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A. Daniel Frankforter is Professor of History at the Pennsylvania State University, where he has taught for four decades. His undergraduate work was in the history of ideas and philosophy at Franklin and Marshall College. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Drew University, did graduate work at Columbia University and the University of Göttingen, and completed master’s and doctoral degrees in medieval history and religious studies at Penn State. His research interests are in English ecclesiastical history, the evolving status of women in medieval Europe, and textual criticism. Articles on these topics have appeared in such journals as Manuscripta, Church History, The British Studies Monitor, The Catholic Historical Review, The American Benedictine Review, The International Journal of Women’s Studies, and The Journal of Women’s History. His books include A History of the Christian Movement: An Essay on the Development of Christian Institutions, Civilization and Survival, The Shakespeare Name Dictionary (with J. Madison Davis), The Medieval Millennium: An Introduction, The Western Heritage, brief edition (with Donald Kagan, Stephen Ozment, and Frank Turner), The Heritage of World Civilizations, brief third edition (with Albert Craig, William Graham, Donald Kagan, Stephen Ozment, and Frank Turner), an edition and translation of Poullain de la Barre’s De L’Égalité des deux Sexes, and Stones for Bread: A Critique of Contemporary Worship. His most recent work is: Word of God/Words of Men: The Use and Abuse of Scripture. Over the course of his career he has developed 15 courses dealing with aspects of the ancient and medieval periods of Western civilization, the Judeo-Christian tradition, and gender issues. His service in the classroom has been acknowledged by the Penn State Behrend Excellence in Teaching Award and the prestigious Amoco Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching Performance.William M. Spellman is Professor of History at the University of North Carolina Asheville and Director of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, a constorium of twenty-six institutions in the United States and Canada. He is a graduate of Suffolk University, Boston, and holds a PhD from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He is the author of John Locke and The Problem of Depravity (Oxford, 1988); The Latitudinarians and the Church of England (Georgia, 1993); John Locke (Macmillan, 1995): European Political Thought, 1600-1700 (Macmillan, 1997); Monarchies, 1000-2000 (Reaktion, 2000); The Global Community: Migration and the Making of the Modern World (Sutton, 2002): A Concise History of the World Since 1945 (Palgrave, 2006); Uncertain Identity: International Migration Since 1945 (Reaktion, 2008); and A Short History of Western Political Thought (Palgrave, 2011).

• Found in this section:1. Brief Table of Contents2. Full Table of Contents 1. BRIEF TABLE OF CONTENTSIntroductionPart I Departure Prehistory to 1000 B.C.E.Chapter 1 The Birth of CivilizationChapter 2 The Rise of Empires and the Beginning of the Iron AgePart II The Classical Era 2000 B.C.E. to 30 C.E.Chapter 3 Aegean CivilizationsChapter 4 The Hellenic EraChapter 5 The Hellenistic Era and the Rise of RomeChapter 6 Rome’s Empire and the Unification of the Western WorldPart III The Division of the West 300 to 1300Chapter 7 The West’s Medieval CivilizationsChapter 8 The Emergence of EuropeChapter 9 Europe Turns OutwardChapter 10 Europe’s High Middle AgesPart IV Challenges, Conflicts, and Departures 1300 to 1700Chapter 11 Challenges to the Medieval OrderChapter 12 Renaissance and ExplorationChapter 13 Reformation, Religious Wars, and National ConflictsPart V The Revolutionary ImpulseChapter 14 The Early Modern StateChapter 15 New World Views: Europe’s Scientific RevolutionChapter 16 The Age of Enlightenment: Rationalism and its UsesChapter 17 Rebellion and Revolution: American Independence and the French RevolutionPart VI Europe Triumphant 1815 to 1914Chapter 18 Industry, Society, and EnvironmentChapter 19 The Age of Ideology in Western EuropeChapter 20 The Consolidation of Nation StatesChapter 21 Global Empire and European CulturePart VII Europe in Crisis 1914 to 1945Chapter 22 World War I: The End of EnlightenmentChapter 23 The Troubled Interwar YearsChapter 24 World War II: Europe in EclipsePart VIII The Postwar Western Community 1945 to 2008Chapter 25 Decolonization and the Cold WarChapter 26 Western Civilization and the Global Community 2. FULL TABLE OF CONTENTS IntroductionPart I — Departure Prehistory to 1000 B.C.E.Chapter 1: The Birth of CivilizationKey Question: How do environments shape human communities and human communities alter environments?The Evolution of the Prehistoric CulturesThe Archaic StatesThe Origin of Civilization in Mesopotamia: SumerThe Rise of Civilization in EgyptChapter 2: The Rise of Empires and the Beginning of the Iron AgeKey Question: Does civilization promote or intensify divisions among peoples?The Transition StatesImperial Egypt: The New KingdomThe Indo-Europeans and the Clash of EmpiresThe Bible and HistoryPart II — The Classical Era 2000 B.C.E. to 30 C.E.Chapter 3: Aegean CivilizationsKey Question: When does civilization in the West become “Western” civilization?Minoan MentorsThe Mycenaeans, Greece’s First CivilizationThe Aegean Dark AgeThe Hellenic EraThe Rise of the Mainland PowersThe Persian Wars: Crucible of a CivilizationChapter 4: The Hellenic EraKey Question: What did the Greeks contribute to the development of modern civilization?Persian Wars as CatalystThe Peloponnesian WarIntellectual and Artistic Life in the PolisChapter 5: The Hellenistic Era and the Rise of RomeKey Question: What circumstances are likely to undermine governments by the people?The Hellenistic EraThe Origin of RomeThe Roman RepublicRome’s Civil WarChapter 6: Rome ’s Empire and the Unification of the Western WorldKey Question: Do people prefer order to liberty?The Augustan EraOrder and Continuity: The Dynastic OptionOrder and Continuity: The Elective OptionLife in an Imperial EnvironmentThe Decline of RomePart III — The Division of the West 300 to 1300Chapter 7: The West’s Medieval CivilizationsKey Question: Should freedom of religion be limited?The Christian ElementThe German ElementThe Byzantine Empire of ConstantinopleIslamChapter 8: The Emergence of Europe Key Question: How did Europe build on its legacies from the ancient world?The Merovingian Kingdom: Europe’s NucleusThe Franks’ NeighborsThe Carolingian EraRetrenchment and ReorganizationThe Culture of Europe’s Dark AgeChapter 9: Europe Turns OutwardKey Question: Was conflict among the medieval civilizations inevitable?Islam’s Crest and Byzantium’s ResurgenceThe Reorganization of Feudal EuropeThe Eleventh-Century Turning PointChapter 10: Europe ’s High Middle AgesKey Question: Why are some societies more open to change than others?The Renaissance of the Twelfth CenturyUniversities and ScholasticismReligious Revival and Diversity of OpinionThe Artistic Vision of the High Middle AgesGovernment in the High Middle AgesPart IV — Challenges, Conflicts, and Departures 1300 to 1700Chapter 11: Challenges to the Medieval OrderKey Question: What did the crises of the late medieval era reveal about the strengths and weaknesses of Europe’s civilization?Challenges from NatureTurmoil in the Middle EastSpiritual CrisesPolitical Responses: The Burdens of WarChapter 12: Renaissance and ExplorationKey Question: How should a society use its history?The Context for the RenaissanceThe Culture of the RenaissanceThe Northern RenaissanceThe Middle East: The Ottoman EmpireEurope and Atlantic ExplorationChapter 13: Reformation, Religious Wars, and National ConflictsKey Question: How do civilized societies justify war?The Lutheran ReformationThe Swiss ReformationThe Catholic ReformationThe Habsburg-Valois WarsEngland’s Ambivalent ReformationConvergence of Foreign and Domestic Politics: England, Spain, and FranceThe Final Religious UpheavalPart V The Revolutionary ImpulseChapter 14: The Early Modern StateKey Question: How do political systems reflect the structure of social and economic life?Society in Early Modern EuropeForging Centralized StatesAbsolutism in FranceConstitutionalism in EnglandWars of Empire and Global MarketsCentral and Eastern EuropeEurope’s Declining PowersChapter 15: New World Views: Europe’s Scientific RevolutionKey Question: How