National Geographic Essential Visual History of the World [Hardcover]

National Geographic (Author)

Book Description

Series: National Geographic | Publication Date: May 15, 2007

From the dawn of civilization to the first decade of the 21st century, this straightforwardly written, superbly accessible reference distills the concentrated essence of world history into a single compact, 544-page volume that fits in the palm of your hand. Featuring more than 1,000 illustrations, it's a book as vivid as it is definitive, with an innovative design that invites readers to envision the human epic from a wide variety of revealing perspectives.

Here are history's greatest moments presented in self-contained, interactive spreads organized by epochal themes and cross-referenced to offer an in-depth and multi-dimensional view of major world events. The book is organized into eight fundamental eras from prehistory to the present day, with a timeline detailing each section and fascinating sidebars throughout which explore the full scope of the human experience. The illustrations offer a constant, vibrant counterpoint, carefully selected not only to complement the text and depict its important events and personalities, but also to provide the visual excitement that helps turn a wealth of informative facts into an irresistibly fascinating adventure.

A casual browser's delight yet authoritative and wide-ranging enough to engage lifelong history buffs or enlighten students in search of a panoramic overview, this amazingly affordable book is truly what its title describes: essential.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 544 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic (May 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1426200919
• ISBN-13: 978-1426200915
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1.6 x 6.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #553,209 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars needs better editing, September 15, 2007

By 

frothy (IN, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: National Geographic Essential Visual History of the World (Hardcover)

I'm about a third of the way through this book and I've found numerous errors. It will sometimes say B.C. when A.D. is clearly meant also it tends to confuse the word century with millenium. Alexander the Great did not kill Darius nor did Mohammed flee from Mecca to Hejira nor did the arabs conquer the western roman empire. Plus it contains the bizarre statement that the Byzantines "conquered" the eastern roman empire. Pretty pictures though.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Handy book, but..., July 7, 2011

By 

D. Yang (Derwood, MD) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: National Geographic Essential Visual History of the World (Hardcover)

This book is useful to have on hand as a concise world history reference. The pictures and timelines are helpful. I can't vouch for the comprehensive or evenly distributed coverage of this quarto, however, as I haven't used it enough, nor do I have enough knowledge to make a sound judgment. My only caveats are that the print is a little small-- hello, eye strain!-- and that it is rife with typos, one of my pet peeves.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful and handy tool, August 23, 2008

By 

P. L. Landry - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: National Geographic Essential Visual History of the World (Hardcover)

This small book is a very handy and informative tool that provides a quick introduction to the flow of history. It does not pretend to be a comprehensive reference volume, but does provide useful introductions entry points for further inquiry into virtually all major historical eras.