Cultures of the West ─ A History

Cultures of the West: A History, Second Edition, focuses on the ways in which the major ideas and passions of Western culture developed, internally, and how they interacted with the broader world--for good and for ill. The development of such key ideas as religion, science, and philosophy form the central narrative of this book.

Cultures of the West stands apart from other textbooks in a variety of ways, the first being thematic unity. What did people think and believe, throughout our history, about human nature, the right way to live, God, the best forms of government, or the meaning of human life? Rather than maintaining a single interpretive stance, author Clifford R. Backman relies upon a consistent set of questions: What did people think and feel throughout the centuries about politics, science, religion, and sex? How did they come to their positions regarding the right way to live? Backman's many years of experience in the classroom have informed his approach--students respond to engaging questions more than they are inspired by facts.

New to This Edition

* A more comprehensive treatment of Western Europe, with fuller coverage of the Middle Ages, the French Revolution, and the world wars
* A new Chapter 9: The Expansive Realm of Islam, 30-900 in Volume 1 and two fewer chapters in Volume 2 for a more course-friendly periodization
* Consistent treatment of women and gender in the central narrative
* New chapter introductions and conclusions
* New marginal headings that identify key events and developments
* An expanded map program featuring twenty-four new maps
* A new Prologue: Before History in Volume 1 and the combined edition
* Updated scholarship

Clifford R. Backman has been a member of the History Department at Boston University since 1989. He is currently at work on a book that traces the development of toleration and interpersonal forgiveness in medieval Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.