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National Geographic Concise History of the World: An Illustrated Time Line
From the dawn of humankind to today's global complexities, this monumental volume presents world history from an original perspective that provides fresh insights with every colorful spread. Few references are as invaluable, all-inclusive, and satisfying to browse. For readers of all ages, world history is easily accessible, depicted as never before—so that events occurring simultaneously around the world can be viewed at-a-glance together. For example, Texas Instruments launched the pocket calculator the same year the Soviet Union launched the first manned space station, in 1971. Columbus sailed from Spain the year Martin Behaim constructed a terrestrial globe in Nuremberg. The California Gold Rush followed the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s, and the Greek dictatorship of Papadopoulos is overthrown the same year Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia is deposed and U.S. president Nixon resigns, in 1974. The book's innovative time line truly sets it apart, allowing readers to scan across a spread and explore a single area or compare contemporary societies across the globe.
This remarkable resource also contains dozens of maps; scores of sidebars; hundreds of illustrations; and thousands of events, milestones, personalities, ideas, and inventions. Throughout, vivid illustrations depict artworks, artifacts, portraits and dramatic scenes, while sidebar topics range from local customs and lifestyles to the effect of climate change on human migration. Drawing on National Geographic's vast resources, this concise yet comprehensive, one-of-a-kind work is as rewarding as it is compulsively readable.
This remarkable resource also contains dozens of maps; scores of sidebars; hundreds of illustrations; and thousands of events, milestones, personalities, ideas, and inventions. Throughout, vivid illustrations depict artworks, artifacts, portraits and dramatic scenes, while sidebar topics range from local customs and lifestyles to the effect of climate change on human migration. Drawing on National Geographic's vast resources, this concise yet comprehensive, one-of-a-kind work is as rewarding as it is compulsively readable.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published October 24, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 24, 2020
I have the 2013 revised edition. I've been reading this book, and also adding notes to this as I read other books on history, in order to understand events in the big picture of time and location.
At the time of this writing, this is probably the best book of this kind. It attempts to avoid the common Euro-centric view of the history by dividing the world into four geographic areas: the Americas, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia & Oceania. The timeline makes it easy to see what was happening in each area at about the same time, with many photos, maps, and charts. There are also supplementary explanations about major events and changes.
There are still rooms for improvements, of course. Europe still gets excessive emphasis. For instance, the Buddhist art had a significant change in the 1st century: they (southern Asians) started making human-like statues. Prior to this, they only used symbols such as wheels. Now, I understand that not all historical events can be included in a book. But I daresay this is more important than, say, Catullus's poems, in its impact to wider range of population. (No insult intended to Catullus. He was a great poet.)
Another very disturbing problem: the timeframes are like “1850-1860” “1860-1870” so where do we find events that happened in 1860? Obviously it should go like “1861-1870”. The columns are confusing too. Perhaps the left side page should have only two wide columns: “politics” and “social changes” The right side page can keep the three columns, one of them is the supplemental info as it is, and the other two being “science & technology” and “att&culture”
We are in a time of global change, and I think having a fair knowledge of world history would be helpful to understand it.
At the time of this writing, this is probably the best book of this kind. It attempts to avoid the common Euro-centric view of the history by dividing the world into four geographic areas: the Americas, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia & Oceania. The timeline makes it easy to see what was happening in each area at about the same time, with many photos, maps, and charts. There are also supplementary explanations about major events and changes.
There are still rooms for improvements, of course. Europe still gets excessive emphasis. For instance, the Buddhist art had a significant change in the 1st century: they (southern Asians) started making human-like statues. Prior to this, they only used symbols such as wheels. Now, I understand that not all historical events can be included in a book. But I daresay this is more important than, say, Catullus's poems, in its impact to wider range of population. (No insult intended to Catullus. He was a great poet.)
Another very disturbing problem: the timeframes are like “1850-1860” “1860-1870” so where do we find events that happened in 1860? Obviously it should go like “1861-1870”. The columns are confusing too. Perhaps the left side page should have only two wide columns: “politics” and “social changes” The right side page can keep the three columns, one of them is the supplemental info as it is, and the other two being “science & technology” and “att&culture”
We are in a time of global change, and I think having a fair knowledge of world history would be helpful to understand it.
May 16, 2020
National Geographic’s Concise History of the World by Editor Neil Kagan is an impressive publication that surveys eight periods of world history. The First Societies Prehistory–500 B.C.E., The Classical Age 500 B.C.E.–500 C.E., Faith and Power 500–1000, Invasions and Advances 1000–1500, Converging Worlds 1500–1750, Empires and Revolutions 1750–1900, Global Conflict 1900–1950, and Towards New World Order 1950–Present.
Human history is the story of a species so skilled at exploiting and altering its environment that it now has the power to create new life forms genetically or destroy life on a large scale by extinguishing many species. The warming of the planet began around 10,000 B.C.E. forcing humans to adapt, and they did so with great ingenuity. By 3500 B.C.E the stage was set for the emergence of societies so complex and accomplished that they rank as civilizations. Beginning around 500 B.C.E. civilizations arose that had such lasting power and influence so they were recognized as classical. Much as Greek and Roman civilizations influenced later European cultures, the classical civilizations in Persia, Africa, India, China, and Mesoamerica.
With the first rise of Islam in the seventh century and the spread of Christianity and other established religions, faith became a more powerful force than ever, inspiring rulers and setting armies in motion. Worldly ambitions combined with religious zeal propelled Arab conquerors across Africa and the Middle East and fueled the expansion of the Byzantine Empire around the Mediterranean and Christian kingdoms in Western Europe. Between 1000 and 1500, invaders, traders, and explorers crossed the continents and oceans and brought societies that were worlds apart into contact and conflict. Christian crusaders from Western Europe traveled to Jerusalem to battle Muslims for control of the Holy Land.
