Highlights
New Theme: Empire
From the early empires of the Ancient Near East to the Soviet and American empires of the late twentieth century, Coffin and Stacey weave in discussions of the political drive to build imperial states, the impact of empires on everyday life at home and abroad, and the cultural exchanges that resulted from imperial expansion.
Balanced Presentation
Emphasizing political, social, and cultural connections, the authors provide a rich understanding of the development of Western peoples and civilizations. Notable examples include the new chapter on absolutism, which emphasizes the intersections between the rise of the absolute monarchs and the development of North Atlantic economies and European population growth, as well as a new presentation of the Industrial Revolution that clearly demonstrates the connections among technology, economics, and everyday life.
Shorter, More Focused Text
About 10 percent shorter than the previous edition, Western Civilizations is crisp, colorful, and concise. A brief version of the text is also available.
In-Text Pedagogy
Designed to engage students, the in-text pedagogy provides an invaluable tool for study.
- End-of-Chapter Key Terms—New
Each chapter includes a list of ten to fifteen key terms to help students focus on key ideas, events, and people. - Enhanced Map Program—Updated
Thirty new maps, in addition to the one hundred maps added in the previous edition, include enhanced captions that engage students analytically through a series of observations and questions. - Focus Questions
Focus Questions reappear throughout the text to keep students on track while reading. - In-Chapter Chronologies
Three brief chronologies within each chapter highlight important names, dates, and events. - In-Text Documents
Each chapter contains an average of four primary source documents, two of which directly relate to each other. These comparative documents provide students with the means to analyze historical complexity and diversity. - Fully Integrated Digital History—New
Learn more about the new Western Civilizations Digital History Center on the eMedia & Ancillaries page.
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