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The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization (The Politically Incorrect Guides) Paperback – May 27, 2008
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Western civilization is the envy of the globe. It has given to the world universally accepted understandings of human rights (rooted in Judeo-Christian principles), created standards for art, music, and literature that have never been equaled, and originated political and social systems that have spread all across the planet.
Political correctness now obscures these and other truths about Western civilization. Leftists and Islamic jihadists find common cause in assailing Western "colonialism," "imperialism," and "racism" as its defining characteristics. Guilt-ridden Western leaders and public figures speak of their cultural patrimony in disparaging terms they would never dare to use about a non-Western culture. And in universities, "multicultural"-minded professors flatter students into believing they have nothing really to learn from Sophocles or Shakespeare.
But now, Professor Anthony Esolen--one of the team-teachers of Providence College's esteemed Development of Western Civilization Core Curriculum--has risen to the West's defense. The Politically Incorrect Guide(TM) to Western Civilization takes on the prevailing liberal assumptions that make Western civilization the universal whipping boy for today's global problems - and introduces you to the significant events, individuals, nations, ideas, and artistic achievements that make Western civilization the greatest the world has ever known.
Today, defending the West has become an urgent imperative: if we don't value what we have and what we have inherited, we will surely lose it. The Politically Incorrect Guide(tm) to Western Civilization is an essential sourcebook for that defense.
- Print length340 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherRegnery Publishing
- Publication dateMay 27, 2008
- Dimensions6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
- ISBN-101596980591
- ISBN-13978-1596980594
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Editorial Reviews
From the Inside Flap
Western civilization is the envy of the globe. It has given to the world universally accepted understandings of human rights (rooted in Judeo-Christian principles), created standards for art, music, and literature that have never been equaled, and originated political and social systems that have spread all across the planet.
Unfortunately, the fog of political correctness now obscures these and other truths about Western civilization. Leftists and Islamic jihadists find common cause in assailing Western "colonialism," "imperialism," and "racism" as its defining characteristics. Guilt-ridden Western leaders and public figures speak of their cultural patrimony in disparaging terms they would never dare to use about a non-Western culture. And in the academy, "multicultural"-minded professors flatter students into believing they have nothing really to learn from Sophocles or Shakespeare.
But now, Professor Anthony Esolen--one of the team-teachers of Providence College's esteemed Development of Western Civilization Core Curriculum--has risen to the West's defense. The Politically Incorrect Guide(TM) to Western Civilization takes on the prevailing liberal assumptions that make Western civilization the universal whipping boy for today's global problems, and introduces you to the significant events, individuals, nations, ideas, and artistic achievements that make Western civilization the greatest the world has ever known.
Today--with the West imperiled as never before by the global jihad and threats from China and elsewhere--defending the West has become an urgent imperative: if we don't value what we have and what we have inherited, we will surely lose it. The Politically Incorrect Guide(tm) to Western Civilization is an essential sourcebook for that defense.
From the Back Cover
PC professors don't want you to know that:
* Patriarchy and civilization go hand-in-hand (just ask the ancient Romans)
* Modern science came from the Middle Ages (and a Biblical view of the universe)
* The Renaissance was the flowering of a specifically Christian and classical culture
* The "progressive ideas" of the nineteenth century led to the fascism, communism, and two world wars of the twentieth century
"`The glory that was Greece...the grandeur that was Rome'--not so long ago, these were the birthright of every educated American. But no more. If you had to name one thing that the vandals who've seized control on our college campuses don't want their students to learn, it would be Western civilization. More and more, we live with blinders on, ignorant of everything but current fads. In this sparkling book--the ultimate Politically Incorrect Guide(tm)--Anthony Esolen provides a fabulous introduction to the history and culture of the West. Esolen opens up a new world of people and ideas for those of us who live in the twenty-first century but don't want to be prisoners of the passing moment."
--Elizabeth Kantor, Ph.D., author of The Politically Incorrect Guide(tm) to English and American Literature
"An acclaimed translator of Dante, and a brilliant teacher of Western civilization, Professor Esolen is the perfect Virgil, guiding the student through the fugue-like influence of Athens, Jerusalem, and Rome."
--Russell Hittinger, William K. Warren Professor of Catholic Studies, University of Tulsa
"With a mind and heart well-formed by the very best that has made Western civilization both civil and great, Esolen vividly portrays our four-millennia drama in thought, politics, the family, art, poetry, architecture, war, peace, and the blessed intricacies of everyday life--his eye ever trained on the true, the good, and the beautiful, and rightly indignant of all that now threatens to reduce Western civilization to ashes and a new barbarism."
