The West: A Narrative History, Volume 1: To 1600 (2nd Edition)
Conceived and developed to be brief,The West: A Narrative Historyposes in each of its chapters a “key question” that provides a springboard for wide-ranging class discussions of questions that have no simple answers. By debating these issues, students discover that the past is more intriguing (and knowledge of its history more useful) than they may have previously realized.  Praise forThe West:  A Narrative History, Second Edition: “This beautifully written text is simply the best on the market--concise, direct explanations of religious concepts, compelling questions for further investigation, and much food for thought, for both teachers and students.”                                                 --Jonathan S. Perry, University of South Florida   “While there are numerous Western Civ textbooks on the market, Frankforter and Spellman’sThe Westis a superior volume. The book is not only a model of conciseness and accessibility, but the authors' deft judgment on key issues and historical controversies is particularly admirable.”                                                   --John M. Cox, Florida Gulf Coast University  “The writing is the best I have seen in a textbook.  One of the goals in my courses is to teach students how to write effectively, concisely, and forcefully.  The authors’ writing style is simple, to the point, and utterly engaging.  It is the way I want my students to write.”                                           --Larissa J. Taylor, Colby College  The West:  A Narrative Historyis one the newest and best Western Civilization textbooks on the market.  It is extremely well written, and is brief enough to allow instructors to assign additional secondary or primary readings.  It should become the predominant textbook in the field.    - J. Kyle Irvin, Jefferson State Community College