This text presents the Western intellectual tradition within a chronology of political history. Its accessible writing style appeals to students and instructors because of its brevity, simplicity of presentation, selective choice of content, and clear explanations. Comparative timelines appear at the end of each text part to show the relationship between the political and intellectual history of the West. A full-color map with an essay on physical geography appears at the beginning of each volume to help students orient themselves to European geography. Primary source excerpts integrated throughout the narrative show students the materials that historians work with every day.