--Benjamin Wiker, Ph.D., author of 10 Books That Screwed Up the World
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Regnery Publishing (May 27, 2008)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 340 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1596980591
- ISBN-13 : 978-1596980594
- Item Weight : 1.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #78,199 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #185 in History of Civilization & Culture
- #243 in Political Conservatism & Liberalism
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Anthony Esolen is a professor of English and a writer in residence at Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts in Warner, New Hampshire. He is a senior editor of Touchstone magazine, and a contributing editor of Crisis and Chronicles. A poet in his own right, Professor Esolen is known for his verse translations of epic poetry, including the three volumes of Dante's Divine Comedy (Random House, Modern Library), Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered (Johns Hopkins), and Lucretius' On the Nature of Things (Johns Hopkins). His sacred work, The Hundredfold: Songs for the Lord, is a book length sacred poem centered on the life of Christ. A noted essayist and social commentator, Anthony Esolen has published books on a broad range topics from literature, to theology, to education and culture, ancient to modern.
Books by Anthony Esolen
On the Nature of Things
(Verse translation of Lucretius’ De rerum natura, with scholarly commentary)
Johns Hopkins, 1995
Jerusalem Delivered
(Verse translation of Tasso's Gerusalemme Liberata, with scholarly commentary)
Johns Hopkins, 2000
Ironies of Faith: The Laughter at the Heart of Christian Literature
ISI, 2007
Inferno (verse translation of Dante’s Inferno)
Random House, Modern Library Edition, 2002
Purgatory (verse translation of Dante's Purgatorio)
Random House, Modern Library Edition, 2003
Paradise (verse translation of Dante's Paradiso)
Random House, Modern Library Edition, 2005
The Beauty of the Word: A Running Commentary on the Roman Missal
Magnificat, 2012
Reclaiming Catholic Social Teaching (treatise on the social teaching of Pope Leo XIII)
Sophia Instute Press, 2014
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization
Regnery, 2008
Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of your Child
ISI, 2010
Roman Missal Companion
Magnificat, 2011
Reflections on the Christian Life
Sophia Institute Press, 2012
Living the Days of Advent and the Christmas Season
Paulist Press, 2013
Defending Marriage: Twelve Arguments for Sanity
St. Benedict Press, 2014
Life Under Compulsion: Ten Ways to Destroy the Humanity of Your Child
ISI, 2015
Real Music: A Guide to the Timeless Hymns of the Church
Tan Books, 2016
Angels, Barbarians, & Nincompoops
Tan Books, 2017
Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture
Regnery, 2017
Nostalgia: Going Home in a Homeless World
Regnery, 2018
No Apologies: How Civilization Depends on the Strength of Men
Regnery, 2022
Defending Boyhood
Tan Books, 2018
How the Church Has Changed the World,
Magnificat, Volume One, 2019; Volume Two, 2020; Volume Three 2022
In the Beginnng Was the Word
Angelico Press, 2021
The Hundredfold: Songs for the Lord
Ignatius, 2018
Peppers
New Poets Series, 1991
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When this reviewer first received this book, he thought that was little to learn for those who have studied European History. This book was a pleasant surprise and informative even for those learned in European studies.
Prof. Esolen began this book with a good introduction to the history, political systems, and literature/philosophy of the Ancient Greeks and Ancient Romans. Esolen gave a good explanation of the politcal loyalties of the Greek Polis, especially Athens and Sparta, and the Roman Republic. He gave a much needed explanation of the conflict between the Ancient Greeks and the Persians during the Persian Wars (490-479 BC). Esolen intelligently explains the reasons for the Greeks loyaly to the Polis and the Roman loyalty to the Roman Republic and the city of Rome. There is a further explanation for the demise of the Greeks especially the Peloponnesian War (c. 431-404 BC.). There is a good explanation for the disintegration of the Roman Empire. Esolen explains that the Romans, who could be harsh and severe, were also tolerant of the different peoples whom they ruled. For example, those from North Africa, Western Asia, Greece, Gaul or France, the British Isles, etc. could be Roman citizens regardless of their origin of birth and geography.
Esolen excelled in this book in describing Ancient Greek and Roman literature and philosophy. Esolen's description of Ancient Greek drama is profound, and even those who are well read in Ancient Greek drama would learn from this book. Esolen's explanations show knowledge and careful thought. His explanations of Ancient Greek philosophy also demonstrate Esolen's knowledge and ability to convey ideas and serious thought. This part of the book was surprisinly good.