does the study of the natural world influence religious belief and the understanding of truth?The Medieval World ViewAnticipating the New ScienceNew Directions in Astronomy and PhysicsNew Approaches to TruthTheory and ApplicationPolitics as ScienceScience as ReligionSuperstition and Its VictimsChapter 16: The Age of Enlightenment: Rationalism and its UsesKey Question: How do people construct ideas of progress?Critiquing the Traditional Way of LifeFormulas for Improving Material ConditionsEnlightened DespotsCritiquing the EnlightenmentThe Arts in the Age of ReasonChapter 17: Rebellion and Revolution: American Independence and the French RevolutionKey Question: Can political change occur without social and economic upheaval?America Rejects EuropeRevolution in FranceNapoleon Bonaparte and the Export of Revolution, 1799–1815The French Revolution and the AmericasPart VI Europe Triumphant 1815 to 1914Chapter 18: Industry, Society, and EnvironmentKey Question: How do technology and urbanization influences the relationship between humans and nature?From Rural to Urban Lifestyles in EuropeAgriculture, Demographics, and LaborInnovations in ProductionThe Social Consequences of IndustrializationIndustry, the State, and Global PowerChapter 19: The Age of Ideology in Western EuropeKey Question: What leads people to challenge conventional ideas and practices?The Congress System and the Conservative AgendaIdeological FermentThe Revolutions of 1848Britain and ReformThe Romantic MovementUtilitarianism and Utopian SocialismThe Marxist ChallengeChapter 20: The Consolidation of Nation StatesKey Question: Is nationalism a constructive force in the modern age?Italian UnificationThe Creation of Modern GermanyConstitutional Change in France and BritainThe Waning of the Habsburg, Russian, and Ottoman EmpiresThe United States and Western EuropeNationalism and RaceChapter 21: Global Empire and European CultureKey Question: How does the projection of power reflect wider cultural values?The New Imperialism: Motives and MethodsThe Scramble for Empire: AfricaThe Scramble for Empire: South and East AsiaThe Legacy of EmpireImperialism, Intellectual Controversy, and European CultureTransformation in the ArtsPart VII Europe in Crisis 1914 to 1945Chapter 22: World War I: The End of EnlightenmentKey Question: Are nation states inherently adversarial?The Alliance SystemThe Experience of Modern WarfareThe Eastern Front and Europe’s EmpireNaval War and American EntryThe Impact of Total War at HomeBolshevik Revolution in RussiaPeace Settlement and European ConsciousnessChapter 23: The Troubled Interwar YearsKey Question: Can personal liberty be maintained under conditions of material hardship?Postwar Problems in Western EuropeThe Price of VictoryThe Great Depression, 1929–1939Coping with the DepressionItaly: The First Fascist StateAuthoritarian Regimes in Spain and Eastern EuropeThe Emergence of Nazi GermanyImperial JapanThe Soviet Union under StalinChapter 24: World War II: Europe in EclipseKey Question: Can the force of ideas sustain a civilization under attack?The Process of Appeasement, 1933–1939Nazism Triumphant, 1939–1941: Europe and North AfricaThe German EmpireThe Destruction of the JewsThe Home Front and the Role of WomenWar in Asia and the PacificThe Tide Turns, 1942–1945Planning for the Postwar WorldPart VIII The Postwar Western Community 1945 to 2008Chapter 25: Decolonization and the Cold WarKey Question: How does ideology shape public policy?The Eclipse of Postwar OptimismThe End of European EmpireExpanding the Cold WarThe Cold War and Nuclear ThreatCuban Missile CrisisDivisions and DetenteChapter 26: Western Civilization and the Global CommunityKey Question: Has the West defined the process of globalization?The End of CommunismUnited Europe?Science, Technology and the EnvirnomentWomen and the Struggle for EqualityReligious Divides and Ethnic NationalismThe Postindustrial West

It remains the best textbook on the topic available...It deserves to be even better known. - Jonathan Perry, University of South Florida The questions at the beginning and questions revisited at the ends of the chapters are a great innovation--and they're helpful to the teacher. Great idea. -Preston Jones, John Brown University