This book is a core text for introductory-level survey courses in Western Civilization and European History and Civilization. Written by leading scholars in the field, this authoritative text presents an engaging and balanced narrative of the central developments in Western history. Seamlessly integrating coverage of social, cultural and political history, this text is presented in a flexible chronological organization. The new Ninth Edition provides updated scholarship, expanded coverage of cultural history, the ancient Near East, late antiquity, imperialism, and the Holocaust. - Publisher.