What made the West 'western'? And has Western civilisation found modernity but lost itself? This provocative and stimulating polemic argues that the modern world has destroyed western culture and civilisation without gaining anything in return, leaving contemporary man with a spiritual and cultural gap that no amount of material wealth can fill. This is a brave and challenging attempt to explain how and why this has happened and present a new concept of modern history for our complacent times.

A philology graduate of Moscow University, Alexander Boot lectured there on English and American literature in English, wrote art criticism and got into trouble with the KGB before emigrating to the USA in 1973 - only to find that the West he was seeking was no longer there. This inspired a life-long quest for an explanation, reflected in numerous essays. He has written for a wide range of publications including the London Magazine, the Salisbury Review and the Independent. He now divides his time between London and Burgundy, working on his next two books.