'I am really impressed, this book has so much information and is so clearly marked out.
This would be great for a school child or a student, or just for home reference.'
Customer Review:
Review by: Giulietta Driver, 22 September 2009
'This book is excellent. I loved it. On opening it, you embark on a comprehensive and exciting journey through global history that is beautifully illustrated and very well written. One of the strengths of this book is that the writing is accessible without being patronising, making it suitable for adults and children alike. I really like the design and layout of History as I think that the use of text, illustrations and photos is well balanced, making it really easy to read and not too overwhelming. It’s very well designed.
This book gives an excellent overview of world events that can really enhance your understanding of current global events, and makes you realise that the problems affecting us all now have affected those before us. It helps contextualise the present, which I really like. I have also found out about historical events that I didn’t learn about in school, and have had no prior knowledge of. Many of these I would like to learn more about, which is no bad thing. In addition, I really like the section that covers the history of all countries in timeline form as it is a good quick reference that throws out some random and interesting facts.
With regard to who I think might like this book, I think there’s an obvious use for those who are studying not just history, but also geography and languages, as it’s an excellent quick reference for schoolwork. However, I also think it is great for people like me, who enjoy history, but don’t quite know where to start when it comes to finding out about global events, or who would like a context for current events.
Overall, this book is an excellent, all round book that I can see being a treasured part of my collection for a long time. It’s a good, solid traditional reference book in the vein that I always enjoyed as a child. One criticism is that it’s quite heavy so is hard to handle when relaxing! I would definitely recommend this book.'
Customer Review:
Review by: Veronika, London, 21 September 2009
'This book offers a comprehensive overview of the history of humankind covering a period from 4.5 million years ago until the present day. It is bursting with information and photographs, making it engaging for adults and youngsters alike.
Each of the seven main parts starts with a timeline highlighting the main events of the period depicted in the corresponding chapter. Then follow pages and pages of articles focussing on a particular historical event (''The Vietnam War''), personality (''Cleopatra'') or phenomenon (''The Crusades''). The book examines the development of all cultures of the world, detailing different aspects such as politics, inventions, religion, warfare, health, society and everyday life. The final section presents a summary of the most significant events in the history of every country in the world, thus offering readers a quick reference point. An excellent source of information, this is a gem of a book that has a well-deserved place on every family bookshelf.
Quoting the book itself, HISTORY really does tell the story of how we got to where we are today.'
Customer Review:
Review by: David Reading, 16 September 2009
'For people who want to improve, or develop, their knowledge of history and the interrelationships between the far flung parts of the world over extended periods of time the DK History (The Definitive Visual Guide) is an absolute gem. With a foreword by Adam Hart Davis and written by a task force of historians who are acknowledged experts in their era of choice, the book pulls together the latest research from genetics, palaeontology, climatology and psychology together with disciplines such as archaeology and architecture to give insights into the development of humankind since its origins as well as more recent periods.
The book uses pictures of a huge range of artefacts ranging from fossils and statues to jewellery and weapons supported by clear explanatory text, to trace the spread of people around the world from their origins in tropical Africa, while looking at how they overcame the challenges they faced to develop the many societies that have covered the Earth.
In addition to providing an evidence based approach to the spread of humankind, the book also has the confidence to raises some of the current debates within the historic community about for example who colonised America first, the Mongoloid peoples of East Asia or European Caucasians
Looking at the main regional and world cultures and societies, the book is able to show the growing influence they have had on each other, leading towards the current day and the interpenetration of modern societies through globalization and the effect of technology and environmental concerns.
This book would be of benefit to a wide readership, from students who are looking for a holistic overview of their subject, while era specialists will also find nuggets of interest that they can explore in more detail using the extensive Acknowledgements section. In addition, it will serve as a useful reference book for people who just want to dip in and out of history for example when reading a historical novel and want to get a feel for the broader historical context. There is also a very detailed timeline structure which enables readers to quickly gain an understanding of key dates around the world.
'
Customer Review:
Review by: Susan Scothern, 13 September 2009
'This book would be ideal for family use, either to provide information to help with homework or to give background details to a television news item or programme. Whilst anyone wishing for an in depth study would need to look elsewhere, this book provides an overview of the history of the whole world from the time of the earliest hominins to the new millenium.
