Western Civilization: Combined Volume
The chronologies, timelines, and boxed documents all add greatly to the overall quality of the text. My students would be lost without them. ... I like this text and expect to continue to use it for the next several years."Dr. Spielvogel's lucid prose, apt illustrations, and excellent maps make his a text for which I find it difficult to imagine finding a close rival. ... The coherence resulting from its being a single-author text is valuable in a general education course. ... It is a very impressive textbook and the author and publisher alike ought to take great pride in their work. ... I would not only consider adopting Jackson J. Spielvogel's WESTERN CIVILIZATION text, but would, furthermore, actively lobby for its adoption for use at our university. A wealth of information in keeping with the scholarship at our disposal is presented in an appealing format. Never sacrificing well-written content, the text appeals to a generation reared on media in living color."The Spielvogel text does a good job of communicating with students. The vocabulary ... is not too difficult, and the literary style is almost conversational."The faculty who adopted Spielvogel ... did so because the text read clearly and told a coherent story of historical change and development. Students comment that the text is well written, clearly organized, and interesting. Chapter titles and major headings mark chronological and thematic connections but place greatest emphasis on the conceptual development. ... National histories are mentioned but do not dominate; and art, literature, and music are not ignored. ... The special features are one of the greatest strengths of Spielvogel.