Beginning around 1500, western Europeans greatly expanded their reach by establishing trading bases around the globe and colonizing the Americas. This process transformed both the Old World and the New World as people, plants, livestock; viruses and other pathogens crossed oceans and altered conditions on distant shores. Beginning in the late 1700s, political and technological advances gave highly industrial countries a huge advantage over less-developed countries. The industrial revolution began in Great Britain and spread across Western Europe along with national fervor and demands for popular sovereignty, or government responsive to the will of the people.
By the early 20th century, countries around the globe were closely linked by recent advances such as radio and diesel-powered ships. With the introduction of the aircraft, armored vehicles, and guided missiles, the world became an even smaller place, where hostile nations could swiftly project power far beyond their borders and wreak havoc. Following World War Ⅱ the global economy and population boomed. Human numbers climbed from 2.5 billion in 1950 to more than 7 billion by 2013, a biological success unprecedented in the history of humanity and probably in the history of large mammals. Meanwhile, the size of the world’s economy grew by about 18-fold. On average people were richer than ever before by the 21st century.
This reference book has sidebars, many illustrations, boxed features, quotes throughout the chapters, text reviewed by a Board of Advisors, and more that 40 superb National Geographic maps. Included too is a World at a Glance appendix of key events and innovations.
Human history is the story of a species so skilled at exploiting and altering its environment that it now has the power to create new life forms genetically or destroy life on a large scale by extinguishing many species. The warming of the planet began around 10,000 B.C.E. forcing humans to adapt, and they did so with great ingenuity. By 3500 B.C.E the stage was set for the emergence of societies so complex and accomplished that they rank as civilizations. Beginning around 500 B.C.E. civilizations arose that had such lasting power and influence so they were recognized as classical. Much as Greek and Roman civilizations influenced later European cultures, the classical civilizations in Persia, Africa, India, China, and Mesoamerica.
With the first rise of Islam in the seventh century and the spread of Christianity and other established religions, faith became a more powerful force than ever, inspiring rulers and setting armies in motion. Worldly ambitions combined with religious zeal propelled Arab conquerors across Africa and the Middle East and fueled the expansion of the Byzantine Empire around the Mediterranean and Christian kingdoms in Western Europe. Between 1000 and 1500, invaders, traders, and explorers crossed the continents and oceans and brought societies that were worlds apart into contact and conflict. Christian crusaders from Western Europe traveled to Jerusalem to battle Muslims for control of the Holy Land.
Beginning around 1500, western Europeans greatly expanded their reach by establishing trading bases around the globe and colonizing the Americas. This process transformed both the Old World and the New World as people, plants, livestock; viruses and other pathogens crossed oceans and altered conditions on distant shores. Beginning in the late 1700s, political and technological advances gave highly industrial countries a huge advantage over less-developed countries. The industrial revolution began in Great Britain and spread across Western Europe along with national fervor and demands for popular sovereignty, or government responsive to the will of the people.
By the early 20th century, countries around the globe were closely linked by recent advances such as radio and diesel-powered ships. With the introduction of the aircraft, armored vehicles, and guided missiles, the world became an even smaller place, where hostile nations could swiftly project power far beyond their borders and wreak havoc. Following World War Ⅱ the global economy and population boomed. Human numbers climbed from 2.5 billion in 1950 to more than 7 billion by 2013, a biological success unprecedented in the history of humanity and probably in the history of large mammals. Meanwhile, the size of the world’s economy grew by about 18-fold. On average people were richer than ever before by the 21st century.
This reference book has sidebars, many illustrations, boxed features, quotes throughout the chapters, text reviewed by a Board of Advisors, and more that 40 superb National Geographic maps. Included too is a World at a Glance appendix of key events and innovations.
April 9, 2020
2.5/5 stars. This is an adequate history of the world and good for reference use, but was a bit disappointing. True to National Geographic form there are lots of maps and visuals, and historical events are stated in a very concise way as the title advertises.
The thing that bothered me the most was the timeline. It takes up a huge amount of space - really the majority of space - and the facts are awfully random. Some are interesting but many are just "blah". By the end of the book I confess that didn't read the entire timeline and just wanted to finish it. I would recommend reading a good world history textbook or another survey of world history instead.
The thing that bothered me the most was the timeline. It takes up a huge amount of space - really the majority of space - and the facts are awfully random. Some are interesting but many are just "blah". By the end of the book I confess that didn't read the entire timeline and just wanted to finish it. I would recommend reading a good world history textbook or another survey of world history instead.
December 30, 2018
Strangely detailed and yet also provides a bird's eye view. My only complaint is that some things were repeated unnecessarily.
January 2, 2025
It's quite pretty
April 20, 2023
I love the concept of this book, but the execution falls short. It seems like such a good idea to arrange things into geographic swimlanes, but it turns out that forces you into giving disproportionate attention to things that aren't as important. Not every event of global significance is perfectly evenly distributed.
The book ends up being difficult to read through, and there are similar ones that execute the similar concept much better.
The book ends up being difficult to read through, and there are similar ones that execute the similar concept much better.
December 5, 2011
This is not the book I had which was more like "A People's History of the World". It gave a year by year accounting of events both big and small(i.e. the price of bread in Rome). No pictures. Big book that I gave away(I think) a few years ago when I cleaned off my bookshelves. Date read is a guess.
March 11, 2012
A really long book. Very well researched, but you should know what you are taking on before you read it.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews