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Worlds at War

The 2,500-Year Struggle Between East and West

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Worlds at War

By: Anthony Pagden
Narrated by: John Lee
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About this listen

 In the tradition of Jared Diamond and Jacques Barzun, prize-winning historian Anthony Pagden presents a sweeping history of the long struggle between East and West, from the Greeks to the present day.

The relationship between East and West has always been one of turmoil. In this historical tour de force, a renowned historian leads us from the world of classical antiquity, through the Dark Ages, to the Crusades, Europe's resurgence, and the dominance of the Ottoman Empire, which almost shattered Europe entirely. Pagden travels from Napoleon in Egypt to Europe's carving up of the finally moribund Ottomans - creating the modern Middle East along the way - and on to the present struggles in Iraq.

Throughout, we learn a tremendous amount about what "East" and "West" were and are, and how it has always been competing worldviews and psychologies, more than religion or power grabs, that have fed the mistrust and violence between East and West. In Pagden's dark but provocative view, this struggle cannot help but go on.

©2008 Anthony Pagden (P)2008 Tantor Anthropology Biological Sciences Botany & Plants Civilization Earth Sciences Gender Studies Science Social Sciences World Middle East Middle Ages Africa Crusade Imperialism Ancient History Ottoman Empire Iran War Royalty Refugee Social justice Self-Determination Ancient Greece

Critic reviews

"An accessible and lucid exploration of the history of the East-West split....Fans of Jacques Barzun and Jared Diamond will be most impressed by Pagden's big picture perspective." ( Publishers Weekly)
All stars
Most relevant
This book is excellent.
The author has researched the subject meticulously and the choice of narrator really brings the story to life.
If I had to find one criticism it is that little is told of the battle of Tours and the subsequent events.
Apart from that it is an excellent listen.

A superb history

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, this audiobook provides first class education and due to the narrator it's very enjoyable and easy to listen to.

Who was your favorite character and why?

N/A

What does John Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

John Lee narration brings the historic characters to life whilst maintaining an objective tone.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Impossible to make a film as the subject would fill days.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook has given me (and still does) an invaluable history lesson and a greater understanding of the presence. I'd recommend this audiobook as highly valuable!

Fantastic content and narration

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If you don't mind listening to an endless litany of names, places and dates that you probably haven't heard before and certainly won't remember, then you may enjoy this book. Its certainly an interesting subject. But the author seems to be showing off his vast knowledge in this oh so erudite disquisition. Yes, a bit annoying ...

Tedious

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It would have been so ridiculously easy for an audiobook like this to descend into Islamophobic tub-thumping about the ideological struggle between the 'Enlightened West' & 'Barbaric East.' (Meaning Islam.) And for that reason, I had my finger hovering over the '1 Star' icon for almost the entire time that I was listening.

However, to my immense surprise, relief and delight, even when discussing Said Kutb's vision of the Islamic State and the rise of radical, political, Islamist Terrorism in the 20th & 21st centuries, the author remained refreshingly insightful and balanced. Pointing out that in places like Iraq & Afghanistan, we were fatally naïve to assume that people would eagerly embrace so-called 'Western, Liberal Democracy;' especially when literally their only experience of it in most cases was as Western Imperialism & Godlessness "at the wrong end of a gun." So while I've only given this audiobook 4 stars for the moment in case I've missed something vital, I will almost certainly be listening to it again and can't recommend it highly enough to everyone.

Definitely Not "The End Of History"

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Abandoned at Chapter 9. I kept waiting for the author to stop giving the western perspective and give the eastern side. Didn't happen. I thought he was just quoting at length writers of the time to emphasise their mindset rather than taking it at face value, Sadly, by a third of the way in, I realised that is very much not the case.

According to this book:
The west is good and for the people and has laws. The east cannot ever truly comprehend the west's freedom because they can only worship gods, be debauched and have "effeminate" ways.
I'd love to say I'm cherry picking, but these are hammered home again, and again and again.
Also, conveniently in the cases where the west was barbaric, they were no more barbaric than other people of the time so its fine. And where Roman Emperors were utterly depraved, that was excused because maybe they had lead poisoning? Its just fanboyism.

There's no east-west struggle in this book at all, the author just decided on his reasons at the start and pointed through history going "see? see?".

The only good thing I will say is that the narrator was excellent.

West = Good, East = Bad, Utter nonsense.

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