History Year by Year: The Ultimate Visual Guide to the Events that Shaped the World

by Peter Chrisp, Susan D. Kennedy

From the origins of our earliest African ancestors right up until the present day, History Year by Year covers the history of cultures and nations around the world in amazing visual detail.

Discover the events, individuals, cultures, inventions and ideas that have shaped the world in this innovative and visually arresting book that presents the 'who', 'where' and 'what' of history as never before. Explore the past using dynamic timelines that highlight major themes and "stories of the year" as well as bite-sized detail so you can move seamlessly through history.

Completely comprehensive yet perfect for browsing, History Year by Year is an essential addition to any family bookshelf making the past accessible to everyone.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Reference, World History, Historical, Science, Collections

512 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Peter Chrisp is a British children's author of books on history. With over sixty books published, his various works include Blitzkrieg!, Dorling Kindersly's Ancient Egypt Revealed and Ancient Rome Revealed, The Spanish Conquests of the New World, and many more.

He first began writing history after working on the Mass-Observation archive at the University of Sussex. He has also worked as a writer on the online project "Icons of England".

Aside from his publications in literature, he is also an artist, who has exhibited collections of his cartoons and hand-drawn postcards during Brighton Festival. He is an inveterate theatre- and concert-goer, and during the Edinburgh Festival regularly views three shows a day. He collects original art works, and is a fan of Eric Ravilious and Jonny Hannah among others.

At present, Mr. Chrisp acts as one of Brighton's cultural attaches to Lewes. This is believed to be largely an honorary position. He is also being talked of as a possible future Mayor of Brighton.

Reviews

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always interesting to see the little biases and Euro/West/White-centric tendencies hidden even in the most innocuous of places. The older I get, the more I realise that everything you read and have been taught is a lie from some point of view. How can we know history, the "what really happened"s buried underneath the self-serving embellishments and downplaying... The only way to know any kind of truth is to read as much and as broadly as possible. This book is an interesting place to start sharpening your mental-lens acuity.

[Taylor Church · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a terrific bathroom book. I read it over the course of a few months; a few pages each trip to the throne, until as I usually do with bathroom literature I got impatient and finished the final portions of the book in a blitzkrieg read-a-thon. This is a great book for someone who is curious about historical things, but doesn't care to get too in dept with any one area of study. But it also appeals to the more advanced student of history, for it reminds you of events and people that you have heard about, but no very little about, urging you to research more. A lovely thing.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 Stars

A brilliant hardback containing short, sharp, concise pockets and snippets of world history information, ranging from 6.5 million years ago, right up to 2012.

The short pockets of information were unbiased, factual and right to the point, exactly what I've been looking for. They were easy to digest, given a lot of it can get confusing at times in terms of who is who and they were fighting for, or what happened.

The pictures also helped visually, in terms of giving you a real sense of who was who and what is what. Written words are exactly that, but the pictures helped to give the reader a real sense of history looking at them.

A brilliant read for a history loving fan such as myself. A must recommend to anyone who wants to know more about planet Earth's history and mankind's evolution.

[Ruben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fa mesos que el vaig acabar de traduir... ara l'he trobat aquí, perdut entre els meus llibres en progrés 🤣

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

It truly lives up to being just a timeline of history book. I did not find it as in depth as I would have liked and I did find some of the time frames scattered a bit. After reading this book, I would not recommend it for a serious history buff.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good short form history of the world, with numerous drawings and photos to pique your interest in exploring some topics in more depth elsewhere.

[Cricket Muse · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I term a flipper, a book that is full of information and photographs and trivia that one absorbs by flipping through the pages. Found in the juvenile section while volunteer shelving, I definitely enjoyed flipping through it through the month, filling in my history knowledge gaps. Goes up to 2012.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son received this for Christmas and I spent a few hours reading through it. I like how it summarized when different things happened all over the world. Doesn’t go very in-depth, but a helpful review of history for adults and an introduction to history for kids.

[Benjamin Whelan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An awesome comprehensive guide from the very start of human history to where we are now (2000s). Some sections can feel a bit laborious and info-dump'ish, but the overall experience was great and provides a solid outlook on our full history, without needing to go too much in-depth.

[Deborah W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing overview of world history. What I noticed was that war is always happening and, unless human nature changes drastically (doubtful), WILL always happen. Makes me sad.

[Nader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Focuses on major events and includes a lot of photographs, illustrations, maps and graphics.

[Todd C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent highlights of major events throughout our history, from early man to today.

[Maryam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and interesting.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

For people who are curious about the past, should read this book! From the Roman Empire to the invention of technology, there is so much to learn! Even in middle.

[Emilia Cabrera Fadina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, any time you have a HISTORY question go to this book, tbh I love DK books!

[Phuong-Anh Ly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book!

[Carl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my Wikipedia in primary school

[Alireza Borhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice book for general knowledge about history. I give four stars because it serves its purpose quite well!

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always had a passion for learning history and this was the first history book I ever got. I found this book very informative and cool to read. The images and setup of the book were easy to understand. I learned a lot and this inspired me to get more books from DK Smithsonian. I recommend this book to anyone who is just starting to have an interest in history and doesn't want a big textbook.

[Carole P. Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The "Dark Ages" were a direct result of the fall of the Roman Empire. The Revolutions that rocked the world in the 18th century were born from the Age of Enlightenment. Few people realize that history is a continuous result of the occurrences that took place before. When you look at history as a cause and effect and connect the dots, it makes it much easier to understand where and how things happened, and why we must study the past to learn what's in store for us in the future. I bought this book for my son and daughter in law to read with their children. If children recognize events from the past- it will make it easier to learn in school. Many children have trouble with social studies. If you can get them familiar with certain key events- it will make is more understandable in the classroom. If you stress and show how events from the past have somehow effect them today- it personalizes history into something they can relate to and understand.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dorling Kindersley always comes through with their colourful and informative nonfiction titles - this one is no exception.

The entire history of the world is presented chronologically with plenty of images and informative text. There are frequent forays into specific periods, wars or movements as we are carried along the timeline, and there is no cultural bias, with every continent receiving due attention. There are also several 'child of the times' segments exploring the life of a typical child from within a certain culture or time period.

The book is very child-friendly (at least as far as world history can be considered such - wars and assassinations are not glossed over), but it is also an accessible and detailed volume for any adult keen to refresh their historical knowledge. It also has the advantage of being very up-to-date, reaching up as a far as 2012 in the latest edition. Definitely recommended!

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

A visually impressive combination of short snippets of fact with diagrams and images to recount the history of the world from 6.5 million years ago to 2012. It treats all peoples, places, religions and customs equally as historical events, not dedicating more to one than another, though perhaps the non-Christian religions have a more detailed explanation of beliefs and customs with less emphasis on wars and injustices committed in their name. Published as it is in the UK, the point of view is only faintly noticeable as British, with slightly more events of British history recounted than of other countries. Overall it is an informative and highly useful resource for teaching a broad range of history to children between 8 and 12 years.

[carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended Ages: grades 4 and up

Beginning with prehistory and running up to the Arab Spring, budding historians will learn about the history of humans across the world. Spreads highlight major historical eras including the Renaissance and the French Revolution, while quotations from primary and secondary sources alongside insight from experts give proper historical context. Children will love the "child of the time" feature, telling the experience of children at important historical periods including Ancient Egypt, Viking England, the Industrial Revolution, and World War II. - from Amazon.com

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just got my hands on a library copy of this book. Had an idea. Why not cover a page a day to spearhead curiosity and studies? (there are 360 pages or 180 double page spreads). So, for day 1 you'd check out books or follow links about early humans (or ape/human fossils), early tools (try making some), early shelters (make a 3-d early shelter with pretzels and crackers and cereal), making fire. Maybe watch The Croods. Memorize Christina Rossetti's poem "An Emerald is as Green as Stone" - the last line being "but flint holds fire". What fun can be had with a FAMILY LEARNING ADVENTURE!

[Serge Pierro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed DK Publishing's graphic designs, and "History Year by Year" is no exception. Lots of historical data is beautifully displayed and the timeline element added to the feeling of time "progressing" throughout. As with all historical texts, there is a bias of sorts, so that should be taken into account. and the "pre-history" section could have been done away with, as it is merely "speculation". Otherwise, this is an excellent and concise book on the subject matter.

[Ardhi Listyar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This hardcover, encyclopedia-like book covers hundreds, if not thousands of historical accounts from around the world. Major events got their details described well, but smaller and minor events sometimes do not get enough exposure. Note that some historical accounts in some countries are not addressed in this book, since this is a 'big picture' history book, covering only what the author considers as substantial or big events.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neat book, very helpful This book is full of history and facts, with a timeline and excellent pictures. Easy to read and to find a specific topic, the book is divided into decades and describes the most important historical events and people from the beginning of time to the present. An excellent and reliable, easy-to-use source for history and facts.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The boys and I always enjoy the DK books we borrow from the library and this one was no exception. A great history overview for our school year this year. It has already sent us down a few rabbit trails.

[J C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Exactly the book you expect it to be... gaudy, uncontroversial, and an uncompromising chart of the central western narrarive. Totally a waste of time, each page even more nauseating than the last.

[Cora Kertzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very educational and the visuals made the book seem fun.