Books

The West is not a thing or a place, but an idea. As far as ideas go, it is an exceptionally powerful one – it has shaped the lives of millions, structured the world around us, and changed the course of history – but it is an idea nonetheless. The West: A New History of an Old Idea presents a radical new history of the West as a concept, challenging established myths about its origins and development, and looking forward into its future.

Naoise questions the legitimacy of the West through the lives of nine individuals throughout history, starting with Herodotus and ending with Carrie Lam, the current Chief Executive of Hong Kong. The West: A New History of an Old Idea offers a truly global retelling of history, drawing on lives and sources that span from Germany to the USA, and from Ancient Greece to Baghdad.