Average customer rating:
- Excellent survey of western history
- Definitely a college text!
- Good textbook, not nearly as bad as some i have had to read
- This text book is very dull.
- Civilization in the West, by Kishlansky, Geary, O'Brien
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Civilization in the West, Volume II (since 1555) (Book Alone) (6th Edition)
Mark Kishlansky ,
Patrick Geary , and
Patricia O'Brien
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0321236254 |
Book Description
Civilization in the West
blends social and political history into a fascinating narrative that brings history to life.
The authors tell a compelling story of Western Civilization that is enhanced by an image-based approach. “The Visual Record” chapter openers draw students in by illustrating a dominant theme of the chapter and exploring the dramatic changing contours of the West through standard maps, Map Discovery features and Geographical Tours of Europe. Discovering Western Civilization Online end-of-chapter Web site URLs make this the first Western Civilization book to include these resources.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent survey of western history.......2003-12-13
Civilization in The West is a superb text. Written by an outstanding group of historians the book is highly readable and contains a wealth of information. The suggestions for additional reading at the end of each chapter are invaluable and list the key texts for any time period. Finally, the colorful illustrations and photographs brilliantly compliment the text. This book is a definite buy for anyone interested in a general guide to western civilization.
Definitely a college text!.......2002-07-30
I enjoyed this text during my history class very much because it was so in depth. The hundreds of famous paintings alone make this book worthwhile, but it reads very much like a college text. Don't get me wrong -- I came to love history through taking this class, and the book was a large part of that. You must have a high level of literacy and some previous knowledge of history to read this book very easily. NO DETAILS ARE LEFT OUT!!! The book is fabulous and I would recommend it to any level anyways.
Good textbook, not nearly as bad as some i have had to read.......2001-10-18
The book had lots of info and was easy to understand. It covered all of the most important aspects of western civilizations. Anyone who complains that it was hard to read is an ... I would consider myself smart but i am by no means a rocket scientist and i found this book easy to read and enjoyable. It provided lots of information about certain interesting aspects of different civilizations cultures that would appeal to anyone who whould sign up for a history course.
This text book is very dull........2000-12-13
This book is used as a MEH textbook for sophomores in my highschool. My friends and i found this book to be very dull and boring. It contains a lot of information but the way it is presented is not in an interesting manner, rather in a dull way. This book has no bold words which makes it difficult for us to read. I believe it was chapter 17 or 18 that the beginning was very interesting but suddenly it became boring. I think history is interesting but the way that this book teaches it to you is very uninteresting. I don't suggest this book for any highschool student. Everyday when we get our history assignment i dread to read this book because it is so boring.
Civilization in the West, by Kishlansky, Geary, O'Brien.......2000-02-24
This book is a cornucopia of detail. It is undeniably the most detailed of any textbook on the subject. Unfortunately, this otherwise useful textbook suffers from poor if not outright negligent editing. Some paragraphs are virtually incomprensible. The text reads as if the individual authors took turns writing sentences. The concept of topic sentences and paragraphs expressing discrete subjects seems to have been lost on the authors as well as the editors.
Book Description
The Primary Source Edition of Civilization in the West blends social and political history into a fascinating narrative that brings history to life. With 40 primary source documents, this edition offers an examination of all aspects of world history plus a wealth of original documents that help make the material come alive. “Document Analysis” questions encourage readers to delve deeper into the documents and to explore how they relate to the events of the time.
The extensive primary source document section, complete with accompanying with questions, urges readers to think analytically about the past.
Overview of the history of Western Civilization.
Readers interested in learning about the history and development of Western Civilization.
Amazon.com
When your marriage fails and life in England gives no solace, the solution, thought Peter Nichols, is to take his beloved boat Toad and sail across the Atlantic to Maine. Nichols, who has spent years sailing small boats but who is far from a wealthy yachtsman, had lovingly restored his 27-foot boat with his former wife. At sea, he reflects upon the busted marriage and upon the odd turns his life has taken. He also engages in some fascinating thoughts detailing the rigors of sailing single-handedly across an ocean. This book is very well written, and as Nichols slowly realizes that Toad has a flaw below the waterline making her less than seaworthy, it turns into a poignant battle for survival on the open ocean.