Esolen also gave readers a complex but clear summary of monotheism. He gave a detailed explanation of Judaism and Chrisianity which was informative and undermined the politically correct childish views. Esolen, who honestly admitted he is a devout Catholic, was surprisingly honest in writing clear explanations of both of these monotheisitic religions. He compared and contrasted the early Church Fathers with the then emerging Judaism. Anyone who has an interest in biblical studies and history would learn from this part of the book.
Esolen then ventured into the studies of the Middle Ages. His list of Catholic achievements and contributions are unanswerable. Esolen cited examples of the Medieval monks, the Medieval frairs, etc. He explained the livliness of Medieval universities and Scholastism. Those who think the Catholic Church tried to hinder learning would learn so much to the contrary. Esolen spent pages in explaining the thinking of St. Thomas Aquinas (1224-1275)and compared his thinking with other Scholastics. Esolen, while giving the Franciscan Father Roger Bacon (1214-1294)proper credit, was clear that experimental science and the scientific method predated Father Bacon by centuries by other monks and frairs.
Esolen exposed the European Renaissance for what it was and what it was not. Esolen did not condemn the Renaissance per se, but he was also clear that Renaissance political developments were at times dangerous to the Catholic Church and those who little or no political power or wealth. Esolen explained that the drive for contralization of political power among Renaissance crowned heads often threatend the buffer the Catholic Church authorities provided for the powerless and those who were victimized by such political concentrations. On the other hand, Esolen wrote vivid descriptions of Renaissance literature and political philosophy. His treatment of Dante's (1265-1321)THE DIVINE COMEDY is simply brilliant.
Esolen's study of early Modern European History and the "Enlightenment" is thought provoking. He explained that the Age of Scholasticism was the the actual Age of Reason as opposed to the Enlightenment. Readers may disagree, but Esolen presents a good argument to support his thesis. Esolen showed the internal contradictions of Enlightenment philosophers' thinking. He also showed that the Age of Enlightenment Despots was one of continous war especially the tragic Thirty Years War (1618-1648).
Esolen had little sympathy with 19th. century political thought and philosophy. He excorated Marxism in this book and showed that the actual political events under Marxist banners who lethal disasters and tragedies. He showed that Darwin's work(1809-1882) was corrputed by those who favored eugenics and racist power. Yet, while Esolen was critical of Nietzche (1844-1900), Esolen stated that Nietzche was at least "an honest atheist."
Esolen undermined the politcally correct nonsense that has had a free ride until recently. The insane effort to drive the Great Books and ideas from higher (hire?) education has finally met resistence, and this book is a good antidote. There are some criticisms of this book. At times Esolen preached too much. He oversimplified his explation of recent history. This reviewer thinks Esolen could have enhanced this book with discussions of Classical Music beginning with Gregorian Chant. The Classical Music of Western Europe is a major contribution.
However, these criticisms are overcome by Esolen's well written explanations of the literature and philosophy of Europe. The book is clearly written and informative. Readers would also benefit from reading Prof. Thomas Woods' HOW THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BUILT WESTERN CIVILIZATION and Father Duffy's well written book titled QUEEN OF THE SCIENCES. This book was recently published in 2008 and is part of the Politically Incorrect Series of Regnery Publishing, Inc. This reviewer is critical of some of the other books in this series, but this reviewer highly recommends THE POLITICALLY INCORRECT GUIDE TO WESTERN CIVILIZATION.
That's what William Hazlitt wrote in "The Round Table" (1817). The study of the classics and ancient history is of itself politically incorrect in an era when even conservatives pretend to be revolutionaries. So in a sense any book that encourages us to examine the deep roots within western civilisation of those values that even the most "progressive" amongst us profess to defend is itself both valuable and politically incorrect.
Today's politically correctness is strangely one eyed. It pretends to be culturally relativist when comparing the west with other cultures but dogmatically chauvinist when comparing contemporary culture with it's antecedents. If medieval Christendom were a foreign country it would get a better hearing. This attitude is, I suspect, rooted in the adoption by both the right and left of the 19th century idea of progress and it's idea of perpetual improvement, rather than the more empirically sound, but discomforting idea, that cultures oscillate between advanced and backward.
Still all that being said I found this book mixed. I was, at first, disappointed with the average quality of the book.
