本书分10章，按时间顺序介绍了欧洲文化的源流发展。其最大的特点是，避免了一般历史书枯燥乏味的叙述，代之以具体的历史史实，从而增加了趣味性和可读性。本书内容丰富，配有许多精美图片，由于需要扩展内容较多，延伸的部分以光盘的形式出现。

“高等学校英语专业系列教材”是一套为英语专业高年级本科生和研究生教材，包括高级英语语言技能、英语专业知识相关专业知识三个方面。本系列教材为开放式，涵盖面广，设计科学，注重金饭碗生、知识性与实用性，有助于学习者在掌握英语技能的基础上进一步扩展知识领域，培养应用能力，提高综合素养。

本书作者Duncan Sidwell具有多年语言教学和教材编写方面的经验，从西方人的视角叙述欧洲文化的发展变迁，语言地道、幽默风趣。本书既可用作高样英语专业文化课教材，也可供水平相当　的英语学习者参考，具有　如下特点：

结构清晰，系统、全面地介绍了欧洲文化，注重史实，详略得当。

图文并茂，并配CD-ROM光盘，最大限度扩充内容，提供更多教学参考。

提供了详细的教学建议，每章均有引言和总述，每节标题下均附重点内容提示，概要介绍该部分内容。

每章设复习题及讨论题，注重文化的横向比较，把欧洲文化的发展放在世界文化发展的宏观背景中，有意识地引导学习者深入思考。

附录中提供了大量实用的信息，如：哲学术语汇总、英语人名地名汇总、希腊罗马神话中诸神对照表等，方便读者查阅

CHAPTER 1　ANCIENT GREECE AND THE HELLENISTIC AGE

　Introduction

　Part 1　The history of Greece

　　1　The predecessors of the Greeks

　　2　The Greeks arrive

　　3　The Hellenistic Age （338-30 BC）

　Part 2　Religion, politics, and daily life

　　4　Greek religion

　　5　The early development of politics

　　6　Society and education

　Part 3　Literature and historical writing

　　7　Early Greek literature

　　8　Literature of the Lyric Age （700-490 BC）

　　9　Drama in the ClassicalAge

　　10　Literature in the Hellenistic Age

　　11　Historical writing

　Part 4　The arts

　　12　Architecture

　　13　Sculpture

　　14　Pottery

　　15　Music

　Part 5　Philosophy and science

　　16　Philosophy and science from the seventh to the third century BC

　　17　Science in the Hellenistic Age

　Conclusion

CHAPTER 2　ANCIENT ROME

　Introduction

　Part 1　The history of Rome

　　1　Historical background: Rome from Republic to Empire

　Part 2　Society and daily life

　　2　Religion

　　3　The family and education

　　4　Entertainment

　Part 3　The arts, law and writing

　　5　The arts

　　6　Roman law

　　7　Roman literature and historical writing

　Conclusion

CHAPTER 3 JUDAEO-CHRISTIANITY

　Introduction

　Part 1　The history of the Jews and of early Christianity

　　1　The Hebrews and the creation of Israel

　　2　Jews in the Hellenistic Age

　　3　Jesus and the first Christians

　　4　From persecution to state religion

　　5　Establishing the Christian church　　

　　6　Early church debates and disputes

　　7　Monasticism

　Part 2　The Bibe-The Old Testament

　　8　The Creation and the Law of Moses

　　9　The history of Israel

　　10　Wisdom, unhappiness and poetry

　　11　Protest and prophecy

　Part 3　The Bible-The New Testament

　　12　The texts of the New Testament

　　13　The nature of the New Testament

　　14　The life and teaching of Jesus as shown in the Gospels

　　15　The Acts of the Apostles, the teaching of Paul and early letters

　　16　The Book of Revelation

　Part 4　Perspectives on Judaism and Christianity

　　17　Historical aspects of Judaism and Christianity

　Conclusion

CHAPTER 4　THE MIDDLE AGES

　Introduction

　Part 1　The Early Middle Ages from 500 to 1000 AD

　　1　The collapse of the Roman Empire in the west

　　2　The growth of order

　　3　The early medieval population and the medieval world view

　　4　Learning and literature

　　5　Charlemagne and the restoration of learning

　Part 2　The Late Middle Ages--new social organisation,chivalry and the crusades

　　6　The new social organisation of the tenth to the thirteenth centuries

　　7　Chivalry

　　8　The crusades

　Part 3　The Late Middle Ages--intellectual change and controversy

　　9　Social change and the growth of law

　　10　Intellectual controversy-faith or reason？

　　11　The church strengthens its authority

　　12　The church and the state in dispute

　Part 4　The Late Middle Ages--the arts and science

　　13　Architecture and art

　　14　Literature

　　15　Music

　　16　Science

　Conclusion

CHAPTER 5 THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REFORMATION

 Introduction

 Part 1 The Renaissance

1 The Renaissance in Italy

2 Humanist writers

3 Rationalism and its effect

4 The arts

5 Plants and gardens

6 Music

7 Science and technology

8 Exploration of the world

 Part 2 The Renaissance in countries other than Italy

9 France

10 England

11 Spain

12 Germany

13 Northwest Europe

 Part 3 The Reformation

14 The history of the division of the church

15 The historical context of the Reformation

16 Martin Luther and the Reformation

17 The Reformation elsewhere than in Germany

18 The Counter-Reformation in the mid-sixteenth century

 Conclusion

CHAPTER 6 THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY

 Introduction

 Part 1 Historical background--religion, trade, governance

1 Religion

2 Trade and the middle class

3 Kings, God and taxation

4 Struggles for the state--Absolutism in France

5 Struggles for the state--The English Civil War

 Part 2 New directions in thought

6 Philosophy

 Part 3 Science

7 The development of science and women's contribution

8 From Kepler to Newton

 Part 4 The arts and literature

9 The nature of Baroque architecture and art

10 Architecture

11 Painting and sculpture

12 Music

13 Literature

 Conclusion

CHAPTER 7 THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

 Introduction

 Part I Politics and society

1 Political development

2 Society and its development

 Part 2 Enlightenment thinkers

3 Thinkers and themes

 Part 3 Agriculture, industry and science

4 The Agricultural Revolution

5 The Industrial Revolution

6 Science

 Part 4 The arts and literature

7 Architecture

8 Art

9 Music

10 Literature

 Conclusion

CHAPTER 8 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY: 1800-1870

 Introduction

 Part I Europe from 1795-1870

1 Napoleon Bona Parte (1769-1821) and his legacy

2 The restoration of monarchies and revolution

3 The unification of Italy and Germany and the Commune

 Part 2 Industrialisation: its effect on populations and on thought

4 Industrialisation, towns and the organisation of labour

5 The effect of industrialisation on thought

 Part 3 The Romantic Movement

6 The nature of Romanticism

7 Romantic Art

 Part 4 Realism

8 Realism in literature

9 Realism in art

 Part 5 Architecture, music and science

10 Architecture

11 Music

12 Science

 Conclusion

CHAPTER 9 EUROPE 1870-1914

 Introduction

 Part I Historical and social context

1 Historical context (1870-1914)

2 Industrial and social trends

 Part 2 Literature and art from Naturalism to Symbolism

3 The nature of Naturalism and Symbolism

4 Naturalist writers

5 Early Symbolism in literature

6 The Impressionists and Symbolists

 Part 3 Psychology and science

7 The psychological theories of Sigmund Freud

8 Science and the extraordinary year 1905

9 The shape of the atom

10 Space

 Part 4 Modernism

11 The roots and nature of Modernism

12 Modernism in art and architecture

13 Modernist writing

t4 Modernist music and dance

 Conclusion

CHAPTER 10 EUROPE 1914-2000

 Introduction

 Part I Historical developments and the social background, 1914-1945

1 Historical context (1914-1945)

2 Society and popular culture in the interwar years

 Part 2 Literature and the arts between the wars

3 Literature

4 Art

5 Architecture

 Part 3 Historical background from 1945 to 2000

6 A new political world--1945 to 2000

7 Industrial, social and cultural developments

8 The philosophical background

 Part 4 Literature, arts and science after 1945

9 Literature

10 Art

11 Architecture

12 Music

13 Post-1945 film

14 Science

 Conclusion

APPENDICES

1 Philosophical and religious terms

2 Personal names

3 Geographical terms

4 References Chapters 1-10

5 Notes on answers to Questions for revision

6 Acknowledgements

7 The divinities of Greece and Rome

8 Index