Annals of the World: James Ussher's Classic Survey of World History

Book Description

Master Books commissioned this important literary work to be updated from the 17th-century original Latin manuscript to modern English and made available to the general public for the first time. In its pages can be found the fascinating history of the ancient world from the Genesis creation through the destruction of the Jerusalem temple.

Find Out:
• Why was Julius Caesar kidnapped in 75 B.C.?
• Why did Alexander the Great burn his ships in 326 B.C.?
• What really happened when the sun "went backward" as a sign to Hezekiah?
• What does secular history say about the darkness at the Crucifixion?

Customer Reviews:

Awesome!.......2007-02-21

Awesome, easily legible tome. Good concise notations on major events - including Biblical. Received book promptly and in great condition.

No more revisionist history!.......2006-12-08

James Ussher's classic work is an absolute joy to read. I was up 'til the wee hours reading the night I got it. The writing is truly fresh and exciting, a bit unexpected for a volume first published in the mid 1600's by an Anglican archbishop!

I happen to hold a young-earth creationist's view of origins, and find Bishop Ussher's calculations relating to creation utterly believable, but no matter your worldview you will find the histories complete and engaging, interspersed as they are with first hand accounts of some of civilization's most defining moments.

The bindings of this volume seem sturdy enough at first glance, though time only will tell how it holds up to the study this book will certainly receive! The print is crisp and clear, and the illustrations are very fine as well.

This volume belongs in the library of every serious student of history.

The supplemental CD gives a wealth of solidly scriptural information to complement the biblical timeline charts, and some excellent commentary on the position of God's infallible Word in ancient and contemporary times.

Buy this book! You will not be disappointed!

Excellent but not without issues.......2006-11-07

Usher is a classic and is either respected or mocked by modern historians. The mocking is of course driven by worldview conflicts, but those quick to laud Usher's work as authoritative must be careful to avoid zealotry as well.

I find Usher to be extremely helpful and his postdeluvian history seems to be generally quite well referenced. We have run into some dating conflicts that are understandable, for Usher did not have the benefit of archaeology and recent finds of supporting historical texts (last couple of centuries).

His work is certainly commendable, and as a volume of history it is very useful. However, the dating of events especially concerning ancient Egypt and before can't quite be reconciled with several competing histories.

I suggest it as a supplemental history for classical studies, as a primary source it might leave some questions unanswered.

Terrible.......2006-09-25

I thought this book would give me some new insight into biblical history. Its didn't. It is disjointed and much of it talks about one ruler or king or leader (none biblical) who died on such and such date in history. It gives little is any detailed information about anything pertaining to the bible. I thought that by reading this book I would have some new knowledge about biblical history but I have none. Its just a terrible book.

Outstanding Historical Cross-Reference. .......2006-01-26

"Annals of the World" is a great historical reference for the most discerning of scholars. Covering the time from the beginning of creation to 70AD, James Usshur used over 2500 historical sources to ensure that he compiled a complete collection of historical facts.

Elaborating each of the positive qualities and reasons to purchase and read this book are highlighted in most of the 5 star raters, I would only be seconding what they have already stated.

National Geographic Concise History of the World: An Illustrated Time Line (Timeline)

Average customer rating:

A very good book, but...
Not What I Was Expecting
birds-eye view
Very good book but I have to take issue with something important
National Geographic Concise History of the World

National Geographic Concise History of the World: An Illustrated Time Line (Timeline)
Neil Kagan
Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0792283643
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Book Description

From the dawn of humankind to today's global complexities, this monumental volume presents world history from an original perspective that provides fresh insights with every colorful spread. Few references are as invaluable, all-inclusive, and satisfying to browse. For readers of all ages, world history is easily accessible, depicted as never before—so that events occurring simultaneously around the world can be viewed at-a-glance together. For example, Texas Instruments launched the pocket calculator the same year the Soviet Union launched the first manned space station, in 1971. Columbus sailed from Spain the year Martin Behaim constructed a terrestrial globe in Nuremberg. The California Gold Rush followed the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s, and the Greek dictatorship of Papadopoulos is overthrown the same year Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia is deposed and U.S. president Nixon resigns, in 1974. The book's innovative time line truly sets it apart, allowing readers to scan across a spread and explore a single area or compare contemporary societies across the globe.

This remarkable resource also contains dozens of maps; scores of sidebars; hundreds of illustrations; and thousands of events, milestones, personalities, ideas, and inventions. Throughout, vivid illustrations depict artworks, artifacts, portraits and dramatic scenes, while sidebar topics range from local customs and lifestyles to the effect of climate change on human migration. Drawing on National Geographic's vast resources, this concise yet comprehensive, one-of-a-kind work is as rewarding as it is compulsively readable.

Customer Reviews:

A very good book, but..........2007-07-19

A very good book but inadequate packaging from Amazon resulted in me having to give my father a damaged book on Father's Day.

Not What I Was Expecting.......2007-06-12

This book does not give a very deep look into any of its historical events. It is merely a visual time line. It's not deep. You won't get much history from reading it. You will simply get a better undersanding of how world history events overlap each other. I wouldn't buy it if I had it to do over.

birds-eye view.......2007-04-05

This is an excellent source for obtaining a quick, clear, and coherent context for an event or a period. For example, if you want to know what the rest of the world was doing when the Conquistadors sailed onto the shores of South America, this book is the best first step in your research. The entries are concise and the layout is attractive.

