The West: Encounters Transformations takes a new approach to telling the story of Western Civilization. Rather than looking at Western Civilization only as the history of Europe from ancient times to the present; this groundbreaking book examines the changing nature of the West—how the definition of the West has evolved and transformed throughout history. The text presents a balanced treatment of political; social; religious; and cultural history and emphasizes the ever-shifting boundaries of the geographic and cultural realm of the West. Overview of Western Civilization. Readers interested in the history and development of Western Civilization.
#1348115 in Books 2011-02-18Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.30 x 1.30 x 6.20l; 1.45 #File Name: 031338634X303 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Pleasantly SurprisedBy Frederick Nace; Jr.The insurgency in the North Caucasus is far from over; and the motivations that drive the insurgents are still little understood by the Russian bureaucracy. I expected this book (like most in Western academia looking into this region) to be the same misguided approach and was pleasantly surprised. The Russians would be well served by Rob Schaefer’s effort; where he brings an objective look inside of the problem; not deferring to the myopia of either party. Schaefer brings the unique view of the Warrior Diplomat; steeped in insurgency and counter-insurgency doctrine to a complex situation and provides the best method to understand it. He explains insurgency and the history of the area meticulously; so that his analysis of current events is well-rooted and easily understood by amateur and academic alike.7 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Russia's Failure in Chechnya May be its Only Hope for ChangeBy Ethan S. BurgerGreetings:This book is GREAT. I finished it in two days. I have been following the Russian-Chechen conflict since the Soviet Union's break-up; and found this book to be the most insightful to come out in years on the topic.The framework (which is a great pedagogical tool -- although I am not in complete agreement with it); diagrams; and description are outstanding. Often in my own work (the French experience in Algeria or the U.S. experience in Viet Nam) I have used similar frameworks and found them to be most helpful for students and professional groups.Personally; I believe that the conflict in the Northern Caucasus will not end until the Russian elite realize that the cost of the low intensity conflict is too great to continue indefinitely. The forthcoming Winter Olympics and World Cup Games will be a nightmare for Russia.Ethan S. BurgerSenior LecturerFaculty of LawCentre for Transnational Crime PreventionUniversity of Wollongong.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy history Buffvery good to understand that conflict I would recommend it
