The New Atlas of World History: Global Events at a Glance

Description

When did modern humans first colonize different parts of the world? What was happening in China when Alexander the Great conquered the Persian empire? What was the global reach of the great religious faiths at the time of the European Reformation? The first and only historical atlas to present global history in a series of uniform world-to-view maps, this groundbreaking volume allows complete and instant comparison between different periods and regions. In 56 specially commissioned, crystal-clear maps we see the grand sweep of historical events, supplemented by thematic maps that show the origins and spread of world writing systems, world trade and world religions. Each type of society is given a colour-coding on the maps, so that the global extent at any one time of hunter-gatherer societies, chiefdoms, states and empires becomes immediately apparent. A second unique feature of the atlas is its twofold presentation of world events: maps are juxtaposed with double-page timelines to build a clear and detailed narrative of global history from six million years ago. The timelines reveal developments in politics, religion, science and the arts. Colour-coded date-markers show where the events took place, enabling comparison of events across the world, and images, colour-coded in the same scheme, convey the richness and diversity of world art, architecture and technology. In addition to accompanying texts that provide a succinct account of world history in their own right, the maps and timelines are supported by key demographic data on the world's five largest cities and global population at any one time, displayed using modern information graphics. Conceived and written by leading cartographic editor and historian, the New Atlas with its authoritative maps, graphics and illustrated timelines provides the perfect overview of global history for the 21st century.

John Haywood is Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of History, University of Lancaster and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society of Great Britain. A highly experienced cartographic editor and author, his many publications include The Great Migrations, The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Civilizations and The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings.

'An astonishing concept, brilliantly carried through, history and geography seamlessly combined' - John Julius Norwich 'A combination of brilliant design, clear narrative and fascinating insights creates a compelling and even - handed tapestry of the human experience' - Brian Fagan, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, University of California 'A remarkable volume, written with skill and erudition. This is true world history' - Michael Prestwich, Emeritus Professor of Medieval History, Durham University 'Comprehensive and innovative... Its lively text and accessible format show how people have interacted with their environment to create the world we know today' - Peter Wilson, Grant Professor of History, University of Hull