"The West: a Narrative History" is a unique text in its field, as it was conceived and developed as a brief introduction to the history of the "West." It is not a reduced version of a larger study, but a fully realized project in its own right. It defines the "West" in its broadest terms, encompassing all of the varied cultures that trace at least some of their ancestry to the ancient Mediterranean world. In addition, it consistently reminds its readers of the links between the people who have come to define the "West" and those in other regions of the world.