Comments throughout the chapters explicitly challenge persistent stereotypes, such as the claims of commercial and cultural stagnation during the “Dark Ages” or the “progress narrative” based on alleged inherent European superiority. The content in many ways reflects prevailing consensus within the field about historiographic debates. Each of these sections usually also include commentary on revisionist debates, providing a welcome opportunity to engage students in discussions of historiography. These sections contain clear explanations of why these regions are essential to the story of “western” history (see e.g., chapters on the high and late Middle Ages, Renaissance, and era of European conquest). Like other competing titles such as "The West in the World," "The World and the West," or "The West in the Wider World," Brooks’ volume revises narrow definitions of "the West" to include underrepresented civilizations in the Baltic, Middle East, and Central Asia. One passage from the chapter on European expansion is a fitting example: “Europe was not a particularly important place, in the context of global empires…” (98).
FOUNDATIONS OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION II SERIES
Brooks’ series introduction provides a clear explanation of the historiographic issues to the concept of “the West.” His chapters build on this critique by de-centering western Europe from the historical narrative. Many current textbooks on this subject begin with a critical self-reflection on the very concept of “Western Civilization,” a necessary exercise to prevent anachronism and to guide students through a critical assessment of inherited assumptions and stereotypes. Overall, I found that the text satisfactorily covers major themes and events in western history that typically appear in current textbooks on the West, with the welcome addition of additional underrepresented topics and regions. The author justifiably states in the series introduction that for any survey of a 10,000 year history, “‘balance’ is in the eye of the reader,” leaving any author of such a work open to criticism from reviewers. Reviewed by Ashley Elrod, Assistant Professor, Northeastern Illinois University on 5/7/20 Journalism, Media Studies & Communications +.
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