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A Short History of the World
by Christopher Lascelles • 2011
Thirteen billion years in one short book: why empires fall, ideas spread, and everything connects.
3.86
2k+
A Short History of the World Summary
A Short History of the World 89%
Thirteen billion years in one short book: why empires fall, ideas spread, and everything connects.
by Christopher Lascelles 2011
3.86
2k+ ratings
The History of the Ancient World
by Susan Wise Bauer • 2007
The recurring patterns that built and then quietly destroyed ancient civs from Sumer to Rome.
4.11
7k+
The History of the Ancient World Summary
The History of the Ancient World 89%
The recurring patterns that built and then quietly destroyed ancient civs from Sumer to Rome.
by Susan Wise Bauer 2007
4.11
7k+ ratings
War! What Is It Good For?
by Ian Morris • 2014
Ten thousand years of war made the world ten times safer. The paradox behind that claim.
3.95
2k+
War! What Is It Good For? Summary
War! What Is It Good For? 89%
Ten thousand years of war made the world ten times safer. The paradox behind that claim.
by Ian Morris 2014
3.95
2k+ ratings
World History 101
by Tom Head • 2017
From Sumer to NATO, the dozen turning points that made the modern world.
3.72
911
World History 101 Summary
World History 101 89%
From Sumer to NATO, the dozen turning points that made the modern world.
by Tom Head 2017
3.72
911 ratings
Escape from Rome
by Walter Scheidel • 2019
China kept rebuilding its empire. Europe never rebuilt Rome. That difference changed everything.
4.05
482
Escape from Rome Summary
Escape from Rome 89%
China kept rebuilding its empire. Europe never rebuilt Rome. That difference changed everything.
by Walter Scheidel 2019
4.05
482 ratings
A Study of History, abridged
by Arnold Joseph Toynbee • 1957
History's real units are civilizations, not nations. Their collapses conceal a spiritual purpose.
4.10
224
A Study of History, abridged Summary
A Study of History, abridged 89%
History's real units are civilizations, not nations. Their collapses conceal a spiritual purpose.
by Arnold Joseph Toynbee 1957
4.10
224 ratings
A Study of History, Abridgement of Vols 1-6
by Arnold Joseph Toynbee • 1987
History's pattern: empires die, and their true heirs are the churches they tried to crush.
4.11
543
A Study of History, Abridgement of Vols 1-6 Summary
A Study of History, Abridgement of Vols 1-6 89%
History's pattern: empires die, and their true heirs are the churches they tried to crush.
by Arnold Joseph Toynbee 1987
4.11
543 ratings
Ancient Worlds
by Michael Scott • 2016
Democracy, republic, and Confucianism were born in the same century. None by design.
3.77
635
Ancient Worlds Summary
Ancient Worlds 89%
Democracy, republic, and Confucianism were born in the same century. None by design.
by Michael Scott 2016
3.77
635 ratings
The Lessons of History
by Will Durant • 1968
What forty centuries of history reveal: cycles, geography's grip, and the unchanging human drives.
4.05
21k+
The Lessons of History Summary
The Lessons of History 89%
What forty centuries of history reveal: cycles, geography's grip, and the unchanging human drives.
by Will Durant 1968
4.05
21k+ ratings
Day of Empire
by Amy Chua • 2007
Dominating the world has always required one thing: taking in the talent everyone else rejects.
3.77
999
Day of Empire Summary
Day of Empire 88%
Dominating the world has always required one thing: taking in the talent everyone else rejects.
by Amy Chua 2007
3.77
999 ratings
The Square and the Tower
by Niall Ferguson • 2017
The real shapers of history were not kings but the networks connecting everyone else.
3.65
4k+
The Square and the Tower Summary
The Square and the Tower 88%
The real shapers of history were not kings but the networks connecting everyone else.
by Niall Ferguson 2017
3.65
4k+ ratings
Story of Civilization
by Will Durant • 1975
Civilization rests on four fragile foundations; remove one, and the whole structure collapses.
4.43
2k+
Story of Civilization Summary
Story of Civilization 88%
Civilization rests on four fragile foundations; remove one, and the whole structure collapses.
by Will Durant 1975
4.43
2k+ ratings
A Little History of Science
by William Bynum • 2012
Science is a chain of curiosity and accident, from Babylonian stargazers to the decoding of DNA.
3.82
2k+
A Little History of Science Summary
A Little History of Science 88%
Science is a chain of curiosity and accident, from Babylonian stargazers to the decoding of DNA.
by William Bynum 2012
3.82
2k+ ratings
7 Tipping Points That Saved the World
by Chris Stewart • 2011
Seven narrow escapes that saved the West. Remove any one, and democracy and Christianity vanish.
3.97
2k+
7 Tipping Points That Saved the World Summary
7 Tipping Points That Saved the World 88%
Seven narrow escapes that saved the West. Remove any one, and democracy and Christianity vanish.
by Chris Stewart 2011
3.97
2k+ ratings
From Silk to Silicon
by Jeffrey E. Garten • 2016
Ten lives shrank the planet more than any trade pact, and none of them meant to.
3.87
878
From Silk to Silicon Summary
From Silk to Silicon 88%
Ten lives shrank the planet more than any trade pact, and none of them meant to.
by Jeffrey E. Garten 2016
3.87
878 ratings
Ultrasociety
by Peter Turchin • 2015
War did not just destroy. Over ten millennia, it built the greatest cooperators on Earth.
4.11
464
Ultrasociety Summary
Ultrasociety 88%
War did not just destroy. Over ten millennia, it built the greatest cooperators on Earth.
by Peter Turchin 2015
4.11
464 ratings
Civilization on Trial
by Arnold Joseph Toynbee • 1948
Civilizations rise to fall, religions to climb. The rubble is the mechanism, not the failure.
3.83
152
Civilization on Trial Summary
Civilization on Trial 88%
Civilizations rise to fall, religions to climb. The rubble is the mechanism, not the failure.
by Arnold Joseph Toynbee 1948
3.83
152 ratings
The Fate of Rome
by Kyle Harper • 2017
The Roman Empire wasn't just conquered. It was overwhelmed by climate chaos and pandemic disease.
4.19
2k+
The Fate of Rome Summary
The Fate of Rome 88%
The Roman Empire wasn't just conquered. It was overwhelmed by climate chaos and pandemic disease.
by Kyle Harper 2017
4.19
2k+ ratings
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
by Jack Weatherford • 2004
Genghis Khan's horde didn't just raze cities; it stitched Eurasia into a single connected world.
4.07
85k+
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World Summary
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World 88%
Genghis Khan's horde didn't just raze cities; it stitched Eurasia into a single connected world.
by Jack Weatherford 2004
4.07
85k+ ratings
Why the West Rules—for Now
by Ian Morris • 2010
Western rule is a geographical accident. One 15,000-year index shows why, and predicts the handoff.
4.11
6k+
Why the West Rules—for Now Summary
Why the West Rules—for Now 88%
Western rule is a geographical accident. One 15,000-year index shows why, and predicts the handoff.
by Ian Morris 2010
4.11
6k+ ratings
Civilization
by Niall Ferguson • 2011
Five hundred years of Western rule rested on six innovations. The rest have now caught up.
3.86
10k+
Civilization Summary
Civilization 88%
Five hundred years of Western rule rested on six innovations. The rest have now caught up.
by Niall Ferguson 2011
3.86
10k+ ratings
Conquests and Cultures
by Thomas Sowell • 1998
Geography blocked Africa, conquests lifted Britain, and human capital explains the gap.
4.44
964
Conquests and Cultures Summary
Conquests and Cultures 88%
Geography blocked Africa, conquests lifted Britain, and human capital explains the gap.
by Thomas Sowell 1998
4.44
964 ratings
Fall of Giants
by Ken Follett • 2005
From Welsh pits to Russian palaces, five families face love and ruin as the world goes to war.
4.33
350k+
Fall of Giants Summary
Fall of Giants 88%
From Welsh pits to Russian palaces, five families face love and ruin as the world goes to war.
by Ken Follett 2005
4.33
350k+ ratings
A Little History of the World
by E.H. Gombrich • 1936
The whole human story, from cave paintings to the Cold War, in one short, elegant book.
4.10
32k+
A Little History of the World Summary
A Little History of the World 88%
The whole human story, from cave paintings to the Cold War, in one short, elegant book.
by E.H. Gombrich 1936
4.10
32k+ ratings
The Storm Before the Calm
by George Friedman • 2020
Every eighty years America's government breaks; every fifty, its economy. Now both arrive at once.
4.05
3k+
The Storm Before the Calm Summary
The Storm Before the Calm 88%
Every eighty years America's government breaks; every fifty, its economy. Now both arrive at once.
by George Friedman 2020
4.05
3k+ ratings
War and Peace and War
by Peter Turchin • 2005
Empires aren't conquered. They dissolve from within, on a schedule that mathematics can model.
4.17
928
War and Peace and War Summary
War and Peace and War 88%
Empires aren't conquered. They dissolve from within, on a schedule that mathematics can model.
by Peter Turchin 2005
4.17
928 ratings
A Short History of the World
by H.G. Wells • 1922
Human history is the final page of a two-billion-year story we are only beginning to read.
3.86
3k+
A Short History of the World Summary
A Short History of the World 88%
Human history is the final page of a two-billion-year story we are only beginning to read.
by H.G. Wells 1922
3.86
3k+ ratings
Origin Story
by David Christian • 2008
How energy and information built the universe, life, and us. What they mean for our future.
4.06
8k+
Origin Story Summary
Origin Story 88%
How energy and information built the universe, life, and us. What they mean for our future.
by David Christian 2008
4.06
8k+ ratings
The Ages of Globalization
by Jeffrey D. Sachs • 2020
What if globalization began with the first human migration? Its latest chapter could be its last.
3.89
404
The Ages of Globalization Summary
The Ages of Globalization 88%
What if globalization began with the first human migration? Its latest chapter could be its last.
by Jeffrey D. Sachs 2020
3.89
404 ratings
The Habsburgs
by Martyn Rady • 2020
The millennium-long dynasty ruling Europe through marriage, forgery, and propaganda, not just war.
