# Recommend a "History of the World" book that's readable and engaging, please? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 30, 2006, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-history-of-the-world-book-thats-readable-and-engaging-please/342182 "2006-01-30T06:53:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-history-of-the-world-book-thats-readable-and-engaging-please/342182/1 "2006-01-30T06:53:31Z")
While reading a recent book about philosophies of education, I ran into a great chapter that really laid out the sociocultural situation of the entire industrial revolution. It was fascinating, and tied into some other stuff that I’ve been interested in. It made me realize that I don’t know _enough_ about the history of civilization/the world/humanity, and want to get a general knowledge of how we got from drawing on cave walls to the internet. Basically, I want a “history of the world”/history of civilization/general “World History” book that covers it all. I want it to be detailed enough to give me a working knowledge of how everything went down, but not so detailed that it gets bogged down in particular eras or events. I’d like the book to work in parallel, bouncing around - in other words, I’d like it to juxtapose developments and movements and so on between different cultures, so that at any given moment in history I’d like to have a _general_ idea of what’s going on in Europe and Asia, what’s going on at the same time up in what will one day become Russia, and also what’s going on over in what will eventually become america. History buffs, there has to be a token “it book” that fits this description. Help me out! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-history-of-the-world-book-thats-readable-and-engaging-please/342182/2 "2006-01-30T06:59:40Z")
Not a single book, but the Time-Life series, _The Great Ages of Man_, is a decent general history series. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-history-of-the-world-book-thats-readable-and-engaging-please/342182/3 "2006-01-30T07:09:03Z")
You may want to check out [this film](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082517/). Very enlightening. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-history-of-the-world-book-thats-readable-and-engaging-please/342182/4 "2006-01-30T07:20:22Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > You may want to check out [this film](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082517/). Very enlightening. Oh, man, I knew it was coming. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-history-of-the-world-book-thats-readable-and-engaging-please/342182/5 "2006-01-30T07:41:02Z")
I try not to disappoint. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-history-of-the-world-book-thats-readable-and-engaging-please/342182/6 "2006-01-30T13:16:30Z")
**VCO3** - I’ve read a few of your posts and have seen that you have your snarky moments, so am trying to be cautious here. You already got the expected Mel Brooks reference; I am going to head in a other direction; [Cartoon History of the World](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385265204/qid=1138626657/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-9907671-4443358?s=books&v=glance&n=283155) By Larry Gonick. Yeah, yeah, it is told in comic-book form. But you know what? It is very well done - he has his facts straight, he handles astronomy, paleontology, anthropology, sociology and a variety of other -ologies exceedingly well and the whole thing flows nicely. This first book covers the Big Bang up through Alexander the Great and I have read it a few times - really interesting and worthwhile. I have V2 on order. I have read my share of in-depth histories - Guns, Germs & Steel, a variety of histories of ancient Rome, the Renaissance, the Revolutionary Wars in the U.S. and France - tons of stuff. I find the Comic Book History to be worthwhile and I recommend it heartily. Hope this helps - that was the intent. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-history-of-the-world-book-thats-readable-and-engaging-please/342182/7 "2006-01-30T13:28:07Z")
Gonick’s Cartoon History of the Universe was exactly what I thought of when I saw the thread title. Don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t cite it for a doctoral thesis. But for a decent, all-encompassing view of the world beginning at, well, the beginning, it’s a good one. And he includes full citations (in cartoon form!) for each chapter. Currently there are three volumes out there. Vol. 1 - From the Big Bang to Alexander the Great Vol. 2 - From the Springtime of China to the Fall of Rome Vol. 3 - From the Rise of Arabia to the Renaissance As well as other more specific topics. Well worth reading for those casually interested in getting a feel for how things got to where they are. [www.larrygonick.com](http://www.larrygonick.com) ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-history-of-the-world-book-thats-readable-and-engaging-please/342182/8 "2006-01-30T13:32:22Z")
I’m not sure this is what you’re looking for, but I enjoyed [Asimov’s Chronology of the World](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062700367/qid=1138627659/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-9597206-1194531?n=507846&s=books&v=glance) which is a history of the world in chronological order spelling out each major event until WWII. I don’t know if it’s the kind of book that one generally sits down and reads (though I did) but it’s a great reference. You may also be interested in [Asimov’s Chronology of Science and Discovery](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062701134/qid=1138627798/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/102-9597206-1194531?n=507846&s=books&v=glance%5B/url) though, judging from Amazon’s price, this has become a rarity. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-history-of-the-world-book-thats-readable-and-engaging-please/342182/9 "2006-01-30T15:25:40Z")