Very good book but I have to take issue with something important.......2007-04-02

I like the way the book covers things like the cave man section. It mentions that humans learned to walk upright about 4 million years ago. Then it proceeds on to describe the ice age of only thousands of years ago and mentions things like the domestication of dogs by humans. In the world at a glance section of the book it talks of Homo Erectus nad Neanderthals. It also covers recorded ancient, medieval, and modern history all pretty well too. Now for the thing I take issue with. When describing Saddam Hussein's illegal (according to the UN)invasion of Kuwait--the book actually gives the wrong year. It gives 1989 as the year of his invasion rather than 1990. Then it gets something important right when desccribing his use of chemical weapons against Kurdish civilians. This is referring to his deadly, genocidal Anfal Campaign he conducted in the 1980's against Kurds (more than 100,000 kurds killed by him in just one year!).

National Geographic Concise History of the World.......2007-02-13

Very explicit and easy to follow. Great for referencing your travels and world history.

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Chinese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Japanese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Doctors & Medicine | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Lawyers & Criminals | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Love, Sex & Marriage | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Early Civilization | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Historiography | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

French | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Victorian | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Epic | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

German | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Russian | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Chinese | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Conspiracy Theories | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

War on Drugs | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Science | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Online Research | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books

Native American | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Sailor Moon | Popular Characters | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Pilates | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Guests of the Ayatollah: The First Battle in America's War with Militant Islam

Average customer rating:

The First "War On Terror" (or should have been).
War on Terror
Good book, heavily biased
Well-written and thought-provoking
Excellent telling of the Iran Hostage Crisis

Guests of the Ayatollah: The First Battle in America's War with Militant Islam
Mark Bowden
Manufacturer: Atlantic Monthly Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Iran | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Terrorism | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0871139251
Release Date: 2006-04-25

Book Description

From the best-selling author of Black Hawk Down comes a riveting, definitive chronicle of the Iran hostage crisis, America's first battle with militant Islam. On November 4, 1979, a group of radical Islamist students, inspired by the revolutionary Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini, stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran. They took fifty-two Americans hostage, and kept nearly all of them hostage for 444 days.

In Guests of the Ayatollah, Mark Bowden tells this sweeping story through the eyes of the hostages, the soldiers in a new special forces unit sent to free them, their radical, naïve captors, and the diplomats working to end the crisis. Bowden takes us inside the hostages' cells and inside the Oval Office for meetings with President Carter and his exhausted team. We travel to international capitals where shadowy figures held clandestine negotiations, and to the deserts of Iran, where a courageous, desperate attempt to rescue the hostages exploded into tragic failure. Bowden dedicated five years to this research, including numerous trips to Iran and countless interviews with those involved on both sides.

Guests of the Ayatollah is a detailed, brilliantly re-created, and suspenseful account of a crisis that gripped and ultimately changed the world.

Customer Reviews:

The First "War On Terror" (or should have been)........2007-09-28

This book provides an excellent explanation of the crisis, which partly cost Jimmy Carter the election and where America should have conducted its first "War On Terror" (perhaps, that would have dealt with the current "president" of Iran and the others with him sooner, rather than later, and he wouldn't have come to the U.S.). True, the U.S. shouldn't have let the Shah in, but it wasn't right for the "students", including the current "president" of Iran to take people hostage. I applaud all those who stood up to these thugs, and Bowden gives great detail. He also provides excellent notes and descriptions of what happened to the hostages, after their release. I have my own thoughts about what should have happened, after our people arrived safely in the U.S., but I won't go into them here. Suffice it to say that if anyone wants to understand why we are having the troubles we are with Iran, read this. I wouldn't have wanted to have been in former President Carter's position. I think it was a betrayal, after what the hostages went through, that the U.S., in the succeeding administration, did "deals" with these people, and admitting this "terrorist thug" [Ahmenejad] into our country recently; a former hostage taker, but this is an example how our political system works. [Sometimes, we're our own worst enemy.] Anyway, an important book.

War on Terror.......2007-09-20

The author is correct in his use of the term "inapt" for the phrase "war on terror." It was indeed inapt prior to 9/11 and certainly was not in use in 1979. But it's appropriate use since 9/11 means that finally after nearly 30 years we are taking the threat seriously and have finally begun to wage this necessary war.

Good book, heavily biased.......2007-09-14

An excellent blow by blow account of the Iranian hostage crisis. Bowden's bias knocks a star off. He basically sides with the hostage takers--describing them as just a bunch of goofy misguided kids engaged in mere horseplay. The hostages weren't tortued and beaten that bad, and plus they "mistakenly" referred to their captors as "ragheads." How ignorant! Perhaps Bowden thinks they should have stayed there a little longer just to make up for such transgressions?

In an attempt to make Jimmy Carter look competent, he wisely spends little time on the President's futile attempts to resolve the crisis--keeping the focus on the hostages themselves. But it's still a factual account--and the facts don't lie; Carter was a horrible negotiator. It was only a year into the crisis he figured out what "contingency" meant. Bowden's sly parallel of Ronald Reagan with the Ayatollah at the end of the book is also not lost.

Well-written and thought-provoking.......2007-09-06

What more could there be to say about a crisis that happened a quarter century ago? As it turns out, there are some very important things to say about it, and Mark Bowden's masterful history of that crisis says them.

First, this is an absolutely first-rate "you are there" account of what the American hostages went through as Iran descended into chaos and near madness after the ouster of the shah. You will literally feel their anger, fear, and depression, and you will feel their pride when they can defy or denigrate their captors, even fleetingly. However, you will feel the smugness and religious certainty of their captors, too. Make no mistake: Bowden clearly sees the American diplomats as victims of an outrageous act; there is no moral relativity here.

