The Making of the West is a story of interactions — cross-cultural exchanges that span the globe; as well as the ongoing interactions between societies; cultures; governments; economies; religions; and ideas. To highlight these interactions and help students grasp the vital connections between political; social; and cultural events; The Making of the West: A Concise History presents a comprehensive picture of each historical era within a brief chronological narrative. The book also situates Europe within a truly global context; facilitating students’ understanding of the events that have shaped their own times. A full-color map and art program deepen students’ understanding of the narrative.
#37744 in Books Picador USA 2006-03-21 2006-03-21Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 205.74 x 25.27 x 5.48l; .70 #File Name: 0312424302384 pagesPicador USA
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Readable well-researchedBy J ThomasA readable; well-researched account of NYC in 1977; a year that NYC would probably rather forget. 1977: the year George Steinbrenner; Billy Martin; and Reggie Jackson kept sportswriters working overtime covering their many public disputes. The year a catastrophic power outage led to deadly riots and looting; destroying whole NYC neighborhoods. The year Studio 54 became a disco legend; SoHo; a quirky little artist community; was “discovered†(and arguably destroyed) by gentrification; and gays sunned themselves on abandoned peers; oblivious to the coming apocalypse of AIDS. The year Times Square gained notoriety not for its Broadway shows; but for its burgeoning; almost wholly unregulated porn industry. The year an obscure Australian media tycoon; Rupert Murdoch; bought the New York Post; marking the beginning of the Tabloid Era. The year rowdy Yankees fans regularly threw garbage on the field when they weren’t shouting obscenities at opposing teams or raining stale beer down on the heads of the patrons seated beneath them. The year a mysterious serial killer; dubbed Son of Sam; eluded a task force that at one point grew to include over 700 police officers. The year urban blight and housing projects created neighborhoods so bereft of hope; people torched their own unsellable houses for the insurance money. The year 3 living; breathing caricatures – Bella Abzug; Mario Cuomo and Abe Beame – battled for the right to run a city that was literally going up in smoke. The year NYC’s liberal legacy (rent-controlled apartments; generous municipal salaries and pensions; free higher education); already stretched and strained; finally broke. The year one of the greatest cities in the world skidded into fiscal chaos and officially declared bankruptcy.In other words; Mahler has plenty of material to cover! And so he does; in the form of 67 brief; breezy; detail-filled chapters; replete with authentic eyewitness accounts and seeped in ‘70s “vibeâ€. Indeed; the narrative is so engaging and readable; I ended up enjoying parts of this I expected merely to endure. (Accounts of political campaigns and labor strikes not being my usually my cup of tea.)Like many folks my age; I’ve spent much of my life trying to forget that I lived through this turbulent decade in America’s history. Yes; Mahler’s narrative serves as an unstinting; unapologetic reminder of everything that was awful about the 70s. But it also forced me to appreciate the remarkable adaptability and resiliency of American culture. Sure; we’ve faced challenges as a nation – poverty; racism; bigotry; violence; really bad music – but even in the depths of despair; our hope never completely fails; our empathy never entirely falters; our ingenuity endures; and we keeping finding ways to triumph over the forces of greed; intolerance; and general boorishness. A lesson I’m trying to take to heart as our country once against finds itself struggling to rise above our old; familiar demons.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Highly AddictiveBy buyerMy only regret; is that the book didn't end on August 3rd 1979; the day we were informed that the captain had tragically died in a plane crash. For those of us that were there; in New York during that special time in history that was the late 70's; the death of Thurman Munson was as much an end of an era as game 6 of the '77 World Series was to the crazy year of 1977. In fact; when the Thurman died; the Yankees wouldn't win another title for 17 years; an eternity for Yankee fans. And the craziness of the 70's; even though it wasn't sensationalized like in '77; was still strong in '78 and '79. There is a reason the stadium and the team were nicknamed The Bronx Zoo. '78 was one of the most entertaining years in baseball history; included a legendary pennant race that came down to a one-game playoff in Fenway; feature Mike Torrez pitching FOR the Red Sox; Bucky Dent over the Monster; The Boston Massacre; and Ron Guidry being robbed of the MVP by infamous Red Sox a****** Jim Rice. And Thurman was a big part of that of this chapter in New York's history.The book was about the crazy year of 1977; and it pretty much nailed it. We really didn't need another 120 pages about 1978. But somehow it felt incomplete not having just an epilogue detailing the day that the era truly ended.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A great memory!By Product-ReviewerAs someone who grew up in Brooklyn during these years I found this to be a wonderful summary. Written by someone who was not living here; Mahler does a terrific job capturing the intricacies of the era. I'm buying the DVD next! Well written; educational and entertaining all at once.