For real books full of text, the ones I recommend are both British, well-received, and issued in many editions so they should be easily available cheaply. [The New Penguin History of the World : Fourth Edition (Paperback), by J. M. Roberts](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141007230/sr=1-3/qid=1138633970/ref=pd_bbs_3/002-4952855-0071214?%5Fencoding=UTF8) [A History of the World (Hardcover), by Hugh Thomas](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060142812/sr=1-48/qid=1138634110/ref=sr_1_48/002-4952855-0071214?%5Fencoding=UTF8) All single volume histories suffer from huge numbers of compromises and biases. Nobody can know everything and areas of the world other than western Europe and the U.S. tend to get slighted. I’ve heard of some newer books that purport to address the latter, but I haven’t read them and I can’t even find their titles. These are going to be long, fat books and I would suggest dipping in to them first if you can find a copy before buying. Unless you and the author are compatible, you’ll never get through a fraction of the subject. Daniel Boorstin’s grand trilogy - The Discoverers, The Creators, and the Seekers - does more bouncing around since it is topic oriented rather than chronological or geographical - but he is also Eurocentric in view, although like the others he does not complete slight other cultures. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-history-of-the-world-book-thats-readable-and-engaging-please/342182/10 "2006-01-30T15:26:11Z")
It’s not exactly what you’re looking for, and it’s really out of date (it was written in 1935), but it’s still a really fun and easy read. Try E.H. Gombrich’s “A Little History of the World”. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-history-of-the-world-book-thats-readable-and-engaging-please/342182/11 "2006-01-30T16:05:04Z")
I’m running out the door so I’ll try to post more later but one of THE best resources is an Atlas of World History: [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0195215672/sr=1-1/qid=1138636973/ref=pd\_bbs\_1/002-9385190-7585628?\_encoding=UTF8](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0195215672/sr=1-1/qid=1138636973/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-9385190-7585628?%5Fencoding=UTF8) If you can’t put your readings in history in context it will be for naught and the atlas is unparalled for context. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-history-of-the-world-book-thats-readable-and-engaging-please/342182/12 "2006-01-30T19:44:01Z")
I just finished a one-volume history of humankind last month. It was **extremely** readable. No kidding, it actually covered from cave paintings to the internet. It was written in the last couple of years. (I got it in paperback.) I honestly think it is exactly what you’re looking for. For me, it helped fill in many of the gaps I’ve had in my knowledge of world history. I’ll look up the title/author when I get home tonight. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-history-of-the-world-book-thats-readable-and-engaging-please/342182/13 "2006-01-30T19:56:13Z")
H.G. Wells’ _Outline of History_ – [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline\_of\_History](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_History) – is in many ways tendentious and judgmental, but a good solid brick in your edifice of cultural literacy. ---
**Author:** ![MacSpon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@MacSpon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacSpon)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-history-of-the-world-book-thats-readable-and-engaging-please/342182/14 "2006-01-30T23:59:05Z")
James Burke’s three series of **Connections**. Also, **The Day the Universe Changed**. All of them fascinating, compulsive watching. The first three are available on DVD (though unfortunately expensive). The fourth is also available, but at a truly demented price that makes it pretty much unfeasible for non-institutional buyers. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-history-of-the-world-book-thats-readable-and-engaging-please/342182/15 "2006-01-31T04:01:19Z")
> [@robby](#): > > I just finished a one-volume history of humankind last month. It was **extremely** readable. No kidding, it actually covered from cave paintings to the internet. It was written in the last couple of years. (I got it in paperback.) > > I honestly think it is exactly what you’re looking for. For me, it helped fill in many of the gaps I’ve had in my knowledge of world history. > > I’ll look up the title/author when I get home tonight. Found it: [_The Human Story_ by James C. Davis (2004)](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060516208/sr=1-2/qid=1138678862/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-6389849-2294553?%5Fencoding=UTF8) The book is somewhat the traditional white male version of history. And while the book is very readable, it’s also somewhat simplistic. It actually reads like a Grisham novel. Nevertheless, the author, a retired Penn history professor, is eminently qualified.