Description

A Radio 4 Book of the Week

Brought to you by Penguin

We tend to imagine Western Civilisation as a golden thread leading through the centuries from classical antiquity to the countries of the modern West a cultural genealogy that connects Plato to NATO It is an idea often invoked in the speeches of politicians and the rhetoric of journalists and which remains deeply embedded in popular culture But what if it is wrong

In an epic sweep through the ages prizewinning archaeologist and historian Naose Mac Sweeney charts the history of this idea an idea of enormous political significance but which is nonetheless factually incorrect and obscures the wondrous rich diversity of our past She reveals how this particular version of Western history was invented how it has been used to justify imperialism and racism and why it is no longer ideologically fit for purpose today

Told through the lives of fourteen fascinating historical figures including a formidable Roman matriarch an unconventional Islamic scholar an enslaved African American poetess and a British prime minister with Homeric aspirations The West is a groundbreaking retelling of Western history and a powerful corrective to one of the greatest myths of all Western Civilisation

2023 Naose Mac Sweeney P2023 Penguin Audio