A Short History of the World (Penguin Classics)
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £0.25
Get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade in A Short History of the World (Penguin Classics) for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £0.25, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Spanning the origins of the Earth to the outcome of the First World War, this is a brilliantly compelling account of the evolution of life and the development of the human race. Along the way, Wells considers such diverse subjects as the Neolithic era, the rise of Judaism, the Golden Age of Athens, the life of Christ, the rise of Islam, the discovery of America and the Industrial Revolution. Breathtaking in its scope and passionate in its intensity, this history remains one of the most readable of its kind.
About the Author
H. G. Wells was a professional writer and journalist, who published more than a hundred books, including novels, histories, essays and programmes for world regeneration. Wells's prophetic imagination was first displayed in pioneering works of science fiction, but later he became an apostle of socialism, science and progress. His controversial views on sexual equality and the shape of a truly developed nation remain directly relevant to our world today. He was, in Bertrand Russell's words, 'an important liberator of thought and action'.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
The story of our world is a story that is still very imperfectly known. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
The story of our world is a story that is still very imperfectly known. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
At first I was hesitant about this book. This final edition of the book was finished just before the author's death just after World War 2. It is therefore a dated book and a lot of scholarship has happened in that time period. Once I started reading the book, however, my doubts evapourated. Wells uses the great literary abilities he has in fiction to create one of the best written works of historiography you will ever come across. Moreover the idea of writing a complete world history from dawn to dusk actually works. It gives you an appreciation of the interconnectedness of all the events throughout history to each other throughout the world. I love both history and theology. This book enables me to contextualize both the events of history I have studied and the religions I have studied within the overall history of this planet. I have learnt more from this little book than I have from other much bigger and scholarly books. My recomendation to you is simply, READ IT!!!
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is the book that had such a powerful impact on Malcolm X. Its easy to see why. The history of the world is vividly outlined in an erudite and readable style. (Ever since I read ‘The Time Machine’ when I was sixteen, I have considered Wells to be the clearest writer of prose in the English language.) Wells takes us from the very beginning of life right up to the League of Nations in 1922, stopping off at most points in-between: Neolithic cavemen, Periclean Athens, Roman and Byzantium civilisations, the life of Jesus, Confucius and Lao Tse, the rise of Islam, the Dark Ages, the Renaissance, discovery of America, the Industrial Revolution, World War I, and so on. The book is breathtaking in its scope, but Wells manages to give a succinct, vivid and comprehensive view of world history. I have found myself re-reading many of the chapters and I do not doubt that I will soon be re-reading the book in its entirety. There is little to criticise in this book – maybe it is a little Euro-centric; in the last chapters he does tend to labour his point a bit; and the early chapters are a little dated as we now know so much more about the evolution of our species. These are mere quibbles. Read it and become informed. Read it and be entertained.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a book you can read over and over again. Periods of history, Empires, their rise and fall, yet never overwhelming. It's sufficient in data with maps and chronology, but still ultimately readable, throwing in a human perspective occasionally ; what life was like. Read of Jesus and Mohammed as historical characters,
read about Alexander the Great and Attila the Hun. It's a springboard to further reading, but enough information to give you perspective. One of the most treasured books on my shelf.
read about Alexander the Great and Attila the Hun. It's a springboard to further reading, but enough information to give you perspective. One of the most treasured books on my shelf.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Short, but not Superficial
Recounting the history of the world in a shade under 300 pages is not a task for the faint hearted! Luckily, the erudition and imagination of H G Wells is equal to the... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Woolgatherer
MUST HAVE!
If you are interested in History, let's face it you probably read it already. For everyone else, this is a must! Read more
Published 16 months ago by Cyrill
A shoHistory of the world book
A good book I sent to my son, who is in the army, arrived in a few days thank you, he loved it
Published 22 months ago by J. Pasley
Just Superb!!
In addition to all of the other glowing and positive reviews below, I'd like to humbly add the following...... Read more
Published on 20 July 2007 by Terry Tozer
Review of 'The Short History of the World' by H. G. Wells
The book is fantastic for when one is thinking on something which has happened in past centuries and wants a quick refresh but is not bothered to go into the detailed historical... Read more
Published on 29 Feb 2004 by Peter P. VELLA
Fascinating, at times funny, a holes filler
So many things you didn't know you don't know. It does seem a little bit weird to cover Earth's first Zillion years in 5 pages but it works. Wells' style is brilliant. Read more
Published on 20 Mar 2001 by Gil Garibi
Looking back is perhaps the best way to look forwards.
How will our race change over the next 100 years? This review of our history not only allows us to put into context where we are today but provides some useful insight into trends... Read more
Published on 26 April 2000 by colinw@cyberdude.com
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
