with an interest in history. The contributors are Lauren Benton, Michael A. Cook, Constantin Fasolt, Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, Hanna H. Gray, John M. Headley, John M. Hobson, Stephen Howe, Harold James, Deepak Lal, Charles S. Maier, Bruce Mazlish, J. R. McNeill, William H. McNeill, Anthony Pagden, Jan Nederveen Pieterse, Robbie Robertson, Dominic Sachsenmaier, and Peter N. Stearns.

Described as "the New York Review of Books for history," Historically Speaking has emerged as one of the most distinctive historical publications in recent years, actively seeking out contributions from a pantheon of leading voices in historical discourse. This collection of articles and forums by prominent historians explores the relationship of Africa to world history, maps the current state of the burgeoning field of Atlantic history, and debates the accuracy of Olaudah Equiano's seminal narrative. The standard approach of world historians often compresses the African past into interpretive frameworks that leave Africans without a history of their own. Joseph C. Miller makes the case here for an alternative approach, a multicentric world history that gives voice to the various ways Africans experienced the past, and an impressive array of Africanist and world historians respond. The volume also assesses the state of the field of Atlantic history and includes a spirited forum on Vincent Carretta's provocative thesis that Olaudah Equiano, author of the most important account available of the horrific Middle Passage, was actually born in South Carolina and not Africa.

An illustrated survey of global historical scholarship from the ancient world to the present, for courses in theory and historiography.

The desire to acquire luxury goods and leisure services is a basic force in modern life.Consumerism in World Historyexplores both the historical origins and worldwide appeal of this relatively modern phenomenon. Consumerism in World Historydraws on recent research of the consumer experience in the West and Japan, while also examining societies such as Africa, less renowned for consumerism. Raising new issues about change and continuity in Western history and discussing specific societies in World history, the book presents: * Human societies before consumerism and how they have changed * The origins of modern consumerism in western society * Consumerism in Russia, East Asia, Africa and the Islamic Middle East * Contemporary issues and evaluations of consumerism This ground-breaking study is a fascinating exploration of the world in which we live and is compulsive reading for the general reader and students alike.

Described as "the New York Review of Books for history,"Historically Speaking has emerged as one of the most distinctive historical publications in recent years, actively seeking out contributions from a pantheon of leading voices in historical discourse from both inside and outside academia. Recent Themes in Military History represents some of the best writing on military history to appear in the past five years. This collection of forums, interviews, and individual essays drawn from Historically Speaking provides contrasting views on such topics in military history as the existence and function of military revolutions in the past and present, the experience of soldiering and combat, the particularly violent and gruesome nature of twentieth-century warfare, and projections of the nature of future wars. The ebb and flow of discourse between contributors also illustrates how the study of history is an ongoing conversation wherein discovery and debate lead to deeper understanding and development of fresh opportunities for further inquiry.

Ross Dunn's classic retelling of the travels of Ibn Battuta, a Muslim of the 14th century.