内容简介
Inthismagnificentsynthesisofmilitary,technological,andsocialhistory,WilliamH.McNeillexploresawholemillenniumofhumanupheavalandtracesthepathbywhichwehavearrivedatthefrighteningdilemmasthatnowconfrontus.McNeillmoveswit
作者简介
WilliamHardyMcNeill(bornOctober31,1917)isaCanadian-Americanworldhistorianandauthor,particularlynotedforhiswritingsonWesterncivilization.HeisProfessorEmeritusofHistoryattheUniversityofChicagowherehehastaughtsince1947.WilliamMcNeillwasborninVancouver,BritishColumbia,Canada,thesonoftheologianandeducatorJohnT.McNeill.HewaseducatedattheUniversityofChicago,obtainingaBachelorofArts(B.A.)in1938,andMasterofArts(M.A.)in1939.In1941hewasdraftedintotheU.S.armyandservedinWorldWarIIintheEuropeantheater.Afterthewar,heobtainedhisPhDatCornellUniversityin1947.InthatsameyearhebeganteachingattheUniversityofChicago,whichbecamehishomethroughouthisprofessionalcareer.McNeill'smostpopularwork,completedearlyinhiscareer,isTheRiseoftheWest:AHistoryoftheHumanCommunity(UniversityofChicagoPress,1963).Thebookexploredworldhistoryintermsoftheeffectofdifferentoldworldcivilizationsononeanother,andespeciallythedramaticeffectofWesterncivilizationonothersinthepast500years.Ithadamajorimpactonhistoricaltheory,especiallyitsemphasisonculturalfusions,incontrasttoOswaldSpengler'sviewofdiscrete,independentcivilizations.RiseoftheWestwonthe1964U.S.NationalBookAwardinHistoryandBiography.In1976McneillwrotePlaguesandPeoples,animportantearlycontributiontotheimpactofdiseaseonhumanhistoryandcontributedtotheemergenceofenvironmentalhistoryasadiscipline.McNeillwasawardedtheNationalHumanitiesMedalbyPresidentBarackObamaonFebruary25,2010.Thecitationrecognizes"hisexceptionaltalentasateacherandscholarattheUniversityofChicagoandasanauthorofmorethantwentybooks,includingTheRiseoftheWest,whichtracescivilizationsthrough5,000yearsofrecordedhistory."
