World History: The Story of Mankind from Prehistory to the Present

Writing a one-volume history of the world is a project fraught with peril: in such a book, surely something important will be left out, glossed over, missed. Hugh Thomas does a better job than most, especially in his attention to the material basis for human society--the farming, mining, stockraising, and industry that keep us fed and clothed. He has a sweeping view of historical trends, such as the worldwide emergence of kingship and the inevitable collapse of empires. Thomas's view is resolutely Eurocentric, and he passes by Asian history with a swift glance. With that fault in mind, however, the reader will find in Thomas's pages a handy and very well-written work of historical reference.