The West in the Wider World: Sources and Perspectives, Volume 1: From Antiquity to Early Modernity

The first college reader to focus on the central historical question, How did the West become the West?, The West in the Wider World: Sources and Perspectives offers a wealth of source materials to reveal the influence of non-European regions on the origins and development of Western civilization. Over 120 selections in each volume combine written and visual primary sources from both Westerners and individuals in societies that came in contact with the West. In addition, secondary sources from modern historians provide historical perspective on the issues under consideration. A valuable new resource for today's Western civilization classroom, The West in the Wider World will appeal to any instructor who seeks a source collection that reveals the global context of the Western tradition.

About the Author :
RICHARD LIM, Associate Professor of History at Smith College, earned his B.A. at the University of California at Berkeley and his Ph.D. at Princeton University. His publications include "Public Disputations, Power, and Social Order in Late Antiquity "(1995) and articles on the history and culture of Late Antiquity. A recipient of the Rome Prize Fellowship at the American Academy in Rome and the National Endowment of the Humanities Fellowship, he is currently working on a book on public spectacles and civic transformation in five cities within the Later Roman Empire. DAVID KAMMERLING SMITH, Associate Professor of History at Eastern Illinois University, received his M.S. Ed. (1986) from Indiana University and both a M.A. (1990) and Ph.D. (1995) in European history from the University of Pennsylvania. A specialist in French history, he has published articles on political, economic, and cultural history in "The Journal of Modern History and French Historical Studies, " among other journals, and contributed to major reference works, such as "The Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment." He has received numerous grants, including a Bourse Chateaubriand, a Lingelbach Research Fellowship, and a Mellon Foundation Fellowship, and has served as an editor and book review editor of H-France. At Eastern Illinois University, he has taught both Western Civilization and World History and has developed specialized courses that integrate national historical narratives into the framework of world history.

Review :
"An almost perfect supplemental reader to any text; or, a good primary text-book for a self-designed course. This book might well be considered for general release as a research tool for undergraduates, graduates, or amateur historians. The contact zones/borderlands approach leads to greater appreciation of historical context and is essential to good scholarship." "I am anxious to adopt The West in the Wider World, for I feel that a broader world approach would benefit my students by encouraging a better understanding of history than the usual textbook treatment of Western civilization." "The editors are to be applauded....This is the sort of book that could make a real difference in explaining 'Western civilization' to students." "The West in the Wider World takes up a central question in history, the idea of the West or Western civilization. It provides a wealth of fascinating material for students to use in considering this question. The book should be thought of not merely as a supplement to the Western civilization course but as an important individual component." "This reader combines important thematic and historiographically driven questions about European history with an understanding and appreciation for the fact that the West became the West only as a result of its interaction with other parts of the world....Based on my experience, this reader will provide a very useful approach to teaching undergraduates in the survey course."