Second, the book is thought-provoking in ways I didn't expect. The ostensible trigger for the crisis was the decision by the US to admit the shah to this country for treatment of the cancer that would eventually kill him. However, that decision was sold to President Carter by his Secretary of State, Cyrus Vance, who in turn was sold on it by Henry Kissinger and David Rockefeller. As the years roll on, it's interesting how many disastrous US foreign policy decisions come back to Kissinger.

Further, the CIA was no better then at understanding and predicting events in the Islamic world than they are now. Shortly before the crisis erupted, the agency reported that the religious radicals would soon be relegated to the background there, so the US could deal with an emerging secular state with confidence. In reality, the country degenerated into a hurricane of religious nuttiness that soon swept aside all of the secular leaders. Quite literally, no one at all was really in charge of anything in Iran, and that's the reason the crisis dragged on for over a year.

This brings us to the role of President Carter. Nearly everyone felt at the time that he was too weak and vacillating to resolve the crisis. Not so; he tirelessly attempted to find a way to deal with the situation, but every attempt failed when the connection at the Iranian end fell apart. No one could have done much more, which is why presidential candidate Ronald Reagan continually criticized Carter, but never offered a word of explanation about what he would do.

The failed rescue attempt was blamed on Carter, too, but as Bowden makes clear, it had little chance of succeeding, mostly because the equipment available at the time was inadequate, and the situation was impossible. Even if Delta Force had made it to Tehran, it's likely that most or all of the hostages and rescuers would have died in the operation. Carter and the troops deserve credit for daring the attempt, even in the face of near-certain failure.

This book is must reading as the authoritative account of the first battle in the war with the "Islamofascists." And it's worth reading as a rich account of the courage that the hostages and their would-be rescuers displayed in very trying circumstances.

Excellent telling of the Iran Hostage Crisis.......2007-07-10

For those interested in history and especially the history of the relationship between Iran and the U.S., this book is essential. This book is well written, fine storytelling, and appropriately detailed without belaboring the point. Probably the best one source history of the hostage crisis. Some may find it a little too charitable to President Carter, but it appears to be a fair portrayal.

National Geographic Visual History of the World (National Geographic)

Average customer rating:

Too simplistic
Superb
History in focus at the corner of your eye.
brilliant reference work
informatie and pleasing to read

National Geographic Visual History of the World (National Geographic)
National Geographic
Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0792236955
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Book Description

The world history book to define all others, National Geographic Visual History of the World is a classic in the making. No other volume offers such a comprehensive and richly illustrated chronicle of world events, from the construction of the Pyramids to the overthrow of the Taliban. Readers see how momentous happenings, personalities, catastrophes, discoveries, and inventions unfold in a visually stimulating layout. Four eight-page gatefolds bring to life major events of world history and thousands of paintings, photographs and illustrations depict subjects ranging from the Roman Empire to the Reformation, World War II, to the war in Afghanistan. A timeline at the bottom of every page highlights the most important events, names, and dates of the era, and color-coded cross-referencing helps point readers to other applicable sections. Ideal for people who prefer to flip through books at random, this highly accessible resource contains sidebars on the great religions, influential ideologies, and other topics, as well as biographies of world leaders and notable personalities in the arts and humanities.

National Geographic Visual History of the World is an indispensable, impressive, and extravagantly illustrated reference of social, cultural, and military history in one volume. It is a must-have for all families, armchair historians, and serious scholars alike.

Customer Reviews:

Too simplistic .......2007-10-01

I wish I could agree with most of the other reviewers but I did not find this to be a remarkable work. I instead found it simplistic, often insultingly so. Its coverage, for instance of the 'Second World War' is absolutely disgraceful. It is almost as if Churchill were just another ordinary politico, who happened to be leader of Great Britain at the time. Nowhere is there any indication of the great role he played in turning the tide towards Allied Victory.
Simplicity reigns everywhere. And it is of course possible to say that this is only for high- schoolers, only meant to provide material at a certain level. But by being so simplistic one does not really provide even a basis in understanding.
I remember the History Text Books used in American schools five decades ago. They were more detailed and my guess is as well or better written than what we have here.
I do not like to down books especially ones which are aimed to being educational tools, and better informing the general public.
But I just believe that the coverage given here to the subjects I know something about, and examined is really not adequate.

Superb.......2007-06-07

aspiring writers take note: this is how all books should be formatted... 50% pictures, 50% words.

I especially liked the story of Napoleon who was, in my honest opinion, an even better leader than George W Bush.

Unfortunately, there was no mention of Nathan Rothschild - which I found staggering - but that is not a good enough reason to deduct a star.

Verdict:

Buy it!

History in focus at the corner of your eye........2007-01-21

There is simply too much of world history to know. But this fantastic book makes it all visual by proper focussing, page by page, time after time and through topic after topic, scientifically organized. In this age of over-information through cyberspace, it is difficult to wade through all of it to get to the truth. Here is an authoritative book, with lots and lots of pictures, overviews and short biographies, that does not miss anything of significance, and tells you the truth in such a way that you have no heart to lay the book down. You have only to think of any subject -- be it Industrial Revolution, European Trading Companies, Early China, Wars of ideology and Extermination or anything connected with history -- you will find a whole page devoted to that topic with all the related stories. Well, this book is a must for every home-library.

brilliant reference work.......2007-01-16

As both a captivating page-turner, and a thorough reference work, this book is quite valuable. It attempts the most coherent narrative of human history possible, casting events and processes into their context, offering a sort of comparative history of simultaneous events, and seeking to provide clear summaries of every major event that composes the master narrative of human knowledge. Both in brevity and in quality, this is a fine work of history for the layperson.

informatie and pleasing to read.......2006-10-18

This was an in-depth look at our world history and written in an easy fashion.

