A Little History of the World - E.H. Gombrich

If any one of you reading this took Humanities with me in high school the name E.H. Gombrich should be familiar to you since the Story of Art, his better known book, was a very relevant resource throughout the course. In the preface, his granddaughter explains that without A Little History of the World there would have been no Story of Art. Gombrich wrote this book for young readers, so even though History is often written in such a dry and heavy matter, Gombrich provides a clear overview with a light, and sometimes humorous delivery. Furthermore, I like that Gombrich claims he could not write a book of Art History for young readers because it is an inappropriate subject matter for such ages!
Basically this book is a comprehensive summary of European History, some Asian History and the Americas join in after Columbus discovers them. While this may not be the ideal reading material for the literary lovers it is worth a glance. Gombrich effectively describes how one era leads to another, how certain historical figures or leading powers repeat the same mistakes or achieve the same successes as previous ones in history. This constant reference to earlier eras forces the reader to remember what they read some chapters earlier.
He points out the ethical dilemmas many leaders had to face, recognizes both the good and bad in some policies, the greatness and the ruthlessness of conquerors. And he also emphasizes the perspective of time. For example he states how his father lived during a time where Germany was not even a state in Europe perhaps making the young reader aware of how much the world is constantly changing.
He describes how societies structured themselves and generally describes anything that makes up a culture in a certain place and time as well as the changes that contribute to its development. There is nothing specific to say about this book, other than that it is a great reference tool for general information and a pleasant read. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to brush up on their history without having to read some heavy-duty sophisticated shit.
2 things I would have preferred: 1) I would have liked to have read about the ancient civilizations in the Americas; 2) and index would be extremely useful.
08/11/2010