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Timelines of History: The Ultimate Visual Guide to the Events That Shaped the World
Beginning with the emergence of our earliest African ancestors and taking readers through the history of cultures and nations around the world to arrive at the present day, Timelines of History caters to readers who want a broad overview, a good story to read, or the nitty-gritty of historical events. With easily accessible cross-references that build bite-size pieces of information into a narrative that leads readers back and forth through time, Timelines of History makes the past accessible to all families, students, and the general reader.
512 pages, Paperback
First published September 19, 2011
93 people are currently reading
1483 people want to read
About the author
D.K. Publishing
9,126 books2,070 followersDorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 12, 2022
The partnership between the Smithsonian and D. K. Publishing has created another wonderful volume. Having the treasures of the Smithsonian museums and research centers to draw on has melded well with the skills of D. K. in graphic presentation
The book is a broad survey that includes anthropology, sociology, genetics, history, technology and much more. That is its virtue and its curse. While a synthesizing timeline runs across the bottom of each page, what you are confronted with jumps back and forth from one topic to another in most time periods. I am as easily distracted as Dug in the movie “Up,” but also easily delighted by the next thing that pops in front of my eyes. Civilizations show their artifacts; burial sites reveal skeletons' changes in dress; the invention of writing is evaluated; wars occur; empires (from the Babylonians to beyond the Brits) rise and fall; popular movements are showcased; and engineering marvels are explained.
About a decade old, I am sure it is due for some update, but the stuff you are likely to be most interested in is already there. Enjoy
The book is a broad survey that includes anthropology, sociology, genetics, history, technology and much more. That is its virtue and its curse. While a synthesizing timeline runs across the bottom of each page, what you are confronted with jumps back and forth from one topic to another in most time periods. I am as easily distracted as Dug in the movie “Up,” but also easily delighted by the next thing that pops in front of my eyes. Civilizations show their artifacts; burial sites reveal skeletons' changes in dress; the invention of writing is evaluated; wars occur; empires (from the Babylonians to beyond the Brits) rise and fall; popular movements are showcased; and engineering marvels are explained.
About a decade old, I am sure it is due for some update, but the stuff you are likely to be most interested in is already there. Enjoy
March 15, 2012
Oooh, I LOVE this book. It is amazing. DK has really out-done itself this time. I am working on finally getting up a homeschool timeline (now that I have a long, empty hallway), and this book is my inspiration. From the earliest origins of humans to last year's Arab revolutions, every page is lavishly illustrated and packed with well-organized historical happenings. The timeline runs along the bottom of each page, and above it is a nice summary of major events during whatever century/decade/year is being portrayed. I could (and have) browse through it for hours, taking in everything that was happening worldwide during, say, the reign of William the Conqueror, or the early 19th century when Jane Austen was writing, or around 600 B.C. when Lehi left Jerusalem. So fascinating to have a visual portrayal of what Charlotte Mason called "the pageant of history."
It was so weird to me to get to the end (the book devotes a whole page to 2011), and see the Tunisian revolution, and think back to how I was there, and following it day by day as it unfolded. There it was, the history I had witnessed myself, right there written up the same as the Battle of Thermopylae. History marches on.
It was so weird to me to get to the end (the book devotes a whole page to 2011), and see the Tunisian revolution, and think back to how I was there, and following it day by day as it unfolded. There it was, the history I had witnessed myself, right there written up the same as the Battle of Thermopylae. History marches on.
July 28, 2018
A Book Too Far …
This book was reviewed as part of Amazon's Vine program which included a free copy of the book.
As a huge fan of DK’s line of reference books (I’ve collected over 25 volumes), TIMELINES OF HISTORY missed the mark for me presentation-wise.
TIMELINES OF HISTORY covers world history from the first evidence of humans to present day. This meaty volume (500 pages) crams A LOT of information into a relatively “small” book (it’s not the large, coffee-table sized hardcover book I’m accustomed to using). DK has always been good at taking a broad subject and breaking it down into smaller, detailed portions that are easy and enjoyable to consume. But, I found the breadth material covered in this book condensed into a format that was more convoluted and confusing than I would have expected.
TIMELINES OF HISTORY is divided into seven chronological chapters (periods of history) with an eighth chapter that serves as a directory that summarizes several topics. Each chapter (historical period) has its pages marked with a corresponding color banner which allows readers to navigate-by-sight to specific historical periods. The bottom of each page includes a timeline detailing specific historical moments with the text above generally illustrating the items noted on the time line. As with most DK volumes, there are plenty of pictures, insets, graphs, maps and factoids filling each page with bold print identifying specific people, places and events. The problem is that there are additional timelines within the timelines that capture specific events (like the evolution of the automobile, for example) and things start getting convoluted and frustrating. The textual content is arranged vertically to accommodate periods within each page’s timeline (fortunately, borders keep the text reigned-in). The entire package is presented like a collage with timeline on the bottom ... too much. The directory in the back serves as an appendix that summarizes topics in lists (like leaders/rulers, inventions, wars, etc.). I liked this chapter best of all as it was useful and easy to navigate.
Overall, TIMELINES OF HISTORY is a decent reference tool, but I just found it to be too much information crammed into too small a space. The reason I like DK books is that each book serves as a magnifying glass that graphically and textually examines a subject (like cars, dogs or planets) in a vivid, awe-inspiring manner. In my opinion, TIMELINES OF HISTORY attempts to take this same approach with too broad a subject; the tried an true DK format simply didn’t work so well with this book.
