Download or read book From Plato to NATO written by David Gress and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 1998 with total page 1135 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The end of the Cold war and the imminent unification of Europe raises urgent questions about the future of the "Western Alliance". FROM PLATO TO NATO analyses European civilisation's legacy from its inception and traces the ongoing debate about the West through to the present day. David Gress assesses historical accounts of the West and argues that while often attacked as a cover for exploitation, the legitimacy and unity of the West appears to contain both the rationality of the enlightenment and the mythological visions of fascism. It will be up to the Westerners to choose which 'West' they want to embrace. FROM PLATO TO NATO is the first book to make sense of the enduring value of Western politics and culture at a time when the West is facing its greatest challenge since World War Two - how to include new democracies in a world order that is struggling to preserve the egalitarian values of the Western Tradition.