Description:
"...a monumental work of reclamation and revival...The Golden Thread comes as a history, an argument, a treasure hoard." --The Wall Street Journal
A sweeping, resource-rich history of the ancient world and Christendom--designed for students and lifelong learners alike, and faithful to the enduring legacy of the Western tradition. This is Volume I of a two-part series tracing the story of Western civilization from antiquity to the modern age.The Western Tradition from Antiquity to 1500
Where do the threads that form the Western tradition originate, and how were they woven together? What are the sources of our modern ideas about science, freedom, equality, law, good government, and virtue? These are the questions explored in The Golden Thread, Volume I, Part 1: The Ancient World, written by James Hankins.Hankins begins with the seminal culture of the classical Greeks, deeply explicating their ideals of citizenship, government, honor, war, and poetry. He charts the rise of philosophy and the Hellenization of the east following the conquests of Alexander the Great. He covers the legends and founding mythology of early Rome and the Roman political order and culture, as well as its conquest of the Mediterranean, all while focusing on the central figures and events - from Caesar's conquest of Gaul and Augustus's Pax Romana through the startling rise of Christianity and the political, social, and spiritual recalibration that followed, culminating in Constantine's conversion.While telling this grand story, Hankins examines how the foundations were laid for the West's political and economic dominance in the modern era, illuminating the deep roots of the ideas, arts, and institutions that continue to shape our world. Replete with lavish classical art, alongside original maps, and the letters, speeches, and quotes of the most important figures of each era, this volume masterfully weaves a vibrant tapestry of the West's ancient past.The Golden Thread is a two-volume history of the Western tradition. Volume I is authored by James Hankins; Volume II, covering the modern and contemporary West, is authored by Allen C. Guelzo.
Brief description: James Hankins was a professor of History at Harvard University and founder and General Editor of the I Tatti Renaissance Library. He is widely regarded as one of the world's leading authorities on Renaissance philosophy and political thought.
Review Quotes: "...The Golden Thread comes as a history, an argument, a treasure hoard. Happy is the student who will have a semester to study this magnificent book. Happy, too, is the general reader who stands, as one on the threshold of the Louvre, preparing to enter the shining galleries that lie ahead."
--The Wall Street Journal
"The Golden Thread is simply levels above ordinary textbooks. It's a comprehensive history of Western civilization that is less a standard textbook than the mature statement of an especially thoughtful scholar."
--National Review
"...undoubtedly the book of the year."
--Claremont Review of Books
"Highly recommend....Historian James Hankins argues that understanding the history of the Western tradition is the only way to preserve civilization."
--Coleman Hughes, The Free Press
"It is a masterpiece--staggeringly learned and judicious in its handling of Western civilization's glories and failings."
--Compact
"A magnificent, detailed overview of the evolution of the West from antiquity to the Renaissance."
--George Weigel, Denver Catholic
"In this book live thousands of years of exquisitely rendered thought, wisdom, sacrifice, beauty and adventure."
--The Spectator World
"The Golden Thread is an excellent addition to books on Western Civilization that already exist, but also an advancement on what has come before."
--Law & Liberty
"The Golden Thread is a history of near-run survivals and improbable resurrections. It's also a noble part of that history, as are its authors. They can count their job well done."
--Spencer A. Klavan, Claremont Review of Books
"This book is a masterclass of the Western tradition...If [Chinese Westernizers] had sought inspiration from the best of Western political culture as discussed in Hankins' brilliant book...China's history would have taken a different, more desirable turn."
--The China Review
"Guelzo and Hankins conceive of The Golden Thread as a restoration project, a reminder to their young readers that there is ample reason to feel proud of civilized societies--particularly their own. These two volumes serve as an essential element of civic education within a liberal democracy, by presenting vivid, lively introductions to all the historical and intellectual ingredients of the American foundation and showing examples throughout history of what healthy, orderly societies can accomplish."
--Jaspreet Singh Boparai, First Things
"Every page of The Golden Thread is highly readable and brims with insight."
--Rich Lowry, National Review