The pictures were well rendered and I loved the stuff written on the early cultures (the byzantine empire, etc).

However, I was a little disappointed on the all-too brief pages written on Asian history. Asia has over 12,000 years of history combined (if you include India, Japan, China, Korea and the Islamic worlds etc). and the authors/editors decide to skim it with only 15 pages or so?
That's not quite a complete view of the world, if you ask me....
There's plenty of focus on the European eras (all of them) and not enough on the Asian ones.

Still an excellent read though; and for any student of history (or needing a paper done in minutes) this is definitely the book to use!

Average customer rating:

the book missed the target
Typos galore
Politics by yet another means
A bit on the dry side

Assassination: The Politics of Murder
Linda Laucella
Manufacturer: Lowell House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

History & Theory | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1565656288

Customer Reviews:

the book missed the target.......2005-10-04

This book is a list of famous cases from the son of king David in 990 B.C. to the Isreali Prime Ministe Y. Rabin in 1995 A.D.
While packed with entertaining stories and useful background information and aftermath, many contemporary cases are packed with outdated information or even plainly wrong. The format is fine for a quick reading on famous homicides, but not more than that. Internet provides much more useful information both in quantity and quality.

Typos galore.......2001-02-11

The format and the topic could have made for an excellent book. However, the number of typos in the book makes one consider whether to believe the facts as they are stated. According to the book, JFK began campaigning for president in 1970 (pg. 295); Guissepe Zangara left Chicago on December 21, 1932, and by February 15, 1932 had not returned even once (pg. 129)....I could go on, but it is very difficult to take serious any facts in a book so strewn with errors. I don't know who was more careless...Ms. Laucella, or the proofreaders responsible for letting this book go to press.

Frankly, Ms. Laucella should be ashamed to have such a sloppy work on the market with her name on it.

Politics by yet another means.......2001-01-19

Very well documented account of assassinations throughout history, although there is more of an emphasis on the past century than other eras. Each assassination is presented in a (usually) tiny chapter with the life of the victim, the life of the assassin, and the ramifications of the victim's demise. What I liked best was the lives and motivations of the assassins themselves, since as the previous reviewer said not all of them are crazy. I generally prefered reading about the pre-20th century assassinations, but that's probably because I enjoy history too much. Another thing I liked about the book is that you get a brief history of early 20th century Mexico, since nearly all the leaders of the Mexican civil war were assassinating each other.

The only downside to me is that Laucella tends to dwell on certain assassinations much longer than others. There may be 3 pages on the co-founder of the Guiness Book of World Records but there is 40 on Medgar Evers. I'm also not sure I liked the "assassination attempts". They weren't actually assassinated, why are they here?

But on the whole I would recommend this book to anyone interested enough in the grisly history of a darker side of politics.

A bit on the dry side.......2000-07-04

A bit on the dry side, but a fascinating look at assassinations in just about every context imaginable. The author has definitely done her homework, and presents the material in a fine writing style, although she could add more life to the details.

People who think that presidential and other assassinations just were perpetrated by nutty people need to look deeper into our own political structure, as she suggests. Politics dates back far in the assassination of the world's political leaders.

Terrific research and a well-presented work.

Average customer rating:

Great quick historical overview

Good summary of American History

Incredibly Thorough!!!

Difficult to use

Excellent resource

The Timetables of History: A Horizontal Linkage of People and Events (Timetables of History)
Bernard Grun , and Eva Simpson
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Reference | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Timetables of American History

The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had

History of the World: Third Edition Revised and Updated

Timelines of World History

Concise Atlas of World History

ASIN: 0743270037

Book Description

THE NEW FOURTH REVISED EDITION

A vast and absorbing resource, the fourth edition of The Timetables of ™History spans millennia of human history.

Unlike any other reference volume, this book gives a sweeping overview of the making of the contemporary world by mapping out at a glance what was happening simultaneously, from the dawn of history to the present day.

With nearly 100 pages of new material, including:

Recent breakthroughs in science and technology

New achievements in the visual arts and music

Milestones in religion, philosophy, and learning

The rise and fall of nations and the emergence of historical figures

Landmarks in the drama of daily life around the world

Customer Reviews:

Great quick historical overview.......2007-08-29

I've just begun a "Great Books" reading plan and am using this to refresh myself on different periods. Gives a good sense of what what was happening politically, culturally and other otherwise that the author or characters may be dealing with.

Good summary of American History.......2007-06-28

I find this book very useful and, given the price, I would recomend it.
I must say however that I was very disapointed with the fact that this book is mainly focused in the US History, and less focused in Europe's (and the rest of the world) History . Centuries like XIV and XV seem to be lacking important facts.
Besides, if you want to find a date of a certain event it is not easy (there is a glossary at the end that can help you with this but it is incomplete).
Again, I do not regret buying this book but I think I was expecting something else.

Incredibly Thorough!!!.......2007-02-22

As a University professor, I find this book invaluable. The chronology, breadth of information and layout design all combine to make it an extremely valuable tool. I would eagerly recommend it to anyone with interests or reseach requirements.

Difficult to use.......2007-01-31

I found this timetable difficult to use. When the description called it encyclopedic they must have been talking about its size and weight. One might find it informative to just thumb thru and see what was happening in different areas of the world at different time. But to use the book to trace a particular development (like "movable type," or "domesticated dairy animals,") or to compare progressive periods of history between civilizations (like Central and South America, China, or Egypt) is awkward with lots of bookmarks and notes.

