From its humble beginnings in the great river valleys of Iraq and Egypt to the dawn of the modern world, discover the essential nature, evolution, and perceptions of Western civilization. Award-winning scholar and teacher Thomas F. X. Noble begins in the ancient Near East, and moves to Greece, then to Rome, and concludes by examining the spread of Western civilization with the Portuguese and Spanish voyages of exploration and discovery.

This broad and panoramic series complements A Brief History of the World, which delves into the intrigue and mysteries of peoples, events, and circumstances beyond Western civilization: China and Japan, the Middle East, Africa, Russia, India, and South America. In 36 lectures, Professor Peter N. Stearns provides an epic overview to illuminate world history in surprising and insightful ways.