Customer Reviews

History of the World

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The History of the World is now completely updated. Simon Adams has continued the work of Plantagenet Somerset Fry (1946-1996) and has worked on this book with a number of consultants who have helped to make this book truly spectacular.

If you have ever wondered what an Etruscan headband looked like (rather ornate gold leaves), caught yourself fascinated by Polynesian navigation or love thinking about living in a castle, this book has a lot to offer. Here you will find a picture of the Mayflower and then a two-page section on the 1700-1750s world, complete with a timeline. Actually every page has a timeline running along the edge so you can instantly place the information being discussed within context. The main chapters include:

Introduction to Human History
Early People
The First Civilizations
Traders and Warriors
The Growth of Empires
The Decline of the Ancient World
Religious Worlds
New Nations
Monks and Invaders
Conquest and Plague
The Expansion of Knowledge
The Great Rulers
Commerce and Colonies
The Age of Inquiry
The Age of Revolution
Independence and Industry
The Rise of Nationalism
The World Goes to War
Peace and War
One World

Some of the unique features of this book include color-coded information that is divided into five main regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania (Australasia, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands). Date-led entries provide interesting details about significant developments in the world. Artwork and modern pictures help to give a visual reference to the key events pages. There are special feature pages to give a space for descriptions of the culture being discussed and the "illustrated comparative time charts" put the information into perspective in a chronological order.

As you read through the book, you can watch the world change and the pictures give a glimpse into the past, like the partially restored Minoan palace at Knossos. You can learn fun things like facts about the Inca's Freeze-dried potatoes and there is a picture of a potato that is 500 years old that was being preserved in case of a famine. Imagine having to remember how to read information from a string called a quipu instead of writing.

Population density maps give a better idea than numbers, a special section on inventions and discoveries shows progress and a comprehensive index and helpful glossary make this book even more useful. Information about beaded amulets sewn back in the 1800s helps to explain why they are still popular today in bead stores. The history of buildings page shows the endless variety of creative expression. The lacquered and beaded items are especially fascinating in this book.

This book can also be fun to read if you are just wandering around this site. I looked up a Persian fruit bowl and ended up finding some rose scented candles and beautiful china patterns. A search for a Ming Chinese food dish brings up a book about Chinese Medicine. It is very likely something in this book will cause you to search for more information or you will enjoy recognizing scenes from movies or world events.

While reading this book you take an epic journey through time and suddenly history becomes much more interesting with all the special features and unique illustrations.

~The Rebecca Review

The publishers of this book are not alone in their assumption that kids have the attention span of gnats and can only handle pictures and captions. It's getting harder and harder to find the kind of in-depth history (or science) books for kids that were common just a few decades ago. When I read this book (or any DK book) aloud to my pre-schooler, he almost always asks multiple questions after each caption because the captions tell you so little and then we are off on an adventure, trying to find more satisfying information elsewhere. So, use this book as a "teaser" to interest kids in going deeper into history or as a supplement so that when you read about, say, Chinese pottery or Egyptian mummies in a text-based book, you can see a picture of the items described. But it's no substitute for the fascinating and complex story of civilization.

We are using this as part of our middle school homeschool curriculum. Like the other DK books, it is well illustrated, written with fun and interesting facts and easy to navigate. We will also use it as a guide in HS.

Loved it. Great for project I'm doing. Timelines, historical facts, etc. Came in time!
No issues. In very good shape!