Excellent resource.......2007-01-10

I am a writer and have found this book to be an excellent resource. I want to be sure that dates and events that I might mention in my writing are correct and this book is easy to use and insures that my work is correct. Great book.

Average customer rating:

Excellent Book on The Holocaust
The Holocaust Chronicle
The enabling preconditions, actual events and aftermath of the Holocaust.
A Crying Shame...And A Constant Reminder!
Nothing short of extraordinary.

The Holocaust Chronicle
Marilyn Harran
Manufacturer: Publications International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0785329633

Book Description

During the Second World War, six million Jews--as well as other targeted groups such as Gypsies, Poles, the handicapped, and homosexuals--were systematically murdered by Adolf Hitlers Nazis and their collaborators. The Holocaust Chronicle, written and fact-checked by top scholars, recounts the long, complex, anguishing story of the most terrible crime of the 20th century. A massive, oversized hardcover of more than 750 pages, The Holocaust Chronicle: A History in Words and Pictures is an excitingly unique, not for-profit endeavor that is a personal project of the publisher, Louis Weber, C.E.O. of Chicago-based Publications International, Ltd. As a book publisher, I am in a unique position to create this ambitious project, Weber says. The son of Polish Jews who settled in America in the 1920s, Weber conceived The Holocaust Chronicle in order to give something back to the Jewish community, and to bring the truth of the Holocaust to as many people as possible. The mission of The Holocaust Chronicle is to report the facts, clearly and free of bias or agenda. Featured are more than 2000 photographs selected after intensive research in the collections of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, as well as other archives and private collections located around the world. Many of these images are in full color and most are published in book form for the first time. The photographs chronicle the Holocaust in starkly visual terms, capturing victims and perpetrators alike, as well as Allied leaders and the multitude of peripheral figures. Caption-text is detailed, and rich with facts and human interest. The books 3000-item timeline of Holocaust-related events is unprecedented in its scope and ambition. Spanning the years 1000 B.C. to 1999 A.D., the timeline pinpoints deportations, atrocities, and important developments in the Nazis Final Solution, as well as individual acts of cruelty, compassion, and heroic Jewish resistance. Illustrated chapter-opener essays place the most important years of the Holocaust and its immediate aftermath, 1933-1946, into sharp perspective. Nearly 300 sidebars detail significant people, places, issues, and events. More than 30 full-color, specially commissioned maps show the reader where events took place.

The sentiments and hatreds that gave rise to the Holocaust were not confined to the 12 years of Adolf Hitlers Thousand-Year Reich. The books illustrated prologue surveys the antisemitism that was expressed over many centuries in Europe as bloody pogroms, exclusionary laws, and other persecution. The illustrated epilogue documents the long, painful healing process that has lasted for generations and may never be completed.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Book on The Holocaust.......2007-04-12

They say, "a picture is worth a thousand words." But sometimes you need to put words into context to understand the picture. This encyclopedia does just that: It chronicles the history of the Holocaust from beginning to end, providing literally hundreds of pictures with detailed commentary. Several scholars and historians paid their contributions to this project, making it a very comprehensive book. What you will find inside may very well change your views on humanity.

The authors will take you on a journey to examine one of History's darkest events. And while you may wonder how a "civilized" society could possibly be capable and willing of committing such heinous crimes, the authors do offer some explanations. A brief history of anti-Semitism is outlined and its links to the Third Reich are pointed out to explain the roots of the Holocaust. The slaughter of the Gypsies, Jehovah Witnesses, homosexuals, mentally ill and others are also documented, including the controversies surrounding the Vatican, in which the authors objectively cite both defenders and critics of Pius XII and the Catholic Church, leaving the reader to form his or her own opinion. From the rise of Hitler to the aftermath of the Final Solution, this book covers it all.

Anyone looking for a complete, yet introductory study on the Holocaust should pick up this book. Although it is massive in size, don't be intimidated; most pages are filled with pictures. I must warn, however, that many of the pictures are very explicit, and personally, I would not recommend anyone under 14 to view them. But aside from that, this book is very well put together and it will inform you as much as it will shock you. I highly recommend it.

The Holocaust Chronicle.......2007-02-16

Excellent source of information. My 16 year old granddaughter is studying the Holocaust in school this year and she has a younger sister and brother that will find this helpful at a later date. I feel so strongly that this period of our history should never be forgotten, so I am pleased to leave this book out for anyone to pick up while visiting me.

The enabling preconditions, actual events and aftermath of the Holocaust........2006-09-13

Three books in one: A detailed 1) history, 2)timeline and 3)personal vignettes that create a rich hologram-like view of the enabling preconditions, actual events and aftermath of the Genocide of the Jews of Europe at the hands of the Nazis.

Back in July of this year, I wrote a review of Ellie Wiesel's "Night," a new edition that had been translated by his own daughter. This small book captured the essence of one man's subjective experience with the subject of this much larger effort, contributed to by dozens of historians and scholars and published by a non-profit organization. This is not a `sit down and read a book today' publication. Each of it's 750 richly illustrated pages are packed with personal stories about individual people, a detailed on-going time-line, detailed with specific events beginning in 1500 BCE (The modern Jewish term for "BC", standing for "Before the Common Era."), and passing through the establishment of the State of Israel and into the late 1990's, and a continuous narrative history of more details than most people have ever imagined were available in the telling of this particularly horrific tale of humanity gone wrong. There is, in fact, so much information, that each page calls for a slow overview, and then at least several readings to capture the totality of what is being presented. It is a book to which ongoing time must be devoted to really appreciate what it gives us: As Dragnet's Sgt. Joe Friday would have said, "Nothing but the facts."

The Preconditions:
Through hundreds of historical, scholarly, organizational and literary references, this book makes it clear that without certain preconditions having been developing in European (and, indeed, in world-wide) culture for many centuries, Hitler could never of orchestrated what in the Jewish Community is referred to as the Sho'ah. Ascribing Germany's readiness to follow their fascist leader and his cronies into the annihilation of about six-million Jews as well as millions of Catholics, Gypsies, Jehovah's Witnesses, physically handicapped and mentally ill people, homosexuals and others to the aftermath of Versailles is shown to be a gross over-simplification. Anti Semitism (not always known by that now well-known name) had existed across the face of much of the globe for many centuries. The realities across the world, indeed including here in our own United States, were active contributors to creating the preconditions that allowed the Holocaust to happen. Impressive in this particular book is that unlike so many others, the authors painstakingly provide documentary evidence and facts that support this and other key concepts. As is the case with the other two parallel tracks of this volume, the actual events of the Holocaust itself and the aftermath, the preconditions are examined and documented through all three of the `tracks' of this book: The narrative history, the timeline and the individual storied and personal vignettes.

The Event Itself:
The Holocaust itself - the trail leading up to the actualization of what was referred to, privately amongst the Nazi leadership, as the "Final Solution?" - and their ultimate efforts to completely eliminate Jewry from the face of the parts of the world they controlled are carefully documented as well. This is the part of the story best known to modern audiences, but is given here a context far more comprehensive than what has been attempted before - and it is all written in non-technical terms that make the massive information it contains available to most people who 1) can read, 2) are interested in the subject, and 3) are willing to spend the appreciable time it takes to go through and absorb the rather massive amount of information contained in these pages. The events of planful, deliberate genocide are not and can not be fully separated from the preconditions described both earlier in the book and periodically referred to as the timeline progresses.
No one is held harmless. From the Nazis themselves, to the many nations of the Earth, including our own, that denied sanctuary via more open immigration policies in the late 1930's when it became undeniably clear what the goals and activities of Hitler's regime was.

The Aftermath:
This section of the book concerns itself with what happened as a result of the genocide, both in the short run and continuing into modern times. The establishment of the State of Israel, the multiple issues associated with that; the Germany of the post-war era, both as a modern economic force as well as the bearer of so much of the responsibility for one of mankind's darkest hours, the relationships of the Catholic Church and of the American government to the past, present and future of humanity: None of these escape the attention of the authors and compilers of this impressive, comprehensive and engaging book.

Suffice it to say that this review only scratches the surface of the material covered and the depths to which it is articulated in this volume. I make no apologies for being relatively brief. If you have the interest and the time, this is one of those handful of published works that just might change your life. It is simply not possible to have so much revealed, in so many forms at so many levels, and not be somehow reshaped by the experience.

The most reader-friendly and clearest description of one of humanities greatest calamities I have ever read. I think you will agree.

A Crying Shame...And A Constant Reminder!.......2006-06-10

As a child who lived in the Chicago housing projects prior to moving to Germany I became lost for words as I turned the pages of one of the most moving books I've ever experienced. Places I've seen as a playful child running across the country side now become surreal in my mind as I think about the innocent lives that were slaughtered on that same ground. And now that I've observed the photographs of my Jewish brothers and sisters in this book "The Holocaust Chronicle" some things will never be the same for me. I also believe that you will view life differently after you've read this book.

For one this book describes the ghetto's of Europe during the Holocaust using pictures and words that one would never imagine. It has so much depth and meaning even in the words that it is quite amazing. For instance the word "ghetto" (which in the United States has become a word referencing the slums where poor Americans live) will no longer have the same meaning for me as it use to. Some call the Housing Projects that I came from in Chicago a ghetto...but this is a poor, poor use of the word now that I've observed the ghettos of Europe during the Holocaust. Read the book and you'll see exactly what I mean.

The Holocaust Chronicle is an excellent resource for virtually anything you would like to know about this event in history. This book should instantly become a part of all libraries in every community, private and personal.

Having lived in Germany for nearly 5 years as a lad I've alway's considered myself quite a history buff especially concerning military affairs since my father spent his whole life serving the U.S. Army. But I must say this amazing book proves that I am very ignorant of what went on from 1933-1946. The humiliation, the physical and mental anguish, even the use of art and symbols were all reconstructed to try to destroy the Jew but thank God they were delivered from the hands of their enemies. Although this book does not turn its face away from death but sometimes deals with it head on it still contains with in it the hope of deliverance, the determination of faith and the triumph of those who suffer persecution.

I have now done much diligence to understand this part of history so that I can connect with other human beings on this planet in a way that is respectful. I must say Louis Weber the publisher and all the contributing Authors and Consultants who poured their hearts and souls into the development of "The Holocaust Chronicle" deserve much credit.

Although there is much suffering between these pages the details within this book give us great understanding. It helps us all to realize, respect and appreciate why we should be committed to never allow this to happen again regardless of our religious beliefs, cultural, racial or ethnic background. As you turn the pages you will be exposed to the criminals but at the same time you will find yourself rejoicing when heroic men and women went beyond what their government would not give them the authority to do. Please hurry up and get this book, read it today and share your ideas with others as I dedicate this review to my Jewish mother Anita Gold.

