The enduring myth of the 'West'

Western capitals, anxious to continue their political, economic and military hegemony in the face of emerging challenges from new players, are unlikely to pay much heed to this sobering intervention

How the World Made the West: A 4000 Year History

Author: Josephine Quinn

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 564

Price: Rs 699

Not a day passes without some reference to the “West”, Western “values” and Western “interests”, usually seen as under threat. This sense of a collective, monolithic identity has been a part of modern-day politics and culture for over two centuries. And yet, the terms themselves are amorphous and remarkably flexible, with transient applications to suit contemporary interests, usually with negligible historical support.
 

The idea of the “West” as a cohesive geographical, political and civilisational construct emerged in the early nineteenth century when certain