Western Experience: To the Eighteenth Century: Vol I - Softcover

Chambers, M.

3.53

55 ratings by Goodreads

9780070130654: Western Experience: To the Eighteenth Century: Vol I

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0070130655 ISBN 13: 9780070130654

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., 1998

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

This survey for the Western Civilization course has attained much prestige and a reputation for excellence over the last six editions. It offers a strong political narrative with balanced coverage of social, cultural/intellectual, economic and women's history. The scholarship is second to none. THE WESTERN EXPERIENCE provides an interpretive and analytical approach which will appeal to professors who want their students to come away from their courses with not only a grasp of the 'facts,' but also having been challenged by interpretations, having analyzed assumptions, and having used their critical thinking skills. The lavish map and illustration program provides visual sources to aid students in learning, and the carefully chosen art program with its long explanatory captions provides a strong art history element to the text.

The book presents a chronological survey of the history of the West while weaving the narrative around several recurring themes: social structure, the body politic, organization of production and the impact of technology, evolution of the family and changing gender roles, war, religion and cultural expression. This helps students to understand the continuing thread of development that exists throughout history.

In developing the seventh edition, the authors focused on increasing the coverage of women and the family throughout the text in an integrated fashion, increasing the coverage of popular culture, and increasing the number of 'historical debate' boxes that proved so popular in the sixth edition. The Medieval chapters (6-11) have been significantly revised by new author Barbara Hanawalt. Also, attention to the flow of the narrative led to breaking down long paragraphs into shorter ones with new explanatory headings, increasing accessibility for students.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

From the Publisher:

New author, Barbara Hanawalt, revised the Medieval chapters (6-11) significantly
Chapters on the 20th century (27-30) significantly revised and updated
Increased coverage of the history of women and the family throughout
Increased coverage of popular culture
Narrative broken up by more headings and shorter paragraphs to increase readability
Chapter introductions revised to focus students on themes presented within chapter
Updated scholarship and interpretation
More historical debate boxes with excerpts from secondary sources
Chronologies in every chapter
End of book videography with recommended films as sources
Intellectual quality and superb scholarship
Strong balance between political narrative and other sub-disciplines of history
Strong coverage of cultural and intellectual history (e.g., Art and Artists in the Italian Renaissance)
Stellar art history program, with substantial explanatory captions, enforces the emphasis on cultural history

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.