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A review by stevenyenzer
The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome by Susan Wise Bauer
3.0
What a tome! I picked this up after starting The History of the Medieval World because I didn't want to feel like I'd missed anything. Unfortunately, I didn't find Bauer's account of early history particularly compelling. It's hard to know exactly why -- it could be a symptom of unfamiliar names, or the fact that early narratives lack detail due to scant documentation.
I was glad to learn a bit about the early empires of China and India, but as other reviewers pointed out, Bauer's coverage is a bit skimpy in these areas. I was surprised at the relatively short shrift given to the Chinese Empire Qin Shi Huang compared to comparatively minor Greek and Roman rulers.
Still Bauer has accomplished something impressive with a readable narrative account of nearly 3,000 years of history across much of the world. I look forward to her account of the Medieval period and of the Renaissance world.
I was glad to learn a bit about the early empires of China and India, but as other reviewers pointed out, Bauer's coverage is a bit skimpy in these areas. I was surprised at the relatively short shrift given to the Chinese Empire Qin Shi Huang compared to comparatively minor Greek and Roman rulers.
Still Bauer has accomplished something impressive with a readable narrative account of nearly 3,000 years of history across much of the world. I look forward to her account of the Medieval period and of the Renaissance world.