The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition, Volume I by James Hankins - ISBN: 9781641773997
Hardcover
Uncover the ancient roots and enduring legacy of Western civilization.

The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition, Volume I

The Ancient World and Christendom

$127.95

  • Hardcover

    608 pages

  • Release Date

    10 March 2026

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Summary

“A monumental work of reclamation and revival…The Golden Thread comes as a history, an argument, a treasure hoard.” -The Wall Street Journal

A sweeping, resource-rich history of the ancient world and Christendom—designed for students and lifelong learners alike, and faithful to the enduring legacy of the Western tradition. This is Volume I of a two-part series tracing the story of Western civilization from antiquity to the modern age.

The Western Tradition from Antiqui…

Book Details

ISBN-13:9781641773997
ISBN-10:1641773995
Author:James Hankins, Allen C. Guelzo
Publisher:Encounter Books,USA
Imprint:Encounter Books,USA
Format:Hardcover
Number of Pages:608
Release Date:10 March 2026
Weight:3.10kg
Dimensions:68mm x 263mm x 205mm
What They're Saying

Critics Review

”…The Golden Thread comes as a history, an argument, a treasure hoard. Happy is the student who will have a semester to study this magnificent book. Happy, too, is the general reader who stands, as one on the threshold of the Louvre, preparing to enter the shining galleries that lie ahead.” —The Wall Street Journal

“The Golden Thread is simply levels above ordinary textbooks. It’s a comprehensive history of Western civilization that is less a standard textbook than the mature statement of an especially thoughtful scholar.”

—National Review

”…undoubtedly the book of the year.”

—Claremont Review of Books

“Highly recommend….Historian James Hankins argues that understanding the history of the Western tradition is the only way to preserve civilization.”

—Coleman Hughes, The Free Press

“It is a masterpiece—staggeringly learned and judicious in its handling of Western civilization’s glories and failings.”

—Compact

“A magnificent, detailed overview of the evolution of the West from antiquity to the Renaissance.”—George Weigel, Denver Catholic

“In this book live thousands of years of exquisitely rendered thought, wisdom, sacrifice, beauty and adventure.”—The Spectator World

“The Golden Thread is an excellent addition to books on Western Civilization that already exist, but also an advancement on what has come before.”

—Law & Liberty

“The Golden Thread is a history of near-run survivals and improbable resurrections. It’s also a noble part of that history, as are its authors. They can count their job well done.”

—Spencer A. Klavan, Claremont Review of Books

About The Author

James Hankins

JAMES HANKINS is Professor of History at Harvard University, where he teaches Western intellectual history, the history of the classical tradition, and the Italian Renaissance. His prize-winning book, Virtue Politics: Soulcraft and Statecraft in Renaissance Italy, was published by the Belknap Press of Harvard University in November 2019.

ALLEN C. GUELZO is the Thomas W. Smith Distinguished Research Scholar in the James Madison Program at Princeton University. He is the bestselling author, most recently, of Our Ancient Faith: Lincoln, Democracy and the American Experiment. He is a three-time winner of the Lincoln Prize.

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