The New Atlas of World History: Global Events at a Glance, by John Haywood, from the Department of History at Lancaster University, provides a panoramic view of world history from the start of human DNA to the Jasmine revolution, in Tunisia, in December of A.D. 2010. It is an impressive coffee table volume with thick pages full of charts, maps, graphs, and illustrations that should prove accessible to a broad audience, including those with a very short attention span. You do not need to read it from cover to cover. Pick a page or period and see what else went on then. It is enlightening.
[From 200 BC]
"The invention of stirrups in this period, possibly in India, allowed a horse rider to sit more securely in the saddle, greatly improving the effectiveness of cavalry. The innovation first became widespread among the steppe nomads two or three centuries later. The invention by the Polynesians of the ocean-going double-hulled canoes opened up the furthest reaches of the Pacific to human settlement."
As a world history, Haywood does not spend inordinate time on the ancient Mediterranean. Rome gets short shrift (but that is not really a problem since you can find plenty on Rome elsewhere), while Alexander the Great commands somewhat more space because of his conquests of so much of the then-known world and the spread of Greek culture in his wake. Mesoamerica, India, and China receive a satisfying share of the content in the first 70 pages, after which the advent of Islam heralds the modern world (at least to those of us with a primary interest in antiquity). That first 70 pages represents a decent proportion of the 215 pages of maps, history, and timelines. There is also an extensive glossary, a bibliography for texts, and another for illustrations, bringing the total number of pages to 252.
The layout consists of two-page spreads. The first half page contains text under which is a chart or graph displaying either world population or major city size estimates for the era. For example, in 323 B.C., the year Alexander the Great died, the world population was about 165 million and the five largest cities in the world were:
(1) Carthage [500,000],The remaining page and a half is devoted to either a map or a timeline. These are color coded with text and illustrations. On the timeline page, the same categories are used for developments in each era:
(2) Linzi (in China) [300,000],
(3) Alexandria [300,000],
(4) Babylon [200,000], and
(5) Pataliputra (near the Ganges River, in India) [150,000].
(1) arts & architecture,The relative space for each section varies with the period.
(2) science & technology,
(3) religion & philosophy, and
(4) politics & economy.
Although The New Atlas of World History: Global Events at a Glance deserves a broad audience, it should be read with care. Some statements oversimplify the historical events. On one of the text pages for 1 B.C., Haywood writes: "Following a civil war, the general Julius Caesar declared himself dictator for life, effectively destroying the republic." Not only does this simplify Caesar's acquisition of top political position, but also the demise of the republic.
The New Atlas of World History: Global Events at a Glance
John Haywood
252 pages. 350 color illustrations, 10 line illustrations, and 55 maps
Princeton University Press
Published: November 9, 2011
ISBN 13: 978-0-691-15269-1
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
