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andeaclark's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book. It wasn't perfect but it was interesting to see how history is connected and how many themes are repeated over and over again. I saw connections that I had never realized before encase we tend to learn history in disparate chunks. It was pretty Eurocentric.
bethtwilson0's review against another edition
3.0
Do I know the history of the world now? No. Do I know a little bit? Yes. This book would be better if it had more maps and diagrams of family lineage but it did the job.
caresays's review against another edition
4.0
Reading this book was a real pleasure. Written for children as an alternative to their history texts in 1935, Gombrich writes with compassion and enthusiasm. This is in no way a comprehensive book. As another reviewer has said, this book is Eurocentric, with only a few chapters dedicated to Asia and the Middle East and almost nothing on the Americas and Africa. Despite this, I found the book straightforward and enjoyable. I would hope that this would inspire any curious child to read more about history (particularly of those places Gombrich doesn't explore).
alicetheowl's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those books that's been waiting on my shelves for me to read it for years. I picked it up for an overall view of history, and some idea of cause and effect. I did know, going in, that there would be flaws, and I found them. But I also got what I expected out of it: a simplified view of world history, and how it got us to the 20th century.
The book starts with some speculation about pre-historic humanity. Now, the book was originally published in 1936, so its views are almost a century old. But it needed to start somewhere, and I can't fault its choice, nor that the author was working with what he had.
The book is not only Euro-centric, Gombrich is German. Most of the history centers around Germany, Austria, Italy, and France. There are tidbits of information about China, though Japan isn't mentioned until the 18th century.
The jarring part of the book, for a former student of American history, is how little America plays a part. It warrants a mention here, a brief reference there. Overall, though, America's role in this book is a small one, and not particularly flattering. A person raised in the notion (one I don't wholly agree with) that the US is the center of the world might feel let down by the book.
Also surprising is that the author is aware of colonialism's detrimental effects, though he doesn't call it that word. He references the atrocities committed on native inhabitants, and openly admires Japan for stealing all it can of European culture, then booting the Western world out. His last major reference point is WWI, and doesn't hesitate to describe the events leading up to it as greedy land grabs by the European nations.
There is an afterword, where he corrects a statement in the final chapter of the original, and discusses WWII, Hitler, and the Holocaust. Gombrich, himself, fled Germany, because he has Jewish ancestry.
The book does have its blind spots. As I mentioned, it focuses on Europe, with only minor references to other parts of the world. India's only role is to be conquered by Alexander the Great, while China's contribution is, evidently, Confucius and gunpowder. Even the northern parts of Europe are dismissed.
It also has a Christian-centric view, treating the rise of the Catholic Church and later of Martin Luther as important historical points. While these did leave a mark on history, I don't agree with the author that it was a positive one.
All-in-all, I thought this makes a good place for younger readers to start learning about history, and to give them reference points for any other study of history they may be interested in. It turns it into more of a story than a dry account of battles and kings, though it has those, as well. The language and wording are appropriate for anyone eight years old and up.
I found myself wishing, as I read, that this had been my introduction to world history. Flawed as it is, it's a lot more interesting, and it shows the relationships between events much better than anything I read in school.
The book starts with some speculation about pre-historic humanity. Now, the book was originally published in 1936, so its views are almost a century old. But it needed to start somewhere, and I can't fault its choice, nor that the author was working with what he had.
The book is not only Euro-centric, Gombrich is German. Most of the history centers around Germany, Austria, Italy, and France. There are tidbits of information about China, though Japan isn't mentioned until the 18th century.
The jarring part of the book, for a former student of American history, is how little America plays a part. It warrants a mention here, a brief reference there. Overall, though, America's role in this book is a small one, and not particularly flattering. A person raised in the notion (one I don't wholly agree with) that the US is the center of the world might feel let down by the book.
Also surprising is that the author is aware of colonialism's detrimental effects, though he doesn't call it that word. He references the atrocities committed on native inhabitants, and openly admires Japan for stealing all it can of European culture, then booting the Western world out. His last major reference point is WWI, and doesn't hesitate to describe the events leading up to it as greedy land grabs by the European nations.
