National Geographic Visual History of the World

by Klaus Berndl, Douglas Brinkley (Introduction)

The world history book to define all others, this visual encyclopedia of world events is a classic in the making―and a favorite of history buffs everywhere. No other volume offers such a comprehensive and richly illustrated chronicle, from the construction of the Pyramids to the overthrow of the Taliban. Readers see how momentous happenings, personalities, catastrophes, discoveries, and inventions unfold in a visually stimulating layout. Four eight-page gatefolds bring to life major events of world history and thousands of paintings, photographs and illustrations depict subjects ranging from the Roman Empire to the Reformation, World War II, to the war in Afghanistan. A timeline at the bottom of every page highlights the most important events, names, and dates of the era, and color-coded cross-referencing helps point readers to other applicable sections. Ideal for people who prefer to flip through books at random, this highly accessible resource contains sidebars on the great religions, influential ideologies, and other topics, as well as biographies of world leaders and notable personalities in the arts and humanities. National Geographic Visual History of the World is an indispensable, impressive, and extravagantly illustrated reference of social, cultural, and military history in one volume. It is a must-have for all families, armchair historians, and serious scholars alike.

Genres: History, Reference, Nonfiction, World History, Science, Coffee Table Books, Photography

656 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read this entire thing in 9 months, which is an accomplishment if you ask me

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehensive and detailed, but would benefit from more maps and less photographs,. index is terrible

[Filip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Visual History of The World is great encyclopedia about almost every human knowledge there is. From politics, science, history, culture to mechanics, society and religions. Everything is here and book is must have to all people with affinity to reading.
Of caurse informations are only basic and there should be more maps where events were taken place.
But all in all great book of human knowledge.

[Shabba · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me 2 years to get through this book, so much information complemented by pictures and drawings. The reason I bought this book is because I wanted to own something that told all history in one book. It is better to pick a place and time and read separate books because you remember what you read better but they did a great job on this book.

[Simone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing reference work, worth owning. Leave it to National Geographic to get the "visual" aspect of history down pat.

[Vedang Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will be a great journey reading this top notch book...

[Daniela · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a very comprehensive book about history.

[Shalene · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this monster book.

[Oana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Varianta în română, 947 pagini.
Imagini foarte frumoase, hârtie de calitate, informații uneori (un pic) părtinitoare - istoria e așa cum e scrisă, nu neapărat cum a fost de fapt.

[Rommel Harlequin Monet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Needs an update.

Don't get me wrong - this is one of the best coffee table books ever devised, covering man's history, going back to cavemen. And I buy it for gifts all the time; I've probably bought 5 or 6 copies and, from time to time, when I'm bored (which isn't often), I crack it open and read about King Henry VIII (who was a very misunderstood gentleman) or Napoleon (who was a champion of liberty per this book) or Egyptians and their fascination with triangles and zombies, or the Japanese in the olden days before they made Hondas and anime. The pictures alone are worth the price of the book and you can cut them out and make great posters to hang on your wall.

But the book was published before some important historical events happened, which ought to be included in a new edition, such as:

--when Anthony Weiner showed his crotch on Twitter
--when former US Senator John Edwards was accused of spending nearly $1 million to keep his mistress in hiding during his 2008 presidential campaign
--when former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was accused of molesting young boys
--when video emerged showing Toronto Mayor Rob Ford smoking what appeared to be crack cocaine.
--when Anthony Weiner's New York mayoral campaign was derailed by more sexting allegations.
--when TV cooking personality Paula Deen was recorded calling her black employees the N-word.
--when Hackers stole nude photos and information from iClouds belonging to Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton, and 200 others.
--when Cliff Huxtable was accused of "offering a woman a cup of coffee or some sort of alcoholic beverage—which may be spiked with drugs—and allegedly sexually assaulting the victim as she's impaired or unconscious"
--when Anthony Weiner sexted a 15-year-old girl and later served prison time for it.
--when New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was suspended after 'Deflategate.'
--when Khloe Kardashian's boyfriend, Tristan Thompson, cheated on her with Kylie Jenner's best friend, Jordyn Woods.

...to name but a few! Come on Hollywood, stop being so lazy and give the people what they want!

These era-defining events could fill at least another 20 or 30 pages.

[Anoop Dixith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a reference book from all angles, but I made the mistake of actually reading it, as I submitted to the quizzer inside me, and couldn't put the book down. It took almost two months to just glance over every page and read the interesting portions that appealed to me (which was almost every page).

Needless to say, Nat Geo's commitment for clarity and organization of this book is commendable. The story is laid out in chronological order as one would expect, but also spans breadthwise on most occasions, touching boundaries that most History books would generally ignore.

The illustrations were exemplary, all the way from the very beginning of civilization at one end to Space Age at the other. This is the book equivalent of a space-time graph of human civilization. I liked the way the editors kept this book limited to facts, without leaving any room for any biased opinion.

While this book is a sheer treat for the fans of history, geography, evolution of ideas, and quizzers in general, it can seem very lengthy and tedious if you're not any of them.

[David Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

National Geographic Visual History of the World by Klaus Berndl (National Geographic Society 2005) (902.02). This is a comprehensively detailed chronicle of world history from the building of the pyramids in the earliest recorded period of history to the overthrow of the Taliban in the 21st century. This is a wonderful volume from a consistently fine publication. My rating: 7.5/10, finished 2006.

[Chris Seltzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are actually several books in this genre of 'visual world history'. This one is far better written and easier to digest than most of the others.

I have difficulty putting my finger on what precisely sets it apart. The organization is clear, the prose is easy to follow, the photos, maps, etc., are extremely helpful, and there are great fold-out timelines for critical moments.

[Erin H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far one of my favorite reference books. I loved the pictures the author chose and how they correlated nicely with the text. The author made the book easy to understand and did a great job.

[MIMI METCALFE · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEST BOOK I'VE EVER STARTED TO READ!
IT'S GOT :

a. EASY to Understand Explanations for Beginning History Buffs like Me


b. Plenty of Photographs


c. Timelines on Every Page

EVERY High-school Student in the WORLD should read THIS!

[Jennie Lanz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Awesome book. Way too much text to read, but would be awesome for a coffee table book.