Cartoon History of the Universe 1 Vol. 1-7 (Cartoon History of the Universe) (Pt.1) [Paperback]

Larry Gonick (Author)

Book Description

Series: Cartoon History of the Universe | Publication Date: September 10, 1997

An entertaining and informative illustrated guide  that makes world history accessible, appealing,  and funny.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

One of the beautiful things about comics is that it is possibly the best medium for combining education and entertainment. No one knows this better than Larry Gonick, whose Cartoon History series spans many subjects. Whether you are a fan of history, comics, or Gonick's books, The Cartoon History of the Universe I is a great place to start. Part I contains volumes 1 to 7, from the Big Bang to Alexander the Great.

From Publishers Weekly

Gonick's hilariously informative history of the planet is a great addition to the growing field of comics trade books. Starting with the Big Bang theory and moving on to the "evolution of everything," he manages to cover three billion years--from the origins of cellular life to the fossil and dinosaur periods that followed, right up to the first appearance of hominids--all with casual erudition, silly humor and delightfully cartoony black-and-white drawings. But Gonick doesn't stop there. He reinstates the record of women (their theoretical role in the development of agriculture and the matrilineal clans of the neolithic era) as well as accurately restoring black racial characteristics to the Egyptian dynasties. He also surveys other highly evolved ancient civilizations: the Sumerians, the Hittites, the Assyrians and the Israelites. Gonick cheerfully conjures rulers, warriors and slaves alike, many stumbling around in the desert, as they form the foundations for Western civilization. This is Gonick's first book.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; First Edition edition (September 10, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385265204
• ISBN-13: 978-0385265201
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 1 x 10.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,080 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #14 in Books > History > Historical Study > Reference
  • #65 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Comic Strips

More About the Author

Larry Gonick has been creating comics that explain history, science, and other big subjects for more than thirty years, ever since Blood from a Stone: A Cartoon Guide to Tax Reform appeared in 1977. He has been a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT and is staff cartoonist for Muse magazine.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I use it as a reference book!, February 11, 2001

By 

RigelK - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cartoon History of the Universe 1 Vol. 1-7 (Cartoon History of the Universe) (Pt.1) (Paperback)

Cartoon History presents a large amount of information at a rapid clip and keeps you laughing the whole time. Topics that may have seemed boring in history class (or weren't addressed at all) will suddenly spark the imagination and leave you wanting to read more. Thick history presented in the exact opposite of dry textbook style, all high school and college students should own a copy of this book! (Gonick doesn't pull punches about the graphic violence and bizarre sexuality of our history, so parents should exercise discretion about handing this book to younger students.) Gonick also shows intriguing perspectives that you won't get in the average, mainstream textbook market; and he especially gives women a voice they normally do not have. Hopping all over the globe for more than white man's western civ, this book and its sequel open up history in a startling and energized way. I highly recommend keeping a copy on your reference shelf.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars superb, September 6, 2005

By 

Michael Durfee "Michaeld" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cartoon History of the Universe 1 Vol. 1-7 (Cartoon History of the Universe) (Pt.1) (Paperback)

Larry Gonick's book on statistics inspired me. I still don't understand probability but I was amused. His history text shows again that he is smarter then I am but I understoond the text and learned about the time it took to get here from the beginning of time and the maze of attorcities that leads from one powerful kingdom to another. Cartoons help make powerful messages more tolerable. I may buy all of his work.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars entertaining and informative....., April 25, 2000

By 

goodoldmac "goodoldmac" (Charlotte, North Carolina United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cartoon History of the Universe 1 Vol. 1-7 (Cartoon History of the Universe) (Pt.1) (Paperback)

Billions of years of history are combined in the first of these excellent books. Author Gonick takes us from the "Big Bang" to Alexander the Great with his cartoons and even manages to get a bit of detail in parts of it...(obviously this book is not comprehensive, nor is it intended to be)Gonick does not shy away from unpopular or unpleasant aspects either. His portrait of Moses is not particulary flattering and he is not afraid to poke fun at scientists and their various "theories" of how/why this or that happened. This book is written from a scientific viewpoint, so Creationism gets short shift here...(not mentioned at all in fact). An excellent bibilography is furnished at the end of the book for readers who want to delve farther into the historical periods covered here...very highly recommended