Please recommend "big picture" history books.
May 20, 2010 9:28 AM Subscribe
Please recommend "big picture" history books.
I read a fair amount of history, but I have these huge gaps in my historic knowledge. Basically, anything before WWI starts to get foggy, with the exception of the period around the American Revolution.
I would like to read some "big picture" books that take you through the sweep of history, particularly in the areas of ancient civilizations, the Greeks and Romans, and the middle ages, but really anything else would be good too. I am not interested in reading battle-by-battle accounts of wars, or leader-by-leader accounts of whatever old dynasty. I'm talking about like 50-100 years in a chapter!
Any recommendations? Thanks
I read a fair amount of history, but I have these huge gaps in my historic knowledge. Basically, anything before WWI starts to get foggy, with the exception of the period around the American Revolution.
I would like to read some "big picture" books that take you through the sweep of history, particularly in the areas of ancient civilizations, the Greeks and Romans, and the middle ages, but really anything else would be good too. I am not interested in reading battle-by-battle accounts of wars, or leader-by-leader accounts of whatever old dynasty. I'm talking about like 50-100 years in a chapter!
Any recommendations? Thanks
Isaac Asimov's Chronology of the World covers just about everything. It's very big picture, organized in a timeline and then roughly by region, and I believe it starts with the Big Bang. You probably wouldn't want to sit down and read the whole thing straight through, but I've had it around my house and find myself referring to it fairly often. It would be a good starting point to help you figure out some specific eras to dig into more deeply.
posted by something something at 9:44 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by something something at 9:44 AM on May 20, 2010
I love these. I thnk you need to start with William McNeill. Say, The Human Web or A World History.
posted by shothotbot at 9:54 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by shothotbot at 9:54 AM on May 20, 2010
Best answer: Yeah ... like I know exactly what you want.
Susan Wise Bauer.
The history of the ancient world
The history of the medieval world
posted by jannw at 9:55 AM on May 20, 2010
Susan Wise Bauer.
The history of the ancient world
The history of the medieval world
posted by jannw at 9:55 AM on May 20, 2010
For an interesting one that is less like a textbook, try Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything
posted by rmless at 9:56 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by rmless at 9:56 AM on May 20, 2010
Seconding Gonick's Cartoon History series-not only are they informative in and of themselves, their reference section in the back is very helpful.
posted by dinty_moore at 10:06 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by dinty_moore at 10:06 AM on May 20, 2010
The Timetables of History.
posted by Lutoslawski at 10:08 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by Lutoslawski at 10:08 AM on May 20, 2010
seconding "A short History of Nearly Everything". You might also be interested in The Middle Sea, a history of the Mediterranean Sea, which I'm currently plowing through. It's got tons on ancient civilizations (and everything else up to and including WWI if I remember the summary correctly), and also hits that hundred-years-per-chapter target you're looking for. It's a bit heavy on the military side of things but not terribly so.
posted by xbonesgt at 10:08 AM on May 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by xbonesgt at 10:08 AM on May 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
Daniel J Boorstin wrote 3 sizable histories: The Discoverers, The Creators and The Seekers. the first is the best, but all are big picture history at its best.
posted by OHenryPacey at 10:17 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by OHenryPacey at 10:17 AM on May 20, 2010
For the middle ages, I highly recommend Sidney Painter's Western Europe in the Middle Ages. If you can, try to find an older edition at a used bookstore or library. The more recent versions have been updated by a different author (Brian Tierney), and I think one of the best attributes of this book is Painter's prose.
posted by crLLC at 10:22 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by crLLC at 10:22 AM on May 20, 2010
"The History of the English Speaking Peoples" by Winston Churchill. It begins with the Norman conquest of England.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:26 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:26 AM on May 20, 2010
Europe Between the Oceans: 9000 BC-AD 1000 (Hardcover)
Barry Cunliffe (Author)
Cunliffe, emeritus professor of archeology at Oxford, colorfully weaves history, geography archeology and anthropology into a mesmerizing tapestry chronicling the development of Europe. The sheer size of the European coastlines, as well as the inland rivers pouring into these seas, enabled many groups to move easily from one place to another and establish cultures that flourished commercially. Between 2800 and 1300 B.C., for example, Britain, the Nordic states, Greece and the western Mediterranean states were bound together by their maritime exchange of bronze, whose use in Britain and Ireland had spread by 1400 B.C. to Greece and the Aegean. From 800 to 500 B.C.—the three hundred years that changed the world—the Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans and Carthaginians emerged from relative obscurity into major empires whose struggles to control the seas were for the first time recorded in writing. Cunliffe points out that each oceanic culture developed unique sailing vessels for the kinds of commerce peculiar to it. Richly told, Cunliffe's tale yields a wealth of insights into the earliest days of European civilization. Illus., maps.
posted by Rumple at 10:26 AM on May 20, 2010 [2 favorites]
Barry Cunliffe (Author)
Cunliffe, emeritus professor of archeology at Oxford, colorfully weaves history, geography archeology and anthropology into a mesmerizing tapestry chronicling the development of Europe. The sheer size of the European coastlines, as well as the inland rivers pouring into these seas, enabled many groups to move easily from one place to another and establish cultures that flourished commercially. Between 2800 and 1300 B.C., for example, Britain, the Nordic states, Greece and the western Mediterranean states were bound together by their maritime exchange of bronze, whose use in Britain and Ireland had spread by 1400 B.C. to Greece and the Aegean. From 800 to 500 B.C.—the three hundred years that changed the world—the Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans and Carthaginians emerged from relative obscurity into major empires whose struggles to control the seas were for the first time recorded in writing. Cunliffe points out that each oceanic culture developed unique sailing vessels for the kinds of commerce peculiar to it. Richly told, Cunliffe's tale yields a wealth of insights into the earliest days of European civilization. Illus., maps.
posted by Rumple at 10:26 AM on May 20, 2010 [2 favorites]
This does not fit your more detailed description (ancient civilizations, etc.) since it starts with Renaissance Italy, but as far as "big picture" goes, The Shield of Achilles is quite an excellent book. I have read the first half three times, and I'll soon be going back for a fourth.
posted by adamdschneider at 11:24 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by adamdschneider at 11:24 AM on May 20, 2010
The Discoverers and The Creators by Daniel J. Boorstin (former Librarian of Congress). Excellent surveys of history from pre-history to the modern age. The Discoverers covers the realm of science, technology and exploration; The Creators discusses artistic innovation. Remember the BBC/PBS show Connections? It's kind of like that, but with a lot more depth.
posted by Doohickie at 11:52 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by Doohickie at 11:52 AM on May 20, 2010
Oops... I guess OHenryPacey beat me to it..... and I realize I never read The Seekers.
posted by Doohickie at 11:54 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by Doohickie at 11:54 AM on May 20, 2010
H.G. Wells A Short History of the World covers everything from the dawn of time up to World War I. I t was written as a short, easily digestible general introduction (meant to be "read straightforwardly almost as a novel is read" according to Wells' preface). Available free online at Bartleby.com or as a Penguin Classic.
posted by tallus at 11:55 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by tallus at 11:55 AM on May 20, 2010
From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life, by Jacques Barzun.
posted by jayder at 11:59 AM on May 20, 2010
posted by jayder at 11:59 AM on May 20, 2010
Jacob Burckhardt's Greeks and Greek Civilization is a great read on ancient Greek culture. Very "big picture."
posted by dilettanti at 12:30 PM on May 20, 2010
posted by dilettanti at 12:30 PM on May 20, 2010
An Utterly Impartial History of Britain (or 2000 Years of Upper Class Idiots in Charge) by John O'Farrell is pretty informative and an easy read. It's also, IMO, very funny, if you don't like jokes with your history though, I imagine it would get old quick.
posted by IanMorr at 1:08 PM on May 20, 2010
posted by IanMorr at 1:08 PM on May 20, 2010
Read E. H. Gombrich's A Little History of the World. He was a well-respected scholar, so the history is solid, and he writes beautifully and easily. He also makes sure to tell you things like Louis the Sun King liked paled blue silk stockings and the Assyrians had really cool beards.
If you're willing to dive into a larger tome, R.R. Palmer's A History of the Modern World is a classic. The first edition was written 60 years ago, so some of his assumptions seem dated now, but a lot of the connections he draws are still relevant.
posted by colfax at 1:30 PM on May 20, 2010
If you're willing to dive into a larger tome, R.R. Palmer's A History of the Modern World is a classic. The first edition was written 60 years ago, so some of his assumptions seem dated now, but a lot of the connections he draws are still relevant.
posted by colfax at 1:30 PM on May 20, 2010
Traditions and Encounters: A Brief Global History
This is the more concise version of the textbook I used in my ap World History class, if you'd like to go more in depth you can buy the full textbook here.
posted by kylej at 3:12 PM on May 20, 2010
This is the more concise version of the textbook I used in my ap World History class, if you'd like to go more in depth you can buy the full textbook here.
posted by kylej at 3:12 PM on May 20, 2010
Nobody's mentioned Guns, Germs, and Steel yet? But that might be a bit too big-picture.
posted by madcaptenor at 4:23 PM on May 20, 2010
posted by madcaptenor at 4:23 PM on May 20, 2010
Pretty much anything by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto. For example, Civilizations or Millennium: A History of Our Last Thousand Years.
posted by lukemeister at 9:29 PM on May 20, 2010
posted by lukemeister at 9:29 PM on May 20, 2010
Response by poster: Followup - I am reading The History of the Medieval World by Susan Wise Bauer and it is just what I was looking for. Thanks.
posted by Mid at 11:57 AM on July 7, 2010
posted by Mid at 11:57 AM on July 7, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by COBRA! at 9:36 AM on May 20, 2010 [1 favorite]