There is an afterword, where he corrects a statement in the final chapter of the original, and discusses WWII, Hitler, and the Holocaust. Gombrich, himself, fled Germany, because he has Jewish ancestry.
The book does have its blind spots. As I mentioned, it focuses on Europe, with only minor references to other parts of the world. India's only role is to be conquered by Alexander the Great, while China's contribution is, evidently, Confucius and gunpowder. Even the northern parts of Europe are dismissed.
It also has a Christian-centric view, treating the rise of the Catholic Church and later of Martin Luther as important historical points. While these did leave a mark on history, I don't agree with the author that it was a positive one.
All-in-all, I thought this makes a good place for younger readers to start learning about history, and to give them reference points for any other study of history they may be interested in. It turns it into more of a story than a dry account of battles and kings, though it has those, as well. The language and wording are appropriate for anyone eight years old and up.
I found myself wishing, as I read, that this had been my introduction to world history. Flawed as it is, it's a lot more interesting, and it shows the relationships between events much better than anything I read in school.
whatwillreads1's review against another edition
4.0
I picked up this book having wanted to learn about historical events that I had never really had the chance to be introduced to before - and this book did exactly that for me. Spanning over millennia, Gombrich recounts historical events which are presented to the reader in clear and concise chapters. These chapters are not laden with endless dates or facts, but are instead made accessible by Gombrich’s focus on humanity’s experience. His fatherly and warm tone was delightful.
If you’re interested in learning more about world history or need a starting point of reference, I couldn’t recommend this book enough. The only reason I gave this a 4 star instead of a 5 is that I was already familiar with some of the historical events. Were someone who was not already familiar with world history, I probably would’ve bumped it up to a 5 star read.
My edition also included illustrations by Clifford Harper at the beginning of each chapter, which I really appreciated.
If you’re interested in learning more about world history or need a starting point of reference, I couldn’t recommend this book enough. The only reason I gave this a 4 star instead of a 5 is that I was already familiar with some of the historical events. Were someone who was not already familiar with world history, I probably would’ve bumped it up to a 5 star read.
My edition also included illustrations by Clifford Harper at the beginning of each chapter, which I really appreciated.
kingn127's review against another edition
4.0
It should honestly be called “A Little Euro-Centric History of the World pre-WW1”, but it makes a lot of sense given where and when the author wrote this book. I think the last chapter really saves it and offers interesting insights into the author’s thoughts and motivations. Don’t expect any deep insights into Asian, African, or South American history, but it does chain together many major historical events together in a way that feels streamlined and digestible. Definitely written for younger readers, but an older reader can enjoy a revisit to major historical events. You might learn something new along the way.
A side note that this book REALLY made me want to play the Civilization games. It’s an insightful look into how empires and countries rise and fall.
A side note that this book REALLY made me want to play the Civilization games. It’s an insightful look into how empires and countries rise and fall.
d621's review against another edition
As the story goes, Ernst read the chapters to his wife as he was writing the book which accounts for its conversational tone (very modern for 1935). The book was banned by the Nazis which is a recommendation in itself. It was re-written and edited by the author in 2001. The book is charming.
fth0tfitzgerald's review against another edition
4.0
Eine sehr großartige und kluge Erzählung. Es enthielt mehr als ich hatte erwartet.
Christoph Waltz hat eine schöne Stimme.
Christoph Waltz hat eine schöne Stimme.
omarahmad's review against another edition
4.0
This work by the famous art historian was originally intended for children to acquaint them with the broader contours of the subject and so history buffs ought to be delighted. However, there is one major peeve here i.e. the version presented is a Eurocentric account with no mention of other cultures/civilizations or ethnic denominations (there is no record at all of any achievements by Muslims/Indians/Chinese/Mayans/Aztecs/Incas to name a few) thereby falling extremely short of the highly ambitious task it has set for itself.
#SelectiveHistory #MyopicOutlook
#SelectiveHistory #MyopicOutlook