History in 100 Numbers

by Joel Levy

Numbers can give a fresh and powerful perspective, sharpening the fuzzy outlines of history and bringing more obscure historical players to the fore. They can also offer interesting entry points into broad historical themes. Some numbers even feel as though they can tell a whole story with a few digits. For example, did you know that between 1619 and 1865, African-American slaves provided 222,505,049 hours of forced labor? Or that 191 people were killed trying to cross the Berlin Wall? Or that about 1000 sheep were skinned to make the Domesday Book?History in 100 Numbers presents some of the most famous numbers in history, from the Hundred Years’ War and 9/11 to the 63 clauses in the Magna Carta and the 95 theses of Martin Luther. Whether you read it from cover to cover, dip in and out at random, or decide to read one number a day, this book will entertain and inform you... you can count on it.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

176 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2016

About the author

Joel Levy is a writer and journalist specializing in science and history. He is the author of over a dozen books, including The Little Book of Conspiracies and Scientific Feuds: From Galileo to the Human Genome Project. Phobiapedia is his first book for children.

Reviews

[Mark Iliff · Rating 1 out of 5]

I suspect this started life as a well crafted History in 50 numbers, for about half the articles are nicely turned: take a number and relate in one page – occasionally two – a digestible and little known historical fact that relates somehow to the number. I would have enjoyed that book.

Unfortunately, the other half of the articles are slapdash at best. They often rely on so much prior knowledge of surrounding events and circumstances as to be impenetrable. Sometimes the number in the title doesn’t appear in the article. Often the point of the article is unclear from beginning to end. It’s Will this do? writing of the worst kind. The curious mixture of British and American spellings and usage adds to the impression of a hastily cobbled-together farrago.

The geographical scope is puzzling too: lots of Europe, some N America & China, virtually no Africa, S America or rest of Asia.

Up to that point I might have awarded two stars. But then we come to the book design. It’s atrocious. Pro tip: If you’re going for a small point size, a very thin sans-serif typeface is just about the worst way to do it. And I hope there is a special fiery pit in hell set aside for whoever decided that tiny thin black text on a dark green background was a sensible way to present the maps.

Appalling.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author of the book says that a history in numbers is not possible and that he is only offering snapshots. Having read the book I think a history could be possible but it would have to be arranged chronologically rather than numerically which is how this one is arranged. Some of the information is interesting but you jump back and forth in time confusingly. Also the author uses some dates as numbers and this strikes me as cheating.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really interesting information, but could have been presented in a better fashion. Too many of the entries are years where something happened, rather than the number itself being the topic of interest