Book Description
Many people go to the sea in boats, but few of them write as movingly about the experience as Peter Nichols does in this enthralling meditation on the wonders of sailing, the mystery of the sea, and the ebbs and flows of love. With only a sextant, his own instincts as a seasoned sailor, and a boat full of memories of his foundering marriage, Nichols sets out alone from England for Maine, where he plans to sell his beloved twenty-seven-foot sailboat, Toad. Combining the adventure of Into Thin Air, the nautical lore of The Perfect Storm, and the spiritual self-discovery of The Snow Leopard, this thrilling adventure is a classic tale of a man struggling to come to terms with his reckless spirit, his highest hopes, and his broken dreams.
Customer Reviews:
A book about love.......2005-08-10
Peter writes about his love for boats that he developed early in life from his teacher Mr. Earl; his love for his wife J; for Toad, his little wooden boat that he rebuilt and sailed for so many miles, often alone; his love for the sea; the Hiscocks; even for the Captain that rescues him (without telling the end of the story). His is a very entertaining and inspiring story, which also teaches a whole lot about sailing offshore. This is a true story with all the elements of an intense life, as real as it gets. I definitively recommend reading this book. At one point Peter is thousands of miles offshore, alone in his small boat, and taking on water at an increasing rate. Hard to put down.
Excellent Read.......2004-11-23
A story that weaves the threads of life is found in this book. I first read it when it came out, and recently re-read it. I found it more enjoyable the second-time around. The stories within the story are filled with great tales, danger, introspection, teak, and global adventures. The reward of getting through this book will stay with you long after it has been put away. It is true that this is a story of sailing, but it is really so much more. It contains much more than other books in the same genre.
A good sailing or break-up book.......2003-06-25
Peter Nichols book interweaves two stories quite well- his emotions as his marriage declines, and the story of trying to get a wooden boat across the Atlantic. Both stories are told in a very honest manner, reminding the reader that even the best sailors and partners can hit troubled waters. The sailing lore is impressive, and will give a day-sailor a new respect for long distance sailing.
Moving, Accomplished.......2002-08-01
As a memoir of love and loss, Peter Nichols' book is as moving and accomplished as any I've read, including such recognized classics as Siegfried Sassoon's "Memoirs of an Infantry Officer." I highly recommend it for the sailor and landlubber alike.
Good but not great........2001-09-29
Nice book about crossing the Atlantic mixxed with reflections on the writer's failed marriage. Nothing new or real exciting about the book. I thought his reflections on his marriage over indulgent and sometimes boring. I kept wanting to tell him to get a girlfriend so that he could forget his depressing wife.
The sailing part is fun but there are much better naratives.
Book Description
The Battle of Britain could not stop Operation Sealion, the planned German invasion. The historians got it wrong. This is a big claim to make, yet the reasoning behind it is remarkably straightforward. In Invasion 1940, author Derek Robinson asks why historians have dovetailed the Battle of Britain with Operation Sealion. Military experts say the Battle prevented an invasion, but they don't exactly explain how. Why is it taken for granted that an air battle could halt an assault from the sea? The skill and courage of the RAF pilots isn't in question, but did the Luftwaffe's failure to destroy them, plus bad weather, really persuade Hitler to cancel Sealion?
That's what Hitler said, and Churchill claimed a great victory for 'The Few'. The Battle of Britain ended; Sealion died. One followed the other, so the first must have caused the second. But Derek Robinson challenges that assumption and reaches a startling conclusion. The real obstacle to invasion was a force that both Churchill and Hitler failed to acknowledge.
In this fascinating reexamination, Robinson doesn't seek to downplay the heroism and achievements of the RAF; rather, he wants the true picture of that brilliant moment in history—Invasion, 1940— to emerge.
Customer Reviews:
Readable, but does not really present such new or controversial information.......2007-08-01
Derek Robinson's book purportedly reveals a 'fresh' perspective about the Battle of Britain. Upon finishing his book, it seems to me that his thesis can be boken down to the following:
- The Royal navy deserves the real credit for preventing a German cross-channel invasion of the British Isles
- The RAF was incapable of stopping an invasion fleet if Hitler really felt like sending one over
- That he did not, was a tribute to the Royal Navy
- Most people tend to believe that the RAF alone was responsible for "saving" Britain in the high summer of 1940, when they should really be thanking the RN.
First, Robinson's thesis is not new, nor will it strike any readers as new, unless his readers are people who haven't read anything newer than 1942 British wartime propoganda to get their history. Second, Robinson's thesis isn't, in my view, totally correct. His book tells the now familiar story of the battle from the perspective that the German invasion couldn't succeed in the face of the Royal Navy, which is true, and also from the perspective that the RAF couldn't stop a German invasion in 1940, which is far more debatable.
In order to reach his conclusion that the Royan Navy deserves the lion's share of the credit for stopping Germany's planned invasion, Robinson writes a lot of different chapters about a lot of diverse topics, from German paratroopers to Hitler's chronic lying. Here are my opinions on some of Robinson's supposedly controversial and fresh perspectives:
- The wehrmacht couldn't invade Britain without first neutralizing the RAF and the Royal Navy. (This should strike nobody as news, though apparently Robinson would like to think that most people forgot all about the Royal Navy and succommed to an infatuation with the RAF)
- German Paratroops suffered heavy losses in their operations during WW2 and weren't as effective as people believed; in fact, in Robinson's words they are "...the most overrated soldiers of WW2' (despite their "overrated" status, German paratroops did achieve notable feats during the war, and do not in my opinion deserve Robinson's dismissal as "forlorn hopes." Allied paratroops suffered similar heavy losses later in the war despite their huge training costs and elite status, and in fact paratroops in general weren't quite as effective as the generals wished, which is why after the war commanders severely reduced their role in operational planning. In fact, on D-Day 1944 Allied commanders were prepared to suffer near to 100% casualties among the paratroop spearheads, if only they would achieve their objectives. Hitler's reluctance to launch massive air drops stemmed less from his disbelief that they would succeed -- albeit at heavy loss -- than from his fear that they indeed would suffer heavily and damage the moral of the German people, who at the time of Crete 1941 were still used to inexpensive victory).
- The Junkers Ju-52 was slow, vulnerable, and shot down in fairly large numbers (really? you're kidding).
- The DB-601 engine made the Messerschmitt Bf-109 one of the best fighter planes in the world (not news at all. What IS suprising is that Robinson takes two chapters to tell us what we already know -- the Me-109E and Supermarine Spitfire Marks I and II were very evenly matched)
- The Junkes Ju-87 should have been able to destroy the radar masts at Dover and other areas because the Luftwaffe had achieved local air superiority over Southeast England (and yet, Robinson later dismisses the Ju-87 as too vulnerable to use in the battle, and deletes them from the figure of available German aircraft to make the numerical disparity between the Luftwaffe and RAF less pronounced)
- The Luftwaffe never outnumbered the RAF 7 to 1; it was more like 2 to 1, and even this lower figure is only because we must add the bombers to the fighters (I never read a reliable book anywhere that claimed the luftwaffe outnumbered the RAF by more than 2 or 3 to 1. The only place I'd ever read that the Luftwaffe was seven times bigger than the RAF was wartime propoganda, about as reliable as USAAF gunners' claims that they had shot down 500 German fighters in an air raid. Again, Robinson fails to provide anything truly controversial)
- The Supermarine Spitfire didn't equip nearly as many squadrons as the Hawker Hurricane, and most RAF kills during the Battle of Britain were earned in the Hurricanes (again, surprises no one, though Robinson apparently believes this is staggering, new information that no one presented before)
- the .303 machine guns on RAF fighters would have been ineffective against invasion barges because the barges' skin was too thick (this is debatable and assumes that all of the thousands of barges would have thick skins, and ROOFS, and Robinson himself points out that not all of them did. Robinson confuses the reader later when he says that British destoyers wouldn't waste shells or torpedoes on the barges -- they would fire on the tugs pulling the barges. Why wouldn't the RAF just strafe the vulnerable tugs relentlessly and leave the barges dead in the water, with nothing to pull them? At any rate, sooner or later the troops would have to disembark from the barges and then, unless the Luftwaffe had utter air superiority over the landing area, the troops would be slaughtered by the "ineffective" machine gun bullets of the RAF -- and a ready-and-waiting British army. And what ABOUT those torpedoes? A barge is a fairly large vessel, and if it is only moving at 3 or 4 knots as Robinson points out, aircraft armed with torpedoes could be savagely effective against them. Fairey Battles could be thus equipped, as could Bristol blenheims and other aircraft, including Swordfish from the Royal Navy carriers. If the fighters of the RAF remained an intact force, they could escort such admittedly vulnerable aircraft against the invasion fleet. Robinson forgets from time to time that in a WW2 battle between aircraft with air superiority and surface units, the aircraft almost always won. German aircraft didn't have total air superiority at Dunkirk thanks to a healthy and unexpected dose of the RAF, therefore the germans weren't as effective as they might have been).
- Robinson points out (in a quote) that the nightmare of every invasion fleet is a cruiser loose among the troopships. This is true enough, but he forgets to also point out that getting bombed and strafed from an unsuppressed enemy air force can be just as nightmarish.
The list goes on and on, but the point is that Robinson never really tells the reader anything they haven't heard before. It's an interesting read, but it's not as shocking as it would like to believe itself to be.
Really? The invasion couldn't have occurred without destroying the Royal Navy? This isn't surprising. What is surprising is that Robinson seems to think that nobody else knows this. Every read person knows that the German invasion couldn't have taken place without sea and air security. Robinson can search his own archives and probably see what happens to a capital ship traveling at battle speed when it comes under determined air attack (Prince of Wales, Repulse, sunk by single and twin engined HIGH-LEVEL Japanese bombers at Malaya, 1941). What in the world does he think will happen to those British battleships, cruisers, and destroyers in the channel opposing those barges, if the RAF had ceased to exist to protect them? And, what does he think is going to happen to those slow German barges in the channel when they get attacked by Blenheims, Whitleys, Hampdens, battles, hurricanes, spitfires -- literally everything the RAF has got to throw -- if the Luftwaffe can't protect THEM? Robinson seriously underestimates the huge difference air power has. It WILL make or break an invasion. Without utter, fantastically unchallenged air superiority in 1944, the normandy invasion would have been an orgy of destruction by the Luftwaffe. That is precisely why allied planners were more concerned with crippling the Germany air force than they were in crippling the german navy. They knew that without the air force to protect it, the navy was dead meat anyway.
Robinson also comes across as a bit smug and conescending when he points out that the German industry was full of incompetence, laziness and corruption, and thus couldn't come up with enough Me-109s or a competent drop tank for the fighters to extend their range. One might say that Britain suffered similar problems and thus had to rely (totally, in some cases) on American tanks, aircraft, and other weaponry and supplies to beat Germany, and only then with America providing most of the troops and leadership. And even THEN only with Russia bleeding away most of the German army on the Eastern Front.
It's an okay book, but you've heard it all before, and probably without any hype as to it being "new" or "controversial."
Suprising.......2007-03-29
Not quite revisionist but a wonderful approach to that critical time in England's struggle with Hitler seemingly unstoppable machine. HIGHLY recommend to any student of the times.
Deconstructionism?.......2007-02-04
It is important to note the state of Britain during those dark days. Heros and success were tantamount to keeping moral high, and a American ear open. The Battle of Britain achieved this single-handedly.
The RAF Fighter Command, under Lord Dowding achieved a very true victory over a Luftwaffe that had become used to attacking in overwhelming odds.
Whether if the Germans had achieved air-superiority they could have invaded the UK is neither here nor there. The Germans no longer had the ability to shock and awe!
So although slightly flawed, in my opinion, this book is an extremely valuable read that takes a broader view of the slowing of Hitler's war machine.
A Thought Provoking Book That Will Change the Way We Look at the Battle of Britain.......2006-08-12
This is a tremendously interesting and fun read!
In "Invasion 1940" novelist Derek Robinson tries his hand at World War II history - with great success. Already known as a talented writer, Robinson now proves himself to be an equally skilled historian.
Robinson shows that a great deal of what we think we know about the Battle of Britain is myth and he provides authoritative sources and figures to prove that the British were never as heavily outnumbered as Churchill later claimed. Furthermore, the Royal Air Force was fighting with superior aircraft and closer to its own bases, advantages that helped to negate the German superiority in planes.
Robinson argues that it was the fear of the Royal Navy, and not just the Royal Air Force, that deterred Hitler from launching his cross-channel invasion of the British isles, Operation Sea Lion. A good part of the German navy had been lost at the hands of the British during operations in Norway and Hitler's admirals were in no position to contest British superiority of the Channel.
"Invasion 1940" is a thought provoking book that will change the way most of us look at The Battle of Britain and the Royal Air Force and Navy in World War II as Churchill and the British struggled to survive.
Another View of the Battle of Britain........2006-05-12
Robinson's book deconstructs the "Never So Few" myth of the RAF saving England from invasion during the Battle of Britain. He says the Germans basically did not invade because Hitler wrongly believed he could reach a negotiated Peace with England and probably correctly that the Kreigsmarine was outnumbered 10:1 by the Royal Navy's Homefleet alone.