3.86
3k+
The Habsburgs Summary
The Habsburgs 88%
The millennium-long dynasty ruling Europe through marriage, forgery, and propaganda, not just war.
by Martyn Rady 2020
3.86
3k+ ratings
The Great Bridge
by David McCullough • 1972
The father died. The son collapsed. The daughter-in-law stepped in and built the Brooklyn Bridge.
4.26
19k+
The Great Bridge Summary
The Great Bridge 88%
The father died. The son collapsed. The daughter-in-law stepped in and built the Brooklyn Bridge.
by David McCullough 1972
4.26
19k+ ratings
Nonzero
by Robert Wright
History bends toward cooperation, not because we're good, but because interdependence pays.
3.97
3k+
Nonzero Summary
Nonzero 88%
History bends toward cooperation, not because we're good, but because interdependence pays.
by Robert Wright
3.97
3k+ ratings
The Fourth Turning Is Here
by Neil Howe • 2023
An 80-year cycle pushes America toward a 2030 crisis. The last two ended in total war.
3.93
3k+
The Fourth Turning Is Here Summary
The Fourth Turning Is Here 88%
An 80-year cycle pushes America toward a 2030 crisis. The last two ended in total war.
by Neil Howe 2023
3.93
3k+ ratings
Guns, Germs, and Steel
by Jared Diamond • 2005
Eurasia had wheat and an east-west axis. The Americas didn't. Geography decided who conquered whom.
4.04
467k+
Guns, Germs, and Steel Summary
Guns, Germs, and Steel 88%
Eurasia had wheat and an east-west axis. The Americas didn't. Geography decided who conquered whom.
by Jared Diamond 2005
4.04
467k+ ratings
Why Did Europe Conquer the World?
by Philip T. Hoffman • 2015
Centuries of war among Europe's tiny states forged the machine that would conquer the world.
3.42
257
Why Did Europe Conquer the World? Summary
Why Did Europe Conquer the World? 88%
Centuries of war among Europe's tiny states forged the machine that would conquer the world.
by Philip T. Hoffman 2015
3.42
257 ratings
Empires and Barbarians
by Peter Heather • 2009
How Rome's wealth created the barbarians who remade Europe.
3.97
1k+
Empires and Barbarians Summary
Empires and Barbarians 88%
How Rome's wealth created the barbarians who remade Europe.
by Peter Heather 2009
3.97
1k+ ratings
The First Man in Rome
by Colleen McCullough • 1990
A common-born general's rise threatens Rome's patrician families as much as any foreign foe.
4.14
25k+
The First Man in Rome Summary
The First Man in Rome 88%
A common-born general's rise threatens Rome's patrician families as much as any foreign foe.
by Colleen McCullough 1990
4.14
25k+ ratings
The Universe Within
by Neil Shubin • 2013
Your body is a clock tuned to Earth's rotation and a museum of cosmic history.
3.88
3k+
The Universe Within Summary
The Universe Within 88%
Your body is a clock tuned to Earth's rotation and a museum of cosmic history.
by Neil Shubin 2013
3.88
3k+ ratings
Origins
by Lewis Dartnell • 2019
Tectonic shifts, ice ages, and ancient oceans didn't set the stage. They wrote human history.
4.17
4k+
Origins Summary
Origins 88%
Tectonic shifts, ice ages, and ancient oceans didn't set the stage. They wrote human history.
by Lewis Dartnell 2019
4.17
4k+ ratings
The Silk Roads
by Peter Frankopan • 2015
History looks different when you place the Silk Roads, not Europe, at the center of everything.
4.17
50k+
The Silk Roads Summary
The Silk Roads 87%
History looks different when you place the Silk Roads, not Europe, at the center of everything.
by Peter Frankopan 2015
4.17
50k+ ratings
The Fourth Turning
by William Strauss • 1996
America's history runs on an 80-year cycle of four social seasons. The crisis season has begun.
3.87
8k+
The Fourth Turning Summary
The Fourth Turning 87%
America's history runs on an 80-year cycle of four social seasons. The crisis season has begun.
by William Strauss 1996
3.87
8k+ ratings
HOMBRES QUE CAMBIARON LA HISTORIA
by Jaime Maristany • 2014
From Moses to Napoleon: the leadership moves that turned ten mortals into history's architects.
3.28
170
HOMBRES QUE CAMBIARON LA HISTORIA Summary
HOMBRES QUE CAMBIARON LA HISTORIA 87%
From Moses to Napoleon: the leadership moves that turned ten mortals into history's architects.
by Jaime Maristany 2014
3.28
170 ratings
Why Empires Fall
by Peter Heather and John Rapley • 1983
Barbarians didn't kill Rome; economic shifts on its frontiers did. The West is next.
3.60
962
Why Empires Fall Summary
Why Empires Fall 87%
Barbarians didn't kill Rome; economic shifts on its frontiers did. The West is next.
by Peter Heather and John Rapley 1983
3.60
962 ratