Since its first publication in two volumes between 1918-1923; The Decline of the West has ranked as one of the most widely read and most talked about books of our time. In all its various editions; it has sold nearly 100;000 copies. A twentieth-century Cassandra; Oswald Spengler thoroughly probed the origin and "fate" of our civilization; and the result can be (and has been) read as a prophesy of the Nazi regime. His challenging views have led to harsh criticism over the years; but the knowledge and eloquence that went into his sweeping study of Western culture have kept The Decline of the West alive. As the face of Germany and Europe as a whole continues to change each day; The Decline of the West cannot be ignored. The abridgment; prepared by the German scholar Helmut Werner; with the blessing of the Spengler estate; consists of selections from the original (translated into English by Charles Francis Atkinson) linked by explanatory passages which have been put into English by Arthur Helps. H. Stuart Hughes has written a new introduction for this edition. In this engrossing and highly controversial philosophy of history; Spengler describes how we have entered into a centuries-long "world-historical" phase comparable to late antiquity. Guided by the philosophies of Goethe and Nietzsche; he rejects linear progression; and instead presents a world view based on the cyclical rise and decline of civilizations. He argues that a culture blossoms from the soil of a definable landscape and dies when it has exhausted all of its possibilities. Despite Spengler's reputation today as an extreme pessimist; The Decline of the West remains essential reading for anyone interested in the history of civilization.
#834692 in Books 1986-10-30Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 6.00 x 1.40 x 8.94l; 2.25 #File Name: 0195042220752 pages
Review
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful. A Fascinating Story; told as if to Friends at a Dinner PartyBy Roger D. LauniusA few days before my comprehensive examinations for my Ph.D. in American history in 1981 I went to see my advisor in the History Department at LSU. In the course of our conversation he asked me; in what could only be interpreted as a rather strange question that I think says more about my advisor's weird sense of humor than anything else; to name for him the three great colonial America historians whose names began with "M." Who thinks like that? I answered with Edmund S. Morgan; Perry Miller; but I blanked on anyone else. He had been thinking of; in addition to Morgan and Miller; Samuel Elliott Morrison. I nodded in agreement. I hadn't really read any of Morrison's work at the time so he was not much on my mind; but I also don't put him in a class with the other two historians; he was essentially an historian of naval warfare and seafaring. Moreover; I didn't have much interest in those subjects.I still don't have too much interest in those topics; but my appreciation of Morrison is somewhat enhanced by reading this volume; a condensation of a massive two-volume work called "The European Discovery of America;" with a volume dedicated to "The Northern Voyages" (1971); 500-1600; and "The Southern Voyages" (1974); 1492-1616. It is an exhaustive and exhausting work; not quite as massive as the original but still hefty; and filled with stories and anecdotes; sea lore and witticisms; some of which are even true. In it one will find more than one ever wants to know about Christopher Columbus; Ferdinand Magellan; John Cabot; Jacques Cartier; Francis Drake; and the like.It's not a bad read at all; between stories of voyages of discovery; Morrison tells us the minute differences between a square rigger and a sloop; the nature of 8 bells; the origins of the "smoking lamp;" and the like. The many stories of explorers and voyagers are well narrated. There is an old fashioned feel to the narrative; as the author regales us with extravagant stories as if we were sitting in his club with a glass of sherry during an evening gathering. Morrison does everything but use the term "dear reader" to draw us into his asides; in fact I think he might use that term too. I kept thinking to myself as I read; "well; they don't make them like this anymore." Perhaps that's for the best. Even so; I stayed with the 752 page book so it held my attention well enough. For a more useful and up-to-date take on the subject; however; I would recommend Felipe Fernandez-Armesto's "Pathfinders: A Global History of Exploration" (Norton; 2006).I should say something about the oddly-structured account offered here. Morrison originally wrote two books overlapping in time and geography; but the mash-up of them in this single volume does not work all that well because of a loss of chronology. Accordingly; the northern voyages are discussed first and then we go back in time to pick up the southern voyages. It might have been better to restructuer the chapters a bit to create a reasonable chronology.Even so; it is an interesting book. Well worth reading; but perhaps not as an introduction to the exploration of the Americas.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Walt concernedVery good. Thank you.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Inessential editionBy HHIt is difficult to imagine why this one-volume abridgement of the author's "European Discovery of America" in two volumes ("The Northern Voyages"; 1971; "The Southern Voyages"; 1974) was published. The condensation is sometimes rough and involved no revision; purchasers able to afford it can also afford the two volumes; as all admirers of Morison will want to. For style alone -- cantankerous; colorful; personal and expansive -- the Admiral's work requires the fuller and more leisured appreciation.
