Who was the first black queen? How much do you know about China’s history? Most people’s knowledge of world history is hazy and incomplete at best. This updated No-Nonsense Guide gives a full picture, revealing the hidden histories and communities left out of conventional textbooks – from the civilizations of Africa, Asia and Latin America to the history of women. This updated and revised edition of one of the best-selling No-Nonsense Guides includes a new chapter from the perspective of the end of the first decade of the 21st century and includes material on the financial crisis and the world response to climate change.
A perfect read for someone who wants to embrace the whole of history, rather than disconnected dynasties and events–all in one slim volume.
The No-Nonsense Guide to World History is vivid, informal and informative. Perhaps every professional historian should be required to write a history of the world in forty thousand words–nothing would be more conducive to humility.
– Professor William Beinart, St. Antony’s College, Oxford, UK
Foreword | by William Beinart |
Introduction | |
Chapter 1 | In the Beginning |
Chapter 2 | Pharaohs and Priestesses |
Chapter 3 | Superpowers and Barbarians |
Chapter 4 | God and the Spirit |
Chapter 5 | Greek and Latin |
Chapter 6 | The Rise and Rise of Religion |
Chapter 7 | Light in the East |
Chapter 8 | Wars of the Cross |
Chapter 9 | Glory and Murder in the New World |
Chapter 10 | The Hidden Continent |
Chapter 11 | Shadow of the Sun King |
Chapter 12 | The American Way |
Chapter 13 | The Power and Plenty of Asia |
Chapter 14 | Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité |
Chapter 15 | Revolution |
Chapter 16 | Carving Up the World |
Chapter 17 | Total War |
Chapter 18 | The Power of the Workers |
Chapter 19 | Capitalism and Fascism |
Chapter 20 | The Radical 20th Century |
Postscript | Shaping the 21st Century |
Chronology | Marking Time |
Index |