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 |