But there were positive points. Esolen's chapter on Rome and it's republic was excellent and well worth the 'price of admission'. He shows quite clearly why the framers of the American constitution saw the Roman republic, with it's rule of law and separation of powers, as a worthy model. In general most ancient history tends to praise the Greeks more than the Romans, this chapter helps correct the balance. I enjoyed the Roman chapter in particular and would recommend the English classicist Peter Jones' recent book "Vote For Caesar" for anyone interested in an even more eye opening exploration of the most important of our progenitor civilisations. Another older book to consider is Henry Haskell's "The New Deal in Old Rome - How government in the ancient world tried to deal with modern problems".
Esolen's chapter on Ancient Israel was surprisingly good too. And I do mean surprising. Frankly when I first saw it I thought this may have been a 'conservative' puff piece, soft sell for the current preoccupations of US foreign policy. Not so! The author rectifies of frequent omission from western canon. The Old Testament. Although ancient Israel had virtually no role as a progenitor of western civilisation, at least compared to Greece and Rome, the "soft power" of it's unintended and indirect influence via the Bible was, of course, tremendous. It is surprising that so few teachers are prepared to openly acknowledge this. Few thinkers,even dyed -in-the-wool secularists, for example fail to recognise the apocalyptic strain in say modern environmentalism, the Exodus-speak of Martin Luther King, or the prophet-eering of Karl Marx. Yet we seem reluctant to calmly consider the role of the underlying biblical archetypes in our culture, even if they are all plainly recognisable in these examples. Is this reluctance a fear of sounding like advocates for one or other denomination? Maybe until we recognise just how common 'religious' ideas are, and how often they gain more influence when the obvious 'religious' label is removed, we will continue to be misled by ersatz prophets.
In general I agreed with Esolen's defence of Christendom but I found it a little too one eyed in many ways. I think he confuses Christendom with Christianity. A criticism of the former isn't necessarily an attack on the latter. In a sense this is just the mirror reversal of the problem he is trying to overcome. I don't think the true genius of medieval Christendom is in any way slighted by a 'warts and all' analysis. I sympathise with his waving the flag for Old Christendom, especially when compared with our modern 'secularist' establishment and it's revolving door of "official scientisms". Indeed when one compares the brutality of 20th century wars one wonders how moderns can keep a straight face whilst sneering at the Crusaders.
This is surprising too. Despite an overly one sided evaluation of Christendom through the centuries, Esolen doesn't seem to tackle either the Crusades or the Spanish Inquisition with any oommph. These subjects are just skipped over, almost as if he is reluctantly ceding ground to his rivals. It is not so clear to me why he should have done this. There is some modern work, for example Henry Kamen's, that sees the Spanish Inquisition as 'no worse' (indeed better) than regular law enforcement of the period and, indeed, because of it's introduction of 'due process' (however harsh a process it was) as the real forerunner of the modern legal system. "(B)efore 1530 the Spanish Inquisition was widely hailed as the best run, most humane court in Europe." Prof Thomas Madden says "(t)here are actually records of convicts in Spain purposely blaspheming so that they could be transferred to the prisons of the Spanish Inquisition. After 1530, however, the Spanish Inquisition began to turn its attention to the new heresy of Lutheranism. It was the Protestant Reformation and the rivalries it spawned that would give birth to the myth." As to the accuracy of these contrarian claims I cannot say, however I'm surprised Esolen didn't give them a run.
Esolen defence of the medieval era is in general welcome but he jumps over the "Dark Ages" too quickly I think. In many ways the west was sired by both the barbarians and the Romans. The great nations of western europe are plainly derived from barbarian kingdoms. The barbarians were not without their contributions. The Icelandic Norse, "pure barbarians" if you will, seemed to have had a democratic and individualistic tradition of sorts so it's not beyond the pale to consider barbarian influences on the foundation of western democracy etc. We are all aware of Magna Carta but few know the significance of Runnymede, where it was signed. The name Runnymede seems to have originates from the Anglo-Saxon 'runieg' (meaning "regular meeting") and 'mede' ("meadow"). The pre-Norman Anglo-saxon government, the Witenagemot or the Witena gemot, sometimes just called "the Witan", was held at Runnymede during the reign of Alfred the Great, whose castle was nearby. witenagemot derives from the Old English for "meeting of wise men." The witenagemot functioned as a national assembly, advisory to the king and whose membership comprised Anglosaxon England's noblemen, both ecclesiastic and secular. Maybe this era also deserves a place in the sun too.
Still trying to compress the entire corpus of Western Civilisation into one book is a tall order, and Esolen manages to cover the broad sweep. And that is an achievement in itself.
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The audio book version is well done. The writer's style is well suited to narration and the audio book narrator does a good job with the material.
I have a 40 minute highway commute to and from work and I typically spend the commute time listening to audio books. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.









