The No-Nonsense Guide to World History

This short book is an excellent introductory guide to some of the key aspects of world history that are not readily available in the more "standard" history books. It sheds some light on the people, struggles, and nationalities that are often overlooked. I highly recommend this book for those that may not have time for a thick 800-page volume but would still like to stay informed. To answer some of the commentary left by a few reviewers: 1. This book, like any book that claims to be about "world history" cannot possibly contain all there is to know about the subject, that is impossible. If you spent more time actually reviewing the book (through the publisher's website) BEFORE you made the purchase rather than complaining about it after the fact you might have realized what the true, openly stated purpose of this book was. It was not to give an exhaustive account of world history, but rather to be a short introduction to people who may not have the time to read full-length historical works. 2. If by "PC" you mean respectful of minorities, not overly Euro-centric, not using offensive or demeaning language, and paying attention to the world's downtrodden and oppressed then this book is guilty as charged. 3. From a reviewer: "Take these ridiculous thoughts from p. 120: "Mao's dictatorial social engineering had its disastrous effects too - an estimated 20 million died in the famine caused by the Great Leap Forward...But the Chinese Revolution still deserves to be seen as a fantastic achievment." Would you support the American Revolution? Would you, like me and virtually every other historian and political scientist say that it was a great step forward for humanity? If the answer is yes, again like me and every other historian, then I hope you would also agree that just because we recognize this does not mean we are a supporter of say 100 years of chattel slavery, treating women as second class citizens, giving the right to vote to white propertied men only, naked wars of aggression, rugged expansionism, and slaughter of native americans that have also undoubtedly killed millions of people. 4. "...just a warning to those (like myself) who prefer strong opinions stay in the editorial column if at all possible" I do hope you are not serious. Many people, like myself, have very strong opinions on slavery, genocide, wars of aggression, womens rights, racism, segregation, gay rights, and lots more. If you want a history that does not have strong opinions, then stick to your high school textbook. Well no actually, that's wrong. Every history book is opinionated and biased: they give their opinion by selecting what gets put in the history book, what gets left out, what is emphasized and what isn't, and so on. It goes without saying that when a person writes a book he/she is obviously using his or her own opinion. An "editorial column" is entirely unnecessary. It is always very scary to me when I hear people talk about being adverse to having "stro

This book is worth it's weight in gold, 'nuff said. I use it for My world history course as a secondary aid to the Barron's book. It's easy to read whenever, requires no special skills, and is small and easy to carry, unlike Barron's. What makes this book so great is that it offers facts in an easy to understand form, almost as if you're talking to a classmate who happens to be a lot smarter than you. With so many history books that are way to long and hard to read, it's refreshing to be able to have something to relate too.

The authors, regular contributors to the excellent _New Internationalist_ magazine, have created a book that is clear, bereft of waste and unnecessary filler. All major cultures and events are covered, and I don't mean the "Europe only" history taught in most schools: African empires, women's history, and the world that existed white Europe are discussed.This is by no means a complete book; no book of 10,000 words can be that, but it proves to be a great starting point: people will read this book and say "I didn't know that...". It's slim profile and light weight in grams, not content, also make it a great book for travellers and college students. I work and travel among cities and don't have room even for Guizot's book of European history, but this book fits in nicely.To quote from the film "Good Will Hunting", when asked by his psychiatrist what history is worth reading, Hunting says "Whatever blows your hair back." This is such a book.

The No-Nonsense Guide To World History is an iconoclastic survey of the hidden histories, continents, and communities usually overlooked and unmentioned by traditional, Eurocentric, and patriarchal oriented world history textbooks. Chris Brazier reveals the civilizations of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The history of women (often neglected because most histories are written by men with a focus on wars and politics) is also brought to the reader's attention. Integrating these suppressed and ignored histories with more familiar narratives of imperial dynasties and superpower struggles, we are provided both context and historical outline. A highly recommended, slender paperback (144 pages), The No-Nonsense Guide To World History is a relatively quick read, and is enhanced with a seven page "Marking Time: Chronology" and a one page subject index.

Possibly the greatest dip-your-toe-into-the-weird-and-wonderful-world-of-human-history guide out there. Easily digestible, sometimes funny, and always on the mark, Brazier's little gem will give readers (young and old) the confidence to wade into deeper waters with greater clarity and deeper understanding. History properly taught is not a series of mindless dates and mindless wars. Rather, it's a cherished uncle (or aunt) sitting you down in your favourite chair and revealing the world of your family and friends, near and far, known and unknown, in all their glory and all their folly. And if you think I'm an historian, I'm not. I'm just extremely excited to finally get a handle, a small though important handle, on world history. Kudos to Chris Brazier.