Western Civilization leads the market as the first western civilization text to include a separate chapter on Late Antiquity and the first to use the new political history, the effect of power and politics on all members of society, at the center of its narrative. Recognizing that European history was affected by factors outside the continent, this text looks at Europe by examining its place in the world. With an emphasis on the experimental nature of political and social history, the text challenges students to explore why and how history unfolded as it did.