The West: A New History of an Old Idea

Author:   Naoíse Mac Sweeney
Publisher:   Ebury Publishing
ISBN:  

9780753558935


Pages:   448
Publication Date:   07 March 2024
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

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The West: A New History of an Old Idea


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Overview

"Prize-winning historian providing a radical, new account of how the idea of the west has shaped our history, told through the stories of fourteen fascinating lives, for fans of Sathnam Sanghera, Peter Frankopan and Edward Said *A BBC RADIO 4 Book of the Week* 'A fantastic achievement' Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads 'Bright, expansive, and iconoclastic, this deliciously witty book has the potential to upset the applecart of ""Western Civilisation"" itself... Magnificent' Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb _________________ A radical new account of how the idea of the West has shaped our history, told through the stories of fourteen fascinating lives. We tend to imagine Western Civilisation as a golden thread stretching from classical antiquity to the countries of the modern Western world. But what if this is wrong? Told through the lives of fourteen fascinating historical figures - including a formidable Roman matriarch, an unconventional Islamic scholar, an enslaved African American poetess and a British prime minister with Homeric aspirations - archaeologist and historian Naoise Mac Sweeney charts how the idea of the West was invented, how it has been used to justify imperialism and racism, and why it is no longer ideologically fit for purpose today. The result is a bold and empowering new story of the people and ideas who made us who we are today."

Full Product Details

Author:   Naoíse Mac Sweeney
Publisher:   Ebury Publishing
Imprint:   W H Allen
Dimensions:   Width: 12.60cm , Height: 2.70cm , Length: 19.70cm
Weight:   0.304kg
ISBN:  

9780753558935


ISBN 10:   0753558939
Pages:   448
Publication Date:   07 March 2024
Audience:   General/trade ,  Professional and scholarly ,  College/higher education ,  General ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

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Reviews

"One by one she takes on hoary old myths, explodes them with panache, and leaves us instead with a richer, fuller understanding of epochs, worldviews and fascinating individuals from the past... Lots of people will enjoy this clever and thought-provoking account * Guardian * A forceful, well-written book, in which Mac Sweeney shows her command of a vast sweep of history -- Daily Telegraph A bold, sweeping bird's-eye view of thousands of years of history that provides a truly global perspective of the past. A fantastic achievement -- Peter Frankopan, bestselling author of THE SILK ROADS Bright, expansive, and iconoclastic, this deliciously witty book has the potential to upset the applecart of ""Western Civilisation"" itself ... A magnificent achievement -- Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb, award-winning historian and broadcaster Awe-inspiring... Deeply researched, wonderfully well written and immensely thought-provoking, this is an important book which reshapes our understanding of the past -- Dr Janina Ramirez, betselling author of FEMINA"


Author Information

Naoise Mac Sweeney is Professor of Classical Archaeology at the University of Vienna having previously held posts at both Harvard and Cambridge University, and has won numerous academic awards for her work on classical antiquity and origin myths. Her previous book was shortlisted for major awards, and she has written comment pieces for The Times, appeared on Thinking Aloud on Radio 3 and was a reporter on BBC4's Digging for Britain TV series with Alice Roberts.

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