This book was reviewed as part of Amazon's Vine program which included a free copy of the book.
As a huge fan of DK’s line of reference books (I’ve collected over 25 volumes), TIMELINES OF HISTORY missed the mark for me presentation-wise.
TIMELINES OF HISTORY covers world history from the first evidence of humans to present day. This meaty volume (500 pages) crams A LOT of information into a relatively “small” book (it’s not the large, coffee-table sized hardcover book I’m accustomed to using). DK has always been good at taking a broad subject and breaking it down into smaller, detailed portions that are easy and enjoyable to consume. But, I found the breadth material covered in this book condensed into a format that was more convoluted and confusing than I would have expected.
TIMELINES OF HISTORY is divided into seven chronological chapters (periods of history) with an eighth chapter that serves as a directory that summarizes several topics. Each chapter (historical period) has its pages marked with a corresponding color banner which allows readers to navigate-by-sight to specific historical periods. The bottom of each page includes a timeline detailing specific historical moments with the text above generally illustrating the items noted on the time line. As with most DK volumes, there are plenty of pictures, insets, graphs, maps and factoids filling each page with bold print identifying specific people, places and events. The problem is that there are additional timelines within the timelines that capture specific events (like the evolution of the automobile, for example) and things start getting convoluted and frustrating. The textual content is arranged vertically to accommodate periods within each page’s timeline (fortunately, borders keep the text reigned-in). The entire package is presented like a collage with timeline on the bottom ... too much. The directory in the back serves as an appendix that summarizes topics in lists (like leaders/rulers, inventions, wars, etc.). I liked this chapter best of all as it was useful and easy to navigate.
Overall, TIMELINES OF HISTORY is a decent reference tool, but I just found it to be too much information crammed into too small a space. The reason I like DK books is that each book serves as a magnifying glass that graphically and textually examines a subject (like cars, dogs or planets) in a vivid, awe-inspiring manner. In my opinion, TIMELINES OF HISTORY attempts to take this same approach with too broad a subject; the tried an true DK format simply didn’t work so well with this book.
December 5, 2019
I love this book. The images. The layout. Everything.
I can say I am now hooked to buying things from DK publishing ever since I’ve bought the science year by year. Though it was a bit pricey for me. It was worth the penny. Just love flipping through the pages.
Though I am not a master of the subject it will give the reader an image of the history. This was extremely helpful for me as I learn easier through images than just text and stated facts. Having images helps me learn and remember the events so this was totally helpful.
I can say I am now hooked to buying things from DK publishing ever since I’ve bought the science year by year. Though it was a bit pricey for me. It was worth the penny. Just love flipping through the pages.
Though I am not a master of the subject it will give the reader an image of the history. This was extremely helpful for me as I learn easier through images than just text and stated facts. Having images helps me learn and remember the events so this was totally helpful.
March 25, 2021
This is a good book if you enjoy history and the DK style. I found the text more useful than the detailed timeline. There are a number of typographical errors; I was impressed to read that the politician Heinrich Brüning lived from 1855-1970, except that he was born in 1885. I think the stated meaning of the acronym NASA was incorrect and it is stated Concorde's last flight was in 2002 and 2003. Good layout as usual from DK.
April 18, 2023
IF THE FONT IS TOO SMALL, YOU CAN ENLARGE IT ON YOUR KINDLE FIRE OR IPAD!
All you have to do is place your thumb and forefinger together on the screen of your Fire or iPad and gradually spread them apart until you enlarge the font to a size that you are comfortable with! That’s it! Of course you’re not going to be able to enlarge the entire page on the screen at one time; you’ll have to move your fingers around the page and read it in portions. This is a great ebook that compresses a lot of information into a relatively small file. Enjoy it! (By the way, enlarging the font size in this way does not always work on ebooks that are primarily text with no photos or art. There is another way to enlarge the font of text only. Read your user manual.)
All you have to do is place your thumb and forefinger together on the screen of your Fire or iPad and gradually spread them apart until you enlarge the font to a size that you are comfortable with! That’s it! Of course you’re not going to be able to enlarge the entire page on the screen at one time; you’ll have to move your fingers around the page and read it in portions. This is a great ebook that compresses a lot of information into a relatively small file. Enjoy it! (By the way, enlarging the font size in this way does not always work on ebooks that are primarily text with no photos or art. There is another way to enlarge the font of text only. Read your user manual.)
October 14, 2023
The information contained in the book is so vast that, one who reads will going to be lost there forever.
Currently reading
March 15, 2025Source : RJ Xmas Mad Money Gift. Bought a used hardcopy.
Interested in when things happened esp, before AD .
Interested in when things happened esp, before AD .
December 17, 2013
i don't get the high review. dk has done much better. the title is incredibly accurate: timelines of history. each page is a geographical timeline, side-by-side with whatever is going on at exactly the same time in other parts of the world. obviously there are gaps. but there isn't really text - just lots of dates and historical moments. i guess useful if you know what you're looking for, but otherwise not terribly approachable as a flipper table tome.
read-in-part
February 9, 2018Lo tenían en la casita que alquilamos en Colonia.
Read
November 30, 2018Tfdb
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews