A Short History of the World

What makes this book stand out is the authors attempts to explain why history happened the way it did and not just what happened. When important, he presents all of the current outstanding theories on a particular subject, and lets the reader decide which seems most plausible.


An Excellent Summary of World History!   January 3, 1998
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

J.M. Roberts has written an excellent short and readable synopsis of the history of humanity from earliest times until most the most recent era. I have not read the longer versions of his world history (of which A Short History is a condensation), but this title contains a wealth of material. Roberts does well at trackinga story line as far as neccessary without forcing centuries of mental backtracking when switching to coverage of different areas of the globe. His presentation is very balanced and he gives equal time to all areas of the world. In addition, he adds timely comments on the role of women at various points in history, a subject somewhat neglected in the past. While perceptive and all encompassing, the story is balanced and lacks (for the better!) the revisionist bias which has often come down hard on white, male Europe. He certainly recognizes the power and influence of Europe on world history, especially since the Age of Discovery, yet he does well in analyzing the reasons for it, as well as its implications on non-Western peoples. All this he does without being biased toward any particular group. The book is a very good introduction to the currents of world history and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to engage a very sweeping narrative of how and why our world is where it is today. I detect no obvious religious persuasion on Roberts' parrt, but I am impressed with the place he assigns Christianity in Earupean history at least, and the way in which religion is fairly treatd along with science in the modern period. Admittedly, there is a glaring lack of detail in terms of specific dates, battles, people, technology, and so forth, but that seems purely due to the selectiveness he must practice in order to tell compress some 10,000 (recorded) years of human development into 500 pages. Roberts' Short History of the World is a good book and well worth anyones time to read and grab a gliimpse of undertanding into what makes the world what it is today. Perhaps, given enough time, I might enjoy reading his full treatment.


Excellent book.. great language and style.   July 6, 2000
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

This is the one of the best history books I have ever read. The crowning glory of this book is that the author manages to give a whole picture of world history without going into pedantic details about dates and battles. I mean, this is not the book you should read if you want to learn by heart the names of all Roman emperors. But if you want to get an overview, a holistic picture of world history right through to the nineties, this book is a great investment. Plus, Mr. Roberts' language is excellent and his style engaging.


Great Book....Tells us everything concisely   February 13, 2000
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

This is a great book for people who do not have the time or inclination to sift through lengthy and difficult history books. The book begins with the birth of humankind and ends in the modern times. It touches all major events which created and shaped history. Excellent resource and reference.