How to Use This Book

This book gives every student the core knowledge of world history, from the first humans to the early twenty-first century. Each chapter presents key developments, important dates, central ideas and review questions with answers. Numbers in square brackets, such as [1], point to the numbered References at the end. Dates are approximate for early periods, and historians sometimes disagree about causes and interpretations, so use this book as a framework to explore further.

Contents

What Is History?

Prehistory and the First Humans

The First Civilizations

Classical Greece and Rome

Classical India and China

Religions and Philosophies

The World, 500–1450

The Early Modern World, 1450–1750

The Age of Revolutions, 1750–1850

Industry and Empire, 1760–1914

World War I and Its Aftermath

The Interwar Years

World War II

The Cold War and Decolonization

The Contemporary World

Historical Skills and Study Strategies

Timeline of Key Dates

References