A Short History of the World by Christopher Lascelles : The Ultimate Guide to the PDF and Book
If you want a , H.G. Wells’ version is your only option (Project Gutenberg). But for a modern, engaging, and accurate crash course, Lascelles is superior—and worth the purchase price.
Christopher Lascelles achieved what he set out to do: he wrote a history book for the overwhelmed, the forgetful, and the curious. A Short History of the World is not the last word on human civilization, but it is the perfect first word.
The book accelerates significantly as it hits the 15th century. The exploration of the New World, the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment are covered as a cascade of dominoes falling. Lascelles argues that the Industrial Revolution was the most significant shift in human existence since the invention of agriculture. His synthesis of how steam power changed social structures, warfare,
Lascelles does not pretend to be exhaustive. Instead, he provides a skeleton of history onto which readers can later attach more detailed knowledge. The book is structured as a linear journey: