Geschichte des Westens

Geschichte des Westens

by Heinrich August Winkler

in 4 Bänden

Die einmalige Sonderausgabe von Heinrich August Winklers Opus magnum

Der Westen – seit dem Zeitalter der Entdeckungen ist er gleichsam das welthistorische Maß aller Dinge. Er hat fremde Reiche erobert und ganze Kontinente unterworfen, die Erde bis in ihre entlegensten Winkel erschlossen, die Naturwissenschaften und die moderne Technik hervorgebracht, die Menschen- und Bürgerrechte, die Herrschaft des Rechts und die Demokratie erfunden. Aber er hat auch oft genug seine Werte verraten...

4648 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2016

About the author

Heinrich August Winkler is a German historian. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Tübingen. In 1970 he became professor at the Free University of Berlin.

Reviews

[Josh Trigsted · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read all 4 twice. The only reason I found out about these is that I read a blurb in a German local free paper in the little town where I stayed for 3 months. The blurb referred to this author and how he'd been presented with an award for historical writing. Given the grand scope that these 4 volumes cover, it does an amazing job of including details and sources for each topic covered. My biggest complaint is that the author hesitates to read between the lines and give brave opinions about why things happened and what might have changed the outcome of events. This is a trait that most historians share, even good ones. They don't want to look reckless or stupid. On the other hand, there is an attempt throughout all 4 volumes to tie major events back to certain core concepts that he identifies at the beginning as being characteristic of western society, including the rule of law, separation of church and state, civil rights/freedom, equal protection of the laws, etc. There are always going to be some topics that you wish he spent more or less time on but all in all he was judicious. Highly recommended reading for anyone who wants a basic understanding of the history of western civilization.