Civilization by Roger Osborne

Civilization by Roger Osborne

On 21 September 2001 George W. Bush told Congress 'This is civilization's fight.' A month later he said 'I'm not moving on because we're in a fight for civilization itself.' European leaders described the 11 September attacks as 'a declaration of war against the entire civilized world' by a force 'dedicated to the destruction of civilization'. But what do we mean by civilization? We have a vague belief in a Western tradition of openness and freedom that has produced a good life for its citizens and a culture of enormous depth and creative power. But the history of our civilization is also filled with unspeakable brutality. For every Leonardo there is a Torquemada, for every Beethoven symphony a concentration camp, for every Chrysler Building a My Lai massacre. How can we come to the defence of a civilization whose benefits seem so questionable? In this ambitious and important book Roger Osborne shows that we can only understand and take comfort in our civilization by re-examining and confronting our past. The barbarity in Western history can no longer be explained away as base human brutality breaking through the restraining bonds of civilization. Instead we need to see that civilization is itself a hazardous enterprise, creating enormous challenges to humans as moral social beings - challenges that we sometimes fail. "Civilization" tells the story of the Western world from its origins to the present. Sweeping in its scope and comprehensive in its coverage, "Civilization" covers everything from the siege of Troy to the Gettysburg address, from Charlemagne to the European Union and from Aristotle to John Rawls. Filled with the voices of the past - including Herodotus, Pericles, Cicero, St Paul, Plotinus, St Augustine, Boccaccio, Machiavelli, Cervantes, Locke, Voltaire, Jefferson, Gibbon, Darwin, Marx, Weber, Roosevelt and Arendt, to name just a few - the book ends with an assessment of the present state of Western civilization in the light of its past and an indication of how it might go about the urgent task of renewing itself. At such a dangerous time in the world's history this remarkable and compelling book is required reading.

"THE FLOATING EGG (over 12,000 copies sold) 'Wonderful..utterly fascinating' The Times 'If you have never read a book about geology, and didn't even think you were interested, Roger Osborne could change your life' Independent on Sunday THE DEPRAT AFFAIR 'Immensely readable and beautifully written' Ruth Rendell, Daily Telegraph THE DREAMER OF CALLE SAN SALVADOR 'A refreshing change from "straight" history...fascinating' Daily Telegraph"

Roger Osborne worked as a publisher for sixteen years before becoming a full-time writer in 1992. His work focuses on different aspects of cultural and scientific history. His recent work includes The Deprat Affair and a play based on The Dreamer of the Calle de San Salvador, broadcast on BBC radio.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780224062411
ISBN 10	0224062417
Title	Civilization
Author	Roger Osborne
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Vintage Publishing
Year published	2006-01-19
Number of pages	544
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable