A Little History of the World: Amazon.co.uk: E H Gombrich: Books

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"... [a] wondrous, passionate history book... full of ... common sense and wonder ... an inspiration for children and a refreshment for adults." --Irish Times, January 2009

Review

"I love the new translation of Gombrich's classic history for children. Both entertaining and informative, it makes perfect bedtime reading."

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First Sentence
All stories begin with 'Once upon a time'. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

60 Reviews

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(7)
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4.4 out of 5 stars (60 customer reviews)

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29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For all ages, 17 Aug 2006

By	sydney (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Little History of the World (Hardcover)

I read this to see if it would be a suitable present for some friend's children, and wound up keeping it myself! You'd have to be one whiz at history not to learn a great deal from this book, it was great to have so many names that rang a vague bell finally put in context in such a concise and entertaining way. An excellent read, and one of the best-presented books in terms of binding and typography I've seen in a while.

The reviewer below who worried about the 'unrestrained paean to Marxism' clearly didn't read Gombrich's thoughtful and honest afterword, where he reviews his own opinions from over 50 years back and concludes that he was mistaken about the Soviet Union (to which he only devotes literally five lines which are not particularily opinionated) and too hard on industrialization. He also corrects his younger self on his orignal, parochial view of the Treaty of Versailles. I honour his candour in keeping the original lines in. In any case the idea that this book, with or without the afterword, is propaganda for ANY ideology is frankly absurd, and I would hate to see any reasonable person avoid the "Little History" from that mistaken impression.

Of course anyone will quarrel with the presentation of parts of history on which have an opinion-- personally I think he was rather too hard on Elizabeth I and rather too easy on the Chinese empire and the Aztecs! But that's the consequence of Gombrich's vivid storybook style, I think, and the fact that he has to deal with very complex situations in a couple of lines. I was especially impressed with the steady grace with which he handles potentially explosive religious issues. On the whole I don't think any but the most committed idealogue, left or right, would have a serious issue with their children reading this book. His view of history is probably best summed up with this:

"Now let's take a last look at these people dressed in skins, as they paddle their boats made of hollowed-out tree turnks towards their villages of huts... Do you think much has changed since then? Ther 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. And how could it be otherwise?"

Now to pick up another copy for those kids...

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28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Accessible history in a beautiful book, 5 Oct 2005

By	elizabeth5493 "elizabeth5493" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Little History of the World (Hardcover)

'Once upon a time ... ' A brilliant introduction to 'what is history' which draws you in irresistably - a great outline for adults as well as children. Although inevitably biased towards European history, it does cover the world and tells the 'story' in a way which will encourage you to find out more. Not only beautifully written, as you would expect from Gombrich, but also beautifully produced - in hardback on good-quality paper with stunning [lino-cut?] illustrations and at a very reasonable price. Order more than one - it makes a great present.

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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If only...., 9 Mar 2007

By	Dublinia (Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Little History of the World (Hardcover)

...there was one book you could turn to which would take you through the entirety of human history in an entertaining as well as educational manner. Well guess what: there is, and 'A Little History..' is it. Don't be dissuaded by the fact that this is nominally a children's book. Unless you have devoted years to the study of history, you will finish this book a more knowledgeable person than when you started.
And for those who are put off by the size of the text, the audio version is available and beautifully read by the author's grandson.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice little introductory history
A nice little history of the (mostly European) world. Gombrich skims through the ages up to the Second World War, making a good effort to bring the major changes in each age alive... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Murray

4.0 out of 5 stars Full of Fascinating Facts
This isn't a book you would read from beginning to end, but as a book to dip in and out of it's highly enjoyable. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Scott Hart

4.0 out of 5 stars Delightful and informative
Billed as a children's history book this is still a hugely informative read for anyone who wants to understand our human past. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Dr. Richard Dudley

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent value for money
A compact, comprehensive, very good quality paperback edition, giving you a good overlook of history.

Published 3 months ago by Dr. David Luigi Fuschi

5.0 out of 5 stars A simple but sophisticated history
I've been looking for this type of book for about, well, 40 years. It provides an informed and engaging overview of many of the world's key periods, from the pharaohs to the Cold... Read more

Published 4 months ago by T. J. Rich

4.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book
This is a beautifully presented book written in distant sytle of English and, whilst I struggled with this style at times, children that have borrowed it have been enchanted with... Read more

Published 4 months ago by A. Betts

3.0 out of 5 stars A nice idea
This book is a very nice idea indeed: short chapters give snapshots of the history of human civilization. Read more

Published 5 months ago by S. Pawley

5.0 out of 5 stars a little history of the world
I highly recommend the purchase of this book. It is extremely interesting and well written.

Published 5 months ago by C. Copeland

5.0 out of 5 stars A concise history of the world written in the style of a novel
This is quite simply one of the best books I've ever read.

The book is designed for children. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Mr. S. A. Blake

5.0 out of 5 stars Child Friendly!!!!!
An elegantly written, illustrated and produced history book, designed as a general introduction to the study of the subject for children. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Philippa Leah

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	88% buy the item featured on this page: A Little History of the World 4.4 out of 5 stars (60) �6.32
	5% buy The Story of Art 4.5 out of 5 stars (22) �14.96
	3% buy The New Penguin History of the World 5.0 out of 5 stars (4) �11.41
	2% buy A Short History of the World (Penguin Classics) 4.8 out of 5 stars (8) �6.68

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