A Little History of the World and over 390,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
More Buying Choices
76 used & new from $3.60
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
A Little History of the World
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book
Start reading A Little History of the World on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

A Little History of the World (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "All stories begin with 'Once upon a time'..." (more)
Key Phrases: Asia Minor, Middle Ages, Thirty Years War (more...)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
List Price: $25.00
Price: $14.17 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $10.83 (43%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Monday, January 4? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
37 new from $7.99 38 used from $3.60 1 collectible from $25.00

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Kindle Edition, October 13, 2005 $9.99 -- --
  Hardcover, October 12, 2005 $14.17 $7.99 $3.60
  Paperback, October 6, 2008 $10.17 $8.81 $5.11
  Audio, CD, Unabridged, June 14, 2006 $13.57 $12.32 $10.00
  Audio, Download Offsite Link $14.68 or less with new Audible membership

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with The Story of Art by E. H. Gombrich

A Little History of the World + The Story of Art
Price For Both: $33.94

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: A Little History of the World by E. H. Gombrich

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Story of Art by E. H. Gombrich

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Story of Art

The Story of Art

by E. H. Gombrich
4.8 out of 5 stars (49)  $19.77
A Short History of the World

A Short History of the World

by John M. Roberts
3.7 out of 5 stars (29)  $13.57
The Story of Mankind

The Story of Mankind

by Hendrik Willem Van Loon
3.9 out of 5 stars (32)  $10.85
Art and Illusion

Art and Illusion

by E. H. Gombrich
4.6 out of 5 stars (8)  $25.05
Oxford Children's History of the World

Oxford Children's History of the World

by Neil Grant
4.0 out of 5 stars (1)  $17.88
› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. This is an unusual work for Yale: a children's history originally published 70 years ago. But it is a work one can quickly come to love. Gombrich, later known as an art historian, wrote this primer in 1935, when he was a young man in Vienna (it was soon banned by the Nazis as too "pacifist"). Rewritten (and updated) in English mainly by Gombrich himself (who died in 2001, age 92, while working on it), the book is still aimed at children, as the language makes clear: "Then, slowly the clouds parted to reveal the starry night of the Middle Ages." But while he addresses his readers directly at times, Gombrich never talks down to them. Using vivid imagery, storytelling and sly humor, he brings history to life in a way that adults as well as children can appreciate.The book displays a breadth of knowledge, as Gombrich begins with prehistoric man and ends with the close of WWII. In the final, newly added chapter, Gombrich's tone sadly darkens as he relates the rise of Hitler and his own escape from the Holocaust—children, he writes, "must learn from history how easy it is for human beings to be transformed into inhuman beings"—and ends on a note of cautious optimism about humanity's future. (Oct. 13)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist

This is the first English translation of a book written in 1935 in German and translated into 18 languages. Thirty years later, a second German edition was published with a new final chapter. In 40 brief chapters, Gombrich relates the history of humankind from the Stone Age through World War II. In between are historic accounts of such topics as cave people and their inventions (including speech), ancient life along the Nile and in Mesopotamia and Greece, the growth of religion, the Dark Ages, the age of chivalry, the New World, and the Thirty Years' War. Much of this history is told through concise sketches of such figures as Confucius, Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Jesus Christ, Charlemagne, Leonardo da Vinci, Napoleon, and Columbus. Gombrich was asked to write a history geared to younger readers, so the book is filled with innumerable dates and facts, yet it is one to be read by adults. With 41 black-and-white woodcut illustrations and nine maps, it is a timeless and engaging narrative of the human race. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Yale University Press; Rep Tra edition (October 13, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0300108834
  • ISBN-13: 978-0300108835
  • Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #32,187 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

E. H. Gombrich
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's E. H. Gombrich Page
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
All stories begin with 'Once upon a time'. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Asia Minor, Middle Ages, Thirty Years War, King Philip, Shih Huang-ti, Catholic Church, Alexander the Great, King Louis, North Africa, Charles Martel, First World War, Maria Theresa, Peter the Great, French Revolution, Gustavus Adolphus, Leonardo da Vinci, President Wilson, Cardinal Richelieu, German Confederation, Karl Marx, Low Countries, Marie Antoinette, Otto the Great, Pope Innocent, Roman Empire of the West
New!
Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 9 books:
See all 9 books this book cites
 
2 books cite this book:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

A Little History of the World
91% buy the item featured on this page:
A Little History of the World 4.6 out of 5 stars (62)
$14.17
The Story of Art
3% buy
The Story of Art 4.8 out of 5 stars (49)
$19.77
A Short History of the World
3% buy
A Short History of the World 3.7 out of 5 stars (29)
$13.57
A Short History of Nearly Everything
1% buy
A Short History of Nearly Everything 4.5 out of 5 stars (718)
$11.55
Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(2)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
Agree with these tags?

