History of the World - Hardcover

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The latest endeavor of Dorling Kindersley, the publisher who introduced the popular and much-copied Eyewitness series, is this beautifully illustrated history for young readers. This ambitious volume begins 570 million years ago and ends with the 1990s. It is divided into sections of varying increments and includes such major events as wars, political upheavals, and inventions. For example, the section "1000-1200: Monks and Invaders" begins with a world map noting important events during this 200-year period. A table lists important events on all five continents. An asterisk on the table notes that more detailed information on this event follows. A time line running across the bottom of each page is highlighted to show the time period being covered.

Dealing as it does with the entire history of the planet, it stands to reason that each era could not be dealt with at length. However, the stunning photography and art here is enough to pique readers' interest on a variety of topics and hopefully will inspire them to do more reading elsewhere. A final reference section includes a glossary and an index.

This beautifully planned book is an excellent tool for stirring interest in history. There is only one area that could be improved upon: there is no pronunciation key of any type. The format and visuals will attract a wide range of reading abilities (upper primary to middle grades), and children will have no idea how to pronounce such names as Cleisthenes or Menes. Phonetic spelling following the more difficult terms and names would have been helpful.