A Little History of the World: Illustrated Edition (Little Histories)

This is an easy-to-read history of the world from a western viewpoint, up to WWI. The language is simple and direct, and seems approachable for teenage readers. It is told as a series of individual chapters, each focused on a specific era, region, and cast of historical figures. They can be read straight through but also can stand alone or as groups, if one has a specific focus.

I originally got this book for my young niece, but once I started reading, it was hard to tear myself away.In contrast to a typical "dry" history book with facts and dates, this book's style was extremely engaging. Gombrich did not shy away from using the first person and second person, and that made the style feel very interactive. For example, the section on Alexander the Great included, "His commands could now be said to reach all the way from the Nile to Samarkand. This would probably have been enough for you or me, but Alexander was far from satisfied." More importantly, Gombrich liberally inserts his own unique interpretations of the key takeaways, which add to the charm and coherence of the book. I loved that the book interprets rather than just relates. For example, he concluded his Bronze Age section with, "They were people just like us. Often unkind to one another. Often cruel and deceitful. Sadly, so are we. But even then a mother might sacrifice her life for her child and friends might die for each other. No more and no less than often than people do today." This also illustrates the author's ability to relate ancient events and people to modern people and current practices.In fact, what amazed me about the style is that it managed to be conversational and dynamic but the author was still able to seamlessly integrate profound observations and sweeping statements. One of my favorite sentences was the description of the Spartans and the Athenians: "Knowing how to die like that isn't easy. But knowing how to live is, perhaps, even harder." Nonetheless, the grand generalizations were balanced by carefully selected details which made the history come to life. Also, even though a lot necessarily had to be left out for this to be a "little" history, the details that were put in seemed just right. Although there are many examples of these, I particularly liked the story included in the Alexander section which related how Alexander went to see the philosopher Diogenes and was so impressed that he said " ` If I weren't Alexander I should like to be Diogenes. ` " In addition, the writing had a subtle sense of humor that made me smile as I read certain parts.Another great thing about the book is the organization. It is split up into forty relatively short chapters, and even the chapter titles seem well thought out and incorporate a touch of poetry. Each chapter starts with some creative introduction to get the reader interested in the topic, but seems to come full circle at the end. The chapters seamlessly build on top of one another and the book felt very well integrated. I was also impressed by the way Gombrich would smoothly shift into the point of view of whatever people he was discussing while not hesitating to criticize them where needed. It felt like he really made a lot of effort to consider different perspectives and show multiple sides to each story.Finally, it would be impossible to complete a review of the book without noting the attractiveness of the book itself. The relatively "squarish" shape of the pages, the interesting effect of the half-cover in the front, the glossy paper, the fonts, and the frequent illustrations gave the book a very luxurious feel and amplified the pleasure of reading. I also greatly enjoyed the illustrative maps.While I suppose it could be said that the book was not entirely objective, may contain a few factual inaccuracies, leaves a lot out, and gives a disproportionate amount of attention to European history, I feel that none of these are really relevant criticisms of this particular book. The lack of complete objectivity added to the charm of the book. I'm sure the engaging style of the book more than outweighs any mistakes in detail or omissions as it makes the topic so interesting that it really encourages readers to research the topics in more depth. And while I believe the argument that a balanced view of history beyond European history is important for people to have, this particular book was clearly told from Gombrich's perspective and he did a great job covering the areas he did focus on.

I have seen this book recommended as a good history primer, particularly for young people, but I don't know if that is actually possible, and if so, this I don't think this would be my first choice. The background of how it was written is interesting and Gombrich wrote a very good The Story of Art, but History of the World is conversational to the point of meandering and debatable in some of its conclusions. I would prefer one of the DK series for children (or adults).

I first borrowed this from our library. I love this book so much I decided to get my own copy. It's written in roughly chronological order and touches on a wide variety of ancient-modern history/culture. I'm using it as an introduction to history with my kids ages 6 and under. It is a bit over their heads at times but that is too be expected. I'd guess it's more for 8-12. Especially if they are going to read it on their own. It takes a casual narrative approach. It's almost like listening to a beloved friend telling a series of short stories. It manages to focus on the facts and still have a personal and kind of playful tone.Most chapters really capture my kids attention and a few don't. They really love the pictures of artifacts and art.

The book, the narrative, and the production are all very good. But one must be sure to recognize that it is a very brief introduction and does not give each period its full justice. The reason for the 3 stars is that in some places the text sounds too authoritative yet it has false information.Since I know most about the Islamic History then I'll elaborate on that chapter- the chapter uses few verses from the Quran without giving context, in fact in page 135, not only was there no context, but Gombrich claims that the Arabs killed or forcefully turned ALL the residents of Arabia to Islam. This is a claim that is inconsistent with all the available historic texts we have hitherto; not only inconsistent, but it is in fact the opposite of both History and the Quran itself.So yes, as I said, the book is a wonderful introduction to world history, but by no means is it an authoritative text; nor does it give full justice due to the briefness of it.

I first got this book from the library (the non-illustrated version) and was sucked in. The text is conversational, engaging, and even poetic. The author makes history interesting by making it relevant to the reader and connecting the current topic to past topics. He asks the reader questions and gives his own opinions. Of course, one must understand that it was not written recently, so it may not satisfy those who are looking for impressive references and 100% up-to-date facts. However, if you'd like your children to be captivated by what happened "Once upon a time..." and spark their curiosity for further historical exploration, this book is it.As I mentioned, I first read the text only version, but I purchased this illustrated version and I'd give it 6 stars if I could. The images are just beautiful & well curated. (Not surprising since Gombrich was an art historian.) We are a homeschooling family and I'm using this book as our history curriculum for my 8 year old...though my 12 year old and husband usually sit in to listen as well. We read the stories at bedtime then spend our "school" time doing projects, reading other relevant books and exploring questions that are sparked during the reading.

As a history enthusiast I had high expectations of this book that was recommended to me by a friend. I don’t mind so much to read about things over and over again and I expected there to be not much news.Now the book is nicely written and indeed quite accessible for younger readers. And it also includes a neat instruction about the author.However, I got quite bored reading the book. Again, I didn’t expect to learn about new facts. But the overarching purpose of putting historical events into a wider context left me none the wiser. Perhaps the book is a great summary for younger readers or people with limited historical awareness but to me most connections and sequence of events were pretty obvious.Besides, it remains a pretty dull read for children in my view, despite the illustrations that were added to the copy I ordered.I suppose this was great for some younger readers in a different age, but I wouldn’t blame my children if they gained similar knowledge and insights from more lively digital content.

If I had this book while at school I would have understood and enjoyed the subject of world history far more. Of course one cannot expect to cover all world history in a single volume but it succeeds very well in describing the most crucial world events from the beginning of human existence through to modern warfare in the 20th century. This new version of the book is well illustrated throughout; the maps in particular show very clearly how the moving boundaries have shaped the political world as we know it today.

I can't believe that Gombrich wrote this when he was 26, in six weeks! I had read The Story of Art but didn't know this book existed until I stumbled upon it. It is amazing that it manages to be brilliant for children (his intended audience), and adults - it is clearly written, erudite and wise. Highly recommended.

I recommend that adults read this because it isn’t very interesting for children. They should make it more interesting. The title isn’t interesting in the first place.

Very happy