The human venture : a world history from prehistory to the present / Anthony Esler.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Esler, Anthony.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

World history.

Physical Description:

xvi, 736, 16 pages : illustrations, maps ; 27 cm

Edition:

Fourth edition, combined edition.

Place of Publication:

Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall, [2000]

Summary:

The combined volume explores ancient civilizations of both the old-world center (3500-200 BCE) and Asia, Africa, and the Americas (2500-200 BCE); classical civilizations (500 BCE-CE 500) and expanding cultural zones around the world (500-1500); the world in balance (1350-1600); intercontinental empires (1500-1900); wars, revolutions, and dictatorships (1900-1945); and the cold war, collapsing empires, and globalization (1945-2000).

Contents:

The Great Enterprise: A World History to 1500

Introduction: Venture Into History 1

An Undertaking of Uncertain Outcome 2

The Human Commitment to History 2

History and Civilization 3

Overview I Ancient Civilizations: The Continental Crossroads (3500-200 B.C.E.) 5

Chapter 1 Humanity Before History Stone Age People (5,000,000-3500 B.C.E.) 8

Human Development 9

Paleolithic Food Gatherers 15

Neolithic Farmers 17

The Transition to Civilization 22

Chapter 2 The Walls of Babylon The Cities of Mesopotamia (3500-500 B.C.E.) 26

Mesopotamian Society 27

Mesopotamian Empires 31

Mesopotamian Culture 35

Chapter 3 The Pyramid Builders The Kingdom of Egypt (3200-100 B.C.E.) 40

The Pyramid Age 41

The Egyptian Empire 45

The Wisdom of the Egyptians 51

Chapter 4 Moses and Prophets The Ancient Hebrews and Their World (1500-500 B.C.E.) 56

Turbulent Centuries 57

The Hebrews 58

The Birth of Monotheism 61

Chapter 5 Athena and the Philosophers The Greek City-States (1500-200 B.C.E.) 66

Minoans and Mycenaeans 67

Classical Greece 71

The Fountainhead of Western Culture 78

Overview II Ancient Civilizations: The Farther Reaches (2500-200 B.C.E.) 85

Chapter 6 Brahman and Lord Buddha The Rise of Indian Civilization (2500-200 B.C.E.) 88

Lost Civilization of the Indus 89

Kingdoms of the Ganges 92

The Soul of India 97

Chapter 7 The Age of the Sages The Rise of the Chinese Civilization (1500-200 B.C.E.) 103

Shang Culture 104

The Zhou Dynasty and Chinese Feudalism 107

The Qin Dynasty Unifies China 109

Art and Thought of Ancient China 111

Chapter 8 African Traders and Empire Builders Nubia and Carthage (1500-150 B.C.E.) 118

Africa South and West 119

Nubia, Kush, and Inner Africa 120

Carthage: The Empire of the Western Seas 123

Chapter 9 America's First Civilizations The Olmecs and Chavin Culture (1500-400 B.C.E.) 128

The First North Americans 129

Mexico: The Olmecs 130

Peru: Chavin Culture 133

Chapter 10 Whirlwind Has Unseated Zeus Cultural Evolution in History 137

Diffusion Versus Parallel Evolution 138

Parallel Developments Around the Globe 140

Overview III Classical Civilizations (500 B.C.E.-C.E. 500) 145

Chapter 11 The Eternal City The Roman Empire (500 B.C.E.-C.E. 500) 148

The Roman Republic 149

The Roman Empire 153

Roman Society and Culture 158

The Rise of Christianity 160

Chapter 12 The Pillars of Persepolis Persia and the Middle East (500 B.C.E.-C.E. 650) 166

The Rise of Persian Power 167

Later Persian Dynasties 170

Persian Culture 171

Chapter 13 Golden Age on the Ganges The Peoples of India (200 B.C.E.-C.E. 550) 176

India Between the Mauryas and the Guptas 177

The Gupta Golden Age 179

Art and Indian Piety 181

Chapter 14 The Grandeur of Han China The Chinese Empire (200 B.C.E.-C.E. 200) 188

The Han Dynasty 189

The Structure of Han China 194

The Mind and Art of the Han 196

Chapter 15 The Obelisks of Axum Africa From the Red Sea to the Sahara (600 B.C.E.-C.E. 600) 201

