History of the World: Third Edition Revised and Updated [Hardcover]

Plantagenet Somerset Fry (Author), Simon Adams (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Who were the first dwellers on earth? What were the Dark Ages? What started the Russian revolution? These and many other key questions are answered in the History of the World, a year-by-year account of landmark events from the first humans to the present day. Allowing readers to see the history of human advancement in a journey through time, this thoroughly revised edition of the international bestseller details the lives of the men and women who have made their mark, from religious leaders and politicians to inventors and scientists, and covers major historical events from the origin of man right up to the present day. AUTHOR BIO: Somerset Plantagenet Fry was a senior member of Wolfson College, Cambridge, and the author of more than 50 history books. In 1972, he published his children's History of the World, an international bestseller that sold more than 1 million copies in six languages. His book The Kings & Queens of England and Scotland is also published by DK

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This updated version of a 1994 title follows the typical DK graphic-intense format: full-color photographs, illustrations, maps, drawings, and reproductions spill across pages, curling around brief text entries. Every page is splashed with numerous pictorial presentations of artifacts, individuals, and events deemed representative of historic periods, civilizations, and cultures. Coverage begins in the Cambrian era, 570 million years ago, and is current through 2004. The volume divides history into 20 chronological chapters, beginning with "Early People" and moving through such sections as "Traders and Warriors," "Monks and Invaders," "Commerce and Colonies," "The World Goes to War," and, finally, "One World." Each chapter begins with a two-page spread of a map of the world that provides a quick visual summary of major developments. The next two pages feature time lines of specific events, sorted into five geographic areas: Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania. Subsequent pages discuss these events in more detail, adding background images representing aspects of daily life: decorative arts, cultural and religious artifacts, portraits of influential people, and so on. Detailed captions effectively relate these illustrations to the text. A final section, "Reference Pages," offers several summaries of various aspects of human development: time lines of empires, inventions, diseases, disasters, and medical advances; lists of U.S. presidents, Russian and Soviet leaders, and international organizations; charts of city population growth and religious affiliation; and maps of population density, political assassinations, and drinking and driving age requirements. A four-page chronology of the British Isles is followed by a glossary and detailed index. Intended for general audiences, the text and maps use modern or commonly known country names and terms, English versions of proper names, and U.S. measures. Although perhaps not a first-priority purchase for the reference collection, this visually enticing compilation will prove irresistible to browsers and offers a wealth of support material to student researchers. The first edition was extremely popular. Public- and secondary-school collections will probably want to update and might want to consider circulating copies as well. Kathleen McBroom
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Plantagenet Somerset Fry is an international bestseller and the author of more than 50 history books, including The Kings & Queens of England and Scotland, published by DK in 1990. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: DK CHILDREN; 3 edition (September 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756631440
• ISBN-13: 978-0756631444
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #114,093 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Visual Journey through the Past, January 25, 2006

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: History of the World (Hardcover)

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

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good as a companion to text-based history, August 15, 2008

By 

Shannon McClendon "gatsby" (seattle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: History of the World: Third Edition Revised and Updated (Hardcover)

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.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Written well, December 30, 2009

By 

Shannyn Bishop Snyder - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: History of the World (Hardcover)

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.