The Rise of the West. By William H. McNeill.

The Rise of the West: A History of the Human Community. By William H. McNeill. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1963, 1991.

Part 1. The Era of Middle Eastern Dominance to 500 BC.

Part 2. Eurasian Cultural Balance, 500 BC-1500 AD.

Part 3. The Era of Western Dominance, 1500 AD to the Present.

This is a classic work of big picture global history.


Worlds at War: The 2,500-Year Struggle Between East and West. By Anthony Pagden. New York: Random House, 2008.