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

62 Reviews
5 star:
 (49)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (62 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
112 of 113 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great history for children of all ages, October 17, 2005
By Steven Chapra (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Most people know Gombrich through his magnificent "The Story of Art," which is simply the best overview of art ever written. Although "A Little History of the World" is on a much smaller scale, it is just as beautifully crafted. He does a wonderful job of providing a quick and insightful overview of (primarily) Western history. In particular, he transforms history into a compelling story that pulls you along from chapter to chapter. I can think of no better gift to give a young person in this day of sound bites and history-lite. And even though it was written for young people, it provides us older folks with a healthy and enjoyable refresher on where we and our society have come from. I've read several comprehensive world histories (in particular J.M. Roberts classic History of the World) and Gombrich's little book serves as a wonderful complement to such larger and more comprehensive works.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
51 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book for Homeschoolers, November 3, 2005
There isn't much I can add much to the other reviews, but I just wanted to say that A Little History of the World is the best overview of world history for children that I've ran across. I highly recommend it to all the homeschoolers out there, and especially those who have children with attention disorders. My daughter does and this book completely held her attention and even had her asking questions. I can't praise this book highly enough.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
37 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars easy to read STORY of history, October 29, 2005
By Joel Cairo (Virginia) - See all my reviews
this relates history as if an older relative were sitting down and telling a child a story. full of mysteries, adventures and surprises...beautifully written...
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Sure some people will get @$$hurt
Sure some people will get asshurt because their little country wasn't mentioned, but my advice to them is to GET OVER IT. Read more
Published 1 day ago by Bea Arthur

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply a gem of a Book
This is world history as "concept." It attacks the subject in chunks of the "once upon a time" variety, just big enough to stick to the brain and such that even a young kid can... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Herbert L Calhoun

5.0 out of 5 stars What exactly makes this book so great?
What exactly makes this book such a pleasure? This is not easy to answer. But I believe it is its minimalism, its boiling down issues to their essence and then choosing words... Read more
Published 7 months ago by David Roth

2.0 out of 5 stars its a history of europe
Misleading title. Its just a history of Europe. That why it fails. Great civilizations / countries like China, Japan, India , North America, South America and even Russia are... Read more
Published 8 months ago by VIKRAM INDRAJIT CHOPRA

3.0 out of 5 stars A very light and simple read, written in another time and age
The concept sounded great, but I really can't recommend this book. It's very euro-centric, too simple and light for adults, and unless you read it aloud to your kids, so they can... Read more
Published 8 months ago by L. Nathanson

5.0 out of 5 stars Laura Reviews: A Little History of the World
Gombrich takes the reader on a pilgrimage from 'before there were any people' up to the end of World War II. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Laura Cococcia

5.0 out of 5 stars Great history overview
Maybe this book was written originally for children, but my wife and I loved it. We listened to it on a trip to Florida, and then went to Europe a couple of months later, and I... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Robert O. Johnson

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read world history
there is no book available that is as comprehensive, easy to read
based on known facts, as this 'Little History of the world'. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Hans Vogt

5.0 out of 5 stars Ah, the ultimate story-teller
This is billed as a book for children, indeed that was his purpose in writing it, and indeed our three kids have all read it. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Poetry Reader

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful history of the World
In history, context is vital. Events seldom make sense when presented individually, and often, the only way to fully understand, comprehend and appreciate any given event in... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Andrew Liptak

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
Yale Press Interview with Leonie Gombrich 0 June 2007
Welcome to the A Little History of the World forum 2 June 2007
Age appropriate 1 January 2006
› See all 3 discussions...  
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
   

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Look for Similar Items by Category

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:















i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.