Each article comes with before and after sections, which place the subject matter within a greater context, rather than becoming an isolated event. There are numerous cross-references which enable particular strands to be followed across the centuries.
The book is beautifully illustrated, both with modern photographs, and paintings and artefacts of the times, which serve to increase the reader''s understanding of the period.
As well as the major world events, there are descriptions of some of the most influential people who have lived, plus a number of decisive moments that have changed the course of history. The back cover quotes George Santayana saying "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it" and anyone who owns this book would have ample opportunity to learn from the past.
The only obvious omission is that of culture. Cinema and television are mentioned as inventions, but films, music and drama only receive incidental coverage.
Finally, the end of the book has a section devoted to the national history of each of the 193 countries of the world, so that with a quick glance the reader can follow through a complete history of any country they choose, from one of the super-powers to a small African nation.
This book is definitely to be recommended to anyone who has any interest in history and who wants to know how one particular event takes its place in world history. The illustrations make it a pleasure to look through. It is easily a book to return to time and again, as chance remarks encourage the reader to find out more about the many different yet intertwined strands that make up the history of the world.'
Customer Review:
Review by: Mike and Paul, 12 September 2009
'Okay, first thing about this book, if it doesn''t in any way improve you knowledge of World History, then it certainly increase your muscle mass! It is an heavy tome. The amount of factual history of many countries is included, and it is really in a very easy way for all ages to understand, maybe the younger ones might not understand the full written history at the moment, but will love the many pictures and photos, and that ''big book'' feel. I myself have read through this with one of my friends, who loves History, but has Learning Disabilities. He lovesthe photos and pictures, and know that the fact that I can actually answer the questions he has asked before without having full knowledge. Basically, this is one ofthe books that should be on everyones shelf, just for those quizical moments for us more mature readers, and a great learning aid for the younger ones. As they say, to move forward we need to learn from the past.'
Customer Review:
Review by: sallyanne rowe, 03 September 2009
'I have to admit im impressed, it has a lot of information but not put in highbrow way, I think even teenager would find this of interest, I might buy one for reference.'
Customer Review:
Review by: Kat Spooner, 28 June 2009
'Extremely interesting and good just to browse, highly recommended for all those who study history-right from GCSE (me!) to college and Uni.'
Customer Review:
Review by: scooby, 08 March 2009
'This is a book you want to keep reading but don''t want to finish. It covers all the important events since the beginning of man on earth with a great combination of text and illustrations of the highest quality.
When you read this you just want to learn so much more of our history (if only school textbooks were like this). A typical great DK book. Buy and enjoy.'
Customer Review:
Review by: Tam Patsit, 23 January 2009
'Absolutely brilliant book. The easy to understand timelines and bite size pieces of information make it the perfect coffee table book, as well as a useful reference book for my son.
Beautiful illustrations as you would expect from a DK book.'
Customer Review:
Review by: D.J.Henesy, 04 September 2008
'History-The definitive visual guide is a brilliant, enthralling historical guide. Filled to the brim with fascinating pictures, information, time lines and quotes, it presents history in a fun, completely interesting way. Easy to use, want to find info? Simply look up a key word in the index and flick to the page. Simple, explanatory language makes this book great to use by all. Anytime I learn or hear a piece of history I can use this book to teach me about the topic. I love it! Two thumbs up!'
Customer Review:
Review by: Catherine, 27 December 2007
I got this book for Christmas and it is quite simply wonderful. There is information on almost everything and it has greatly helped me with my school history essay. I will use it for help with school work and also for general interest. Fab!
Customer Review:
Review by: Matthew Hanzel, 23 December 2007
What a history book! A large, comprehensive history book relevant for all uses. Perfect for me as a history learner. It's a must-have book for history fanatics and students.
Customer Review:
Review by: Alan Montgomery, 26 November 2007
The DNA of human endeavour explodes into a wealth of information.The Book of Kells for the 21st century.I loved it.
are registered and/or unregistered trade marks of