Your Servant,

Deremiah, *CPE

Nothing short of extraordinary........2006-03-11

This book is massive! It is far larger than any of my college texts. Yet, every one of the nearly 800 pages is poignant and necessary. This easy-to-read chronicle of one of the most incomprehensible tragedies in all of history is extremely well-written in prose that is eloquent and yet still quite succinct. Nearly each page contains photographs that display different perspectives on the Holocaust, each one helping to comprise the complete picture of the atrocities which took place. On many pages there are more photographs than words, and each one truly tells its own story. In reading this chronicle and studying the photographs you will experience a range of emotions you never would have believed you were capable of experiencing. It is true that we can never feel how the concentration camp prisoners felt; we can never know the starvation, the death, the oppression that they and others affected by the Holocaust knew all too well--but the Holocaust chronicle brings us perhaps one step closer than we've ever been to understanding this world of unthinkable brutality and suffering.

Average customer rating:

I'm giving a book five stars for once!
Too bad he didn't survive to write more
Absolutley Incredible writing from a master
Highly recommended
Essential

Asimov's Chronology of the World
Isaac Asimov
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Reference | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

History | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0062700367

Book Description

From the world's greatest science writer, a history of the world from the Big Bang to 1945, told in irresistible short takes and highlighted by a timeline.

Customer Reviews:

I'm giving a book five stars for once!.......2007-07-26

Amazing book. I hardly ever give a book five stars. This is a great "timeline" book, in words, of history that goes well as a tertiary source when reading other books on history. I have the hardcover which is as big as a dictionary and sturdy too. Highly recommended.

Too bad he didn't survive to write more.......2006-10-13

I have more I. Asimov books than any other. Although I constantly weed through my books and give many to the library, I will never give up my books written by Isaac Asimov. Chronology of the World, like every other Asimov book, is extremely well written. It is also obvious that he did a lot of research.

Absolutley Incredible writing from a master.......2006-08-27

I normally read books quickly (I read every day and devour books) however I have taken well over two months to read this masterpiece.

Every time I read it I find myself looking back, forward and at the index, re-reading bits and pieces, to pick up threads that are mentioned throughout the book.

The book takes the format of grouping by years, the periods decreasing as time advances. Various countries, areas, groupings are written about with the historical, scientific, artistic, geographical, etc features of the period mentioned in varying degrees of detail. Thus you get a bit of cross talk but it is anything but repetitive.

When the period in question is finished you end up with a fairly easy to understand patchwork of what was happening in the world in the various areas during the period in question.

The good doctor's writing is easy and "chatty", anything but dull or condescending, and as I said earlier, leaves you looking here and there for other bits and pieces that have sprung to mind.

I love history and this is a book I would recommend to ANYONE who wants to start studying in that area. It would be a wonderful stepping stone to help anyone specialise in areas.

I can't recommend it highly enough. If you need sleep - don't buy it.

Highly recommended.......2006-03-11

Isaac Asimov is probably my favorite writer of non-fiction, and this might just be his best work. Although it covers almost every important event from the Big Bang to the end of World War II, it somehow manages to be far from dry or boring. In fact, much of it reads like a novel - so much so that the book is hard to put down.

Some have complained that Asimov's chronology emphasizes Western events, that it is mainly concerned with military and political history, or that it has no maps. The last of these is the only justified criticism, in my opinion (I found myself referring to an atlas of world history many times while reading this book). Asimov does mention other parts of the world, though not in as much detail. But that can be justified in two ways. First, this is a book for English speakers, and they are more likely to be interested in those events that are connected to their part of the world. Second, the history of the West has in fact had a greater influence on the world as a whole - at least so far - so it is reasonable to spend more time on it.

Essentially the same thing can be said regarding the emphasis on military and political history. As a matter of fact, though, this book probably contains more on such things as the history of science and of literature than most comparable volumes.

Essential.......2004-01-27

Asimov's Chronology of the World is a superb reference work. Although not really (and not meant to be) a coherent narrative, it is highly readable and absolutely essential to any historical research. It is useful as a reference tool in almost any historical context; if you're not sure when something happened, or exactly what happened, consult the Chronology. If it was a major happening, it's almost certain to be there, and realtively easy to find.

Asimov does sacrifice depth for breadth in this work; many more minor events are not covered. Also, if you plan to read this work cover to cover (I did, and it was very well worth the effort--doing so gives a broad perspective on history very difficult to find elsewhere), you need a good historical atlas on hand to understand how events unfold.

The only complaint I have with this work is that Asimov did not live long enough to write the sequel, chronologizing the events from 1945-2000. If anyone has found a good book to fill this gap, please let me know!

In sum, Asimov's Chronology is the essential one-volume reference to world history. No home library should be without it.

Average customer rating:

Smithsonian Timelines of the Ancient World by Chris Scarre

From Trilobites to Kremlin Cathedrals

Interesting but incomplete

This Book Is Rockin'!!