Robinson does give us an inside look at the inner workings of the RAF and the Luftwaffe and shows how the RAF overcame its early shortcomings in Leadership and Material and how the Luftwaffe was hampered throughout the War by being the Personal Airforce of Herman Goring whose frequent boasting lead to unreasonable expectations being flung upon the shoulders of his underlings.
The book will be anathema to the Purists of the battle of Britain legend but an easy and informative afternoon for armchair history buffs.
Book Description
Tim arrives home after a long holiday only to find his parents have vanished. The courageous Tim is determined to search the whole wide world, if necessary, to find them. Many people offer to help, but sometimes their help is the last thing he needs! Tim’s droll adventures are a never-ending source of delight, both fantastic yet utterly real, and are beautifully evoked in Edward Ardizzone’s lyrical watercolor illustrations.
Book Description
The biennial Around Alone yacht race (now known as the 5-Oceans Challenge) is the most thrilling adventure in the world for the sailors passionate enough to undertake it. Among the competitors in 2002 was Derek Hatfield, a former fraud-squad Mountie, whose forty-foot Spirit of Canada had cost him almost everything he had. In this nail-biting account of the race, Adam Mayers brings to life the joys and the agonies of racing alone — and the dreams that drive these men and women to sail around the world solo. Watch for Hatfield when he competes again in 2006.
Customer Reviews:
The riveting story of a fast-paced, around-the-world race .......2006-05-04
Sea Of Dreams: Racing Alone Around The World In A Small Boat, by Adam Mayers is the riveting story of a fast-paced, around-the-world race for the "Around Alone" yacht race. Derek Hatfield in his yacht "Spirit of Canada" raced against twelve others around the world, beginning in New York Harbor, with stops in England, South Africa, New Zealand, and Brazil, and finally ending in Newport, Rhode Island. Sea Of Dreams is an amazing tale and very highly recommended reading, especially for anyone in search of a gripping and nautically inclined true-life story of a fearless pursuit of a dangerous race on the high seas.
Sea of Dreams vs Godforsaken Sea.......2005-08-27
This a great book, about the other solo around the world race. It reads like a thriller and taught me a lot of things I didn't know about solo sailing. Derek Lundy's Godforsaken Sea which was about the 96 Vendee was gripping and so is this one about the 02 Around Alone when the Cdn. Derek Hatfield was rolled over at the Horn and Brad Van Liew who lives in Charleston set new speed records for the race. His race was just as amazing. The other American guy Tim Kent was also a great story, getting stronger and stronger as the race went on.
Book Description
From fog, ice, and rocks to cannon fire and torpedo attacks--read the story of five doomed sea voyages and the fate of those who took part in them. The 48-page Level 3 books, designed for children who can read on their own, contain more complex sentence structure and more detail. Young readers will devour these kid-friendly titles, which cover high-interest topics such as sharks, and the Bermuda Triangle, as well as classics like Aladdin. Information boxes highlight historical references, trivia, pronunciation, and other facts about words and names mentioned. Averaging 2,400 to 2,800 words, these books offer a 50/50 picture-to-text ratio. The Dorling Kindersley Readers combine an enticing visual layout with high-interest, easy-to-read stories to captivate and delight young bookworms who are just getting started. Written by leading children's authors and compiled in consultation with literacy experts, these engaging books build reader confidence along with a lifelong appreciation for nonfiction, classic stories, and biographies. There is a DK Reader to interest every child at every level, from preschool to grade 4.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Read.......2007-07-19
I learned a lot from reading this book and enjoyed every minute. I particularly appreciated the author's take on other sailing books and his inclusion of a bibliography. His understated writing style was a pleasure.
Book Description
Readers will feel the bite of icy waters as Jon Bowermaster careens down the most dangerous sections of the Yangtze River-so treacherous the Chinese government has closed it to boaters-and descends for the first time Chile's Futaleufu, one of the most beautiful--and dangerous--rivers in the world. Bowermaster stands witness to some of the greatest expeditions of our time, forming lasting friendships with, among others, polar man Will Steger, first to the North Pole and across Antarctica by dogsled, and Peter Beard, an outsized character still living on the edge of the wild. He sits on the deck with French sailors as they prepare to race around the world single-handedly, each of them knowing few will finish, and some will not come back. He accompanies a pair of expatriate "shagbags" as they head out on a last safari, and is conned on the streets of Baja by a tall-tale-telling fishing guide.
Bowermaster's worldwide travels--set against a backdrop of politics, environmental laws, and governments gone awry--have a common goal: to inform himself, and readers, as best he can about how the world really works. This book is an important addition to the adventurer's library.
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