E. H. Gombrich's world history, an international bestseller now available in English for the first time, is a text dominated not by dates and facts but by the sweep of experience across the centuries, a guide to humanity's achievements, and an acute witness to its frailties. In forty concise chapters, Gombrich tells the story of humanity from the Stone Age to the atomic bomb. In between emerges a colorful picture of wars and conquests, grand works of art, and the spread and limitations of science. The product of a generous and humane sensibility, this timeless account makes intelligible the full span of human history for the curious of all ages.
First published in 1935 and revised before its re-release and translation in 2005, this charming survey of world history was originally written with older children in mind. But curious adults looking to brush up on the subject will find much to admire in its simplified narrative of Western Civilization's main plot line, from prehistory through WWII. British narrator Ralph Cosham is a perfect choice for this material. His tone and rhythm render Gombrich's clear, humane text in a warm and compelling reading. Translated from German, A LITTLE HISTORY OF THE WORLD offers a largely Euro-centric view of history, but it's a useful and entertaining overview, and Cosham's presentation compounds the pleasure. M.G. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine
About the Author
E. H. Gombrich, author of the six-million-copy international bestseller, The Story of Art and other classic works, was probably the best-known art historian of his time. Born in Vienna in 1909, he moved to London in 1936, working at the BBC and later becoming director of the Warburg Institute and professor of the History of the Classical Tradition at London University. Among his many honors were the Erasmus Prize, the Hegel Prize, the Wittgenstein Prize, and the Goethe Prize. He was knighted in 1972 and appointed a member of the Order of Merit in 1988.
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