Fantastic for teaching an integrated approch to Histroy

Smithsonian Timelines of the Ancient World
Chris Scarre
Manufacturer: DK ADULT
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
Medieval | World | History | Subjects | Books
General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The British Museum Timeline of the Ancient World

Timelines of World History

Timelines of World History (Myths & Legends)

Planet Earth: As You've Never Seen It Before

ASIN: 1564583058

Book Description

Smithsonian Timelines of the Ancient World offers a new perspective, providing a unique view of developments across the world-from the origins of life and the emergence of civilizations, all the way up to AD 1500. Highly visual timecharts trace the unfolding of the human story and allow you to see what was happening simultaneously in different parts of the world, from the dawn of prehistory to the Renaissance. By drawing on the latest techniques of archaeology and the brilliant detective work that has helped to unravel the mysteries of the past, Smithsonian Timelines of the Ancient World reveals the challenges that faced people living in different periods, societies, and environments, and the solutions that they devised for improving their lives. Look up any region of the world at any period and discover what people ate and their methods of gathering and growing food. You will learn how they exploited local materials to construct everything from mammoth-bone shelters to elaborate temple-pyramids. You can follow the pivotal developments of technology, from the first fashioning of stone tools to the introduction of navigational equipment. You can trace the birth and death of empires and dynasties and witness the emergence of the major religions of the world. Smithsonian Timelines of the Ancient World is illustrated with characteristic artifacts of each period and region, ranging from some of the world's oldest stone tools to exquisitely crafted Japanese pottery. In addition, Smithsonian Timelines contains hundreds of specially commissioned drawings that reconstruct original buildings and sites. Many of the Americas artifacts come from the collections of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC; photos of many of these objects have never been published before. The effect is one of stunning immediacy and diversity. In each time period, a key topic is explored in closer detail. You can learn about the origins of hominids in East Africa more than one million years ago, the art of classical Greece, or life in a pueblo village of the southwestern region of North America. You can contrast the beautiful bronzework of the Shang State in China with the fine bronze craftsmanship of Dinin (in what is now Nigeria). You can compare the engineering feats of the Incas high in the Andes with the network of desert roads that radiate from Chaco Canyon in New Mexico. Featuring more than 1,700 photographs, maps, and drawings, and written by an international team of eminent historians, archaeologists, and anthropologists, Smithsonian Timelines of the Ancient World is an invaluable family reference book. This spectacular tapestry of time serves as a lasting treatment to human ingenuity and resourcefulness.

Customer Reviews:

Smithsonian Timelines of the Ancient World by Chris Scarre.......2004-03-01

This is a beautiful BIG book - so much more than an illustrated history book. It is a Trip through Time.
Before starting, you are instructed how to 'travel' through the many colorful pages, researching human origins or choosing to just wander back and forth enjoying human progress around the globe. You will be acquainted at a glance with how people lived, what they ate and their cultures. Their creative art and the advance of the technology of the time.
The team of Smithsonians have put together a wonderful collection of interesting material on a number of major civilizations stimulating readers of all ages to want to search for more as our human history unfolds.

From Trilobites to Kremlin Cathedrals.......2001-05-05

My father recently brought me back a trilobite from Russia, which is a trilobite dalmanite which crawled along the sea bed early in the history of the earth. I remember my father reading the story about the trilobites when I was very young and when he saw the fossil in Russia, he remembered the story and brought it home for me. There is a picture on page 21.

While I don't believe in evolution (and this book begins with that theory), this book is still extremely valuable for all the information it contains and the pictures are amazing. The fact that someone had to organize all these details is mind boggling in itself.

Smithsonian Timelines of the Ancient World offers a new perspective on the past and provides a unique view of our developing world. It spans from the origins of life to the emergence of civilizations up to AD 1500. This book is richly illustrated and shows artifacts of each time period and region. Many of the artifacts come from the collections of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. The photos of many items have never been published before.

This is a Millennium Classic Limited Edition Collectable. The silver cover makes this a perfect coffee table book. It is not a book you just put away and forget about, yet you will feel spoiled owning it. You can look up any region of the world at any period and discover what people ate or how they used local materials to construct shelters and temple-pyramids. The pivotal developments of technology from the fashioning of stone tools, to the introduction of navigational equipment is shown in detail.

If you want to know about the art of classical Greece, or how the Incas lived in the Andes, you can find it all in one concise collection of knowledge. There are more than 50 large-scale visual time charts, 1600 photographs and 100 specially commissioned maps.

I present to you a book produced under the expert guidance of eminent archaeologists, anthropologists, prehistorians and paleontologists from around the world. Chris Scarre, PhD, is a specialist in the prehistory of Europe and the Mediterranean. He was also the editor of Past Worlds: The Times Atlas of Archaeology (1988).

An invaluable reference book that presents a spectacular tapestry of time and culture.

Interesting but incomplete.......1999-09-17

This book has a large amount of very interesting information but, oddly, gives scant treatment to major Hebrew and Christian figures of ancient times and Jewish/Christian history while significant coverage is given to the birth of Buddhism, Confucian morality, the rise of Islam, the Koran, Hinduism, ancient Egyptian religious practices and even the gods of the ancient Mesopotamians. The establishment of the great Jewish and Christian religions should have been included on par with these other religions, especially as the book is published by a major U.S. tax-supported institution, the Smithsonian, and the vast majority of the Americans who support the Smithsonian are either Jewish or Christian. The Jewish and Christian religions have had a significant impact on world history and so a book of this type is incomplete if they are not covered.

This Book Is Rockin'!!.......1999-05-09

I am a student of Washington Middle School, and my teacher gave us an assignment of getting 20 trade timeline entries and 20 agricultural entries, and with this book, I got all but seven of my agriculture entries, and all my trade entries in two periods. This book may cost alot to buy, but if you go to your library and check it out, you can find out tons of stuff about the Americas, Asia, Australia, Europe, and Africa, about weapons, farming, art, etc... like I said, This book is rockin'!!

Fantastic for teaching an integrated approch to Histroy.......1999-04-23

I use this reference book in the classroom to provide a global perspective for students. The book helps to show students that history and civilization are global not only continental and western.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books