Africa and the Mediterranean 202

Axum 203

Africa South of the Sahara 206

Chapter 16 The Pyramids of Mexico and Peru The Americas from the Mochica to the Maya (200 B.C.E.-C.E. 900) 209

North American Cultures 210

South American Societies 212

Middle American Civilization 214

Chapter 17 The Long Voyagers Cultural Diffusion in History 220

Migration: An Urge to Move On 221

Trade: Voyaging by Land and Sea 225

Cultural Diffusion: The Outreach of Ideas 226

Overview IV Expanding Cultural Zones (500-1500) 231

Chapter 18 Cathedral Spires The Rise of Christendom (500-1500) 234

The Early Middle Ages 235

The High Middle Ages 240

Eastern Europe and Beyond 244

The End of the Middle Ages 247

Medieval Christian Culture 249

Chapter 19 Domes and Minarets The Rise of Islam (600-1300) 255

The Prophet and the Holy War 256

The Arab Empire 259

The Faith and Art of Islam 263

Chapter 20 Merchants and Missionaries of the Indies India and Southeast Asia (600-1500) 270

India Between the Guptas and the Moguls 271

Religion and Art in India 274

The Indian Zone: Southeast Asia 277

Chapter 21 The First Meritocracy China and East Asia (600-1250) 281

The Tang Dynasty 282

The Song Dynasty 286

Society and Culture under the Tang and Song 289

China's Sphere of Influence 293

Chapter 22 Lords of the Eurasian Heartland Mongol Rule from Russia to China (1200-1400) 298

The Nomads of Eurasia 299

The Rise and Fall of the Mongols 300

The Impact of the Mongol Imperium 305

Chapter 23 Kings of Inner Africa From Ghana to Ethiopia (600-1450) 310

West African Empires 311

Cities and Kingdoms of East Africa 316

African Society 319

Chapter 24 Conquering Peoples of the Americas From the Toltecs to Chimu (900-1400) 321

North America: The Pueblos and the Great Mounds 322

Middle America: The Toltecs 323

South America: Peoples of the Mountains and the Shore 326

Chapter 25 The Hinge of History From Pluralism to Globalism 329

Cultural Diversity 330

Toward a Global Community 332

The Globe Encompassed: A World History Since 1500

Introduction: The Convergence of History 337

Traveling to Tibet 338

A Common Human Story 338

The Meanings of Globalization 339

Overview V The World in Balance (1350-1600) 341

Chapter 26 Europe Reborn Renaissance and Reformation (1300-1600) 344

The New Wealth 345

The New Rulers 348

The Renaissance of Western Art 352

The Reformation of Religion 335

Chapter 27 The Muslim Center Turkey, Persia, India (1450-1650) 361

The Abode of Islam 362

Three Muslim Dynasties: Ottomans, Safavids, Mughals 364

Islamic Culture: The Garden of Omar Khayyam 369

Chapter 28 Mandarins and Samurai China and Japan (1350-1650) 376

The Confucian Zone 377

The Ming Dynasty 377

Satellite Civilizations 382

China and Japan: Contrasting Cultures 385

Chapter 29 A Continent on the Move Africa from Songhai to Great Zimbabwe (1450-1600) 389

West Africa 390

Central and East Africa 394

African Society and Culture 397

Chapter 30 The Empires of the Sun The Americas Under the Aztecs and the Incas (1350-1550) 402

Kingdoms beyond the Seas 403

The Aztecs: Warrior Lords of Mexico 403

The Incas: Empire of the Andes 407

Parallel Cultures of Mexico and Peru 409

Chapter 31 Masters of Most of the Earth The World's Preurban Peoples 414

Preurban Peoples of the Old World 415

Preurban Peoples of the Americas and Oceania 417

Preurban Culture 419

Overview VI The World of Intercontinental Empires (1500-1900) 423

Chapter 32 Caravels and Cannon The Rise of Western Imperialism (1500-1800) 427

Means and Motives 428

The Overseas Empires, 1500-1800 430

Conquest and Commerce 436

Long-Range Consequences 437

Chapter 33 From Versailles to Voltaire Europe in the Age of Absolutism and Enlightenment (1600-1800) 442

The European State System 443

The Great Powers 445

The World of the Rising Middle Classes 448

The Age of Reason 451

Chapter 34 Fading Empires and Hermit Kingdoms Decline and Isolation in Asia (1650-1870) 456

Disintegration of the Muslim Center 457

The Far East Turns Inward 461

Cultures of a Twilight Age 466

Chapter 35 The World of Shaka Zulu Turmoil and Transformation in Africa (1770-1870) 470

New Nations of West Africa 471

New African Nations East and South 474

Political and Economic Changes 476

Traditional Culture in an Age of Transition 479

Chapter 36 Barricades, Ballots, and Steam Europe's Age of Revolution and Restructuring (1760-1900) 483

The French Revolution 484

The Industrial Revolution 487

Main Currents of the Nineteenth Century 489

The Cavalcade of Nations 495

The Climax of European Culture 497

Chapter 37 Liberators and Robber Barons The Americas from Colonies to Countries (1770-1900) 502

The United States Takes Shape 503

Latin America Emerges 510

Provincial Culture 516

Chapter 38 Maxim

Guns and Merchant Bankers The Climax of Western Imperialism (1870-1900) 521

The Nature of the New Imperialism 522

The Scramble for Africa 524

The Exploitation of Asia 527

Internal Imperialism 532

Climax of the Modern World System 536

Overview VII The World in Tumult (1900-1945) 539

Chapter 39 Queen Victoria's Jubilee Western Global Supremacy (1900-1914) 542

Europe and North America 543

Asia and Latin America 549

The Western Empires and Colonial Resistance 552

Imperialism and the Drift Toward Global Unity 554

Chapter 40 Machine Guns and Barbed Wire World War I (1914-1919) 560

Causes of the First World War 561

The Course of the War 563

Consequences of the War to End War 568

Chapter 41 Flappers and Bread Lines The West Between the Wars (1919-1939) 573

Trends of the Twenties and Thirties 574

The Western Democracies Between the Wars 579

Chapter 42 The World Convulsed by Revolutions Russia, China, Mexico (1910-1949) 586

The Spread of Ideological Revolution 587

The Russian Revolution 588

The Mexican Revolution 593

Civil War in China 595

Colonial Challenges to Western Predominance 600

Chapter 43 The Totalitarian Years Dictatorships in Many Lands (1917-1945) 606

The Flight from Freedom 607

Fascism in Italy 609

Nazism in Germany 610

Communism in Russia 614

Authoritarianism in Asia, Europe, and Latin America 617

Chapter 44 Blitzkrieg and Burning Cities World War II (1939-1945) 621

Causes of the Second World War 622

War Around the World: Axis Victories 626

War Around the World: Allied Triumph 630

Consequences of World War II 634

Overview VIII Global Conflict and Globalization (1945-2000) 639

Chapter 45 The Long Twilight Struggle The Cold War (1945-1990) 642

The Postwar World 643

The Beginnings of the Cold War 647

Confrontations Around the World 651

The End of the Cold War 657

Chapter 46 The Age of Uhuru The Collapse of the Western Empires (1945-1990) 663

Freedom and Conflict in the Third World 664

The Winds of Change in Africa 667

Asia in Arms 671

Chapter 47 From Skycrapers to the Internet The Industrial Nations (1945-2000) 678

Strategies for Progress: The U.S.A. in the American Epoch 679

Strategies for Progress: Western Europe and East Asia 683

Development and Disaster: The U.S.S.R. and the Communist Bloc 686

The Society of the Global North 689

Chatper 48 From Global Village to Global City The Developing Nations (1945-2000) 696

The Politics of Development: Asia 697

The Politics of Development: Africa and Latin America 702

The Society of the Global South 704

Chapter 49 From Eliot to Afro-Pop The Drift Toward Global Culture (1900-2000) 709

A Disintegrating World View 710

Art Among the 'Isms 713

Continental Cultures 719

Popular Culture with a Global Reach 721

Chapter 50 The Struggle for the Global Future Globalization and Its Foes 725

The Drift Toward One World 726

Resistance to Globalization 731.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0130142468

OCLC:

40907696