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A Little History of the World
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
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Summary
In 1935, with a doctorate in art history and no prospect of a job, twenty-six-year-old Ernst Gombrich was invited to attempt a history of the world for younger readers. Amazingly, he completed the task in an intense six weeks, and Eine kurze Weltgeschichte für junge Leser was published in Vienna to immediate success. It is now an international bestseller and available in almost thirty languages across the world.
In forty concise chapters, Gombrich tells the story of man 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. This is a text dominated not by dates and facts but by the sweep of mankind’s experience across the centuries, a guide to humanity’s achievements and an acute witness to its frailties. The product of a generous and humane sensibility, this timeless account makes intelligible the full span of human history.
Critic reviews
"A lovely, lively historical survey....A fine conception and summarizing of the world's checkered past for young and old." (Kirkus Reviews)
"A remarkable book, written in an amiable, conversational style....This resurrected history deserves reading for all its delights." (The New York Times)
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What listeners say about A Little History of the World
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Alistair Bastian
- 03-03-22
Beautiful history book
I love the flow of this history book. I had to buy a physical copy to have the pictures also, but it’s also lovely to listen to.
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- dialupjunkie
- 08-07-23
Not just for children
This captures a great deal and rewards a second reading. If only kids would read!
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- Buyer
- 21-11-21
Wonderful time travel
Great narrator. Fluid history that allow you to do other things whilst keeping your brain entertained.
Food for thought
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1 person found this helpful
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- Enfys
- 22-05-24
Lovely summary of mostly western history
This was a very gentle overview of mostly western history (there is some focus on China, The Middle East and Africa but not a huge amount) , starting from earliest civilization to the 2nd world war, it introduces names, events and concepts with a confident fluidity designed to engage younger readers however, if you're interested in getting into history in general this is a great starting point, it will give you familiarity with eras and individuals you can take a deeper look into yourself at a later point- it's always helpful knowing who and when to look for first!
well read and companionable, I thoroughly enjoyed this. Highly recommended!
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- Dr. Liland
- 19-08-21
Simplified and from another time
... but just more fascinating for it. Some western cruelty is skipped, but not without mention. Quite enjoyable!
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- Molly Kite
- 18-10-22
Spectacular
We have come a long way and our journey continues.
I learnt a lot
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- Anonymous User
- 26-11-22
Enlightening and Humane
An almost perfect audiobook. The style is a little old fashioned and reflects an earlier age. However this is only a minor quibble about a classic history that has an incredible scope. It provides an essential perspective for any time.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Galaxy owl
- 11-03-23
Brilliant book a must for everyone
Loved the reading and the flow of the events, it’s captivating not boring as most history books are
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- Connor
- 16-01-23
5 stars
very interesting, a brief but insightful story if human mind, well worth a listen and the narrator doesn't suck either
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- Marcu Stefan
- 25-11-22
Amazing
Spot on, I loved it to bits. It's like a good friend who talked about history
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