The West A New History of an Old Idea

Published by Takween Publishing, "The West: A New History of an Old Idea" by historian and archaeologist Naoíse Mac Sweeney offers a revolutionary re-examination of Western identity. Mac Sweeney dismantles the conventional, linear story of "Western Civilization"—the idea that it originated in ancient Greece and Rome, passed to Renaissance Europe, and culminated in the modern Anglo-American world. Through the compelling biographies of fourteen historical figures spanning centuries and continents, the book demonstrates that history was always diverse, interconnected, and polycentric. Mac Sweeney shows how the grand myth of "the West" was constructed relatively recently to justify colonialism, racial hierarchies, and cultural hegemony.

It provides a fascinating, highly accessible deconstruction of global history, challenging readers to unlearn Eurocentric myths and understand how cultural constructs shape our world.

Historians, scholars of cultural studies and post-colonialism, students of political science, and readers interested in global history, philosophy, and global relations.