A review by catmar19
A History of the World by Andrew Marr

4.0

Last year I decided to take the Texas certification test for history grades 8-12. It covers historical topics from world history, US history, government, world geography, and economics from pre-civilization to the present. I thought to myself, "wow, that's a lot to know." I have my English certification, so I've taken one of these tests before. I've also taken the GRE, but the vast scope of the material of this test made me nervous. I decided that I needed to brush up on my world history as part of my preparation.

I bought this book on my Kindle and started reading a little bit every night and more on weekends. I immediately liked it. The tone is not dry, as many history books can be. The transitions from topic to topic were logical and meaningful. I was refreshed on some points that I knew already, and I learned quite a few things about others.

I wouldn't recommend it as comprehensive for anyone who didn't already have a basic foundation in history. There are spots where the author more or less assumes that the reader knows what will happen next. And toward the 19th and 20th centuries it felt rushed, like Marr was just trying to wrap up the whole thing.

But really, it was a well rewarding read. I think it helped me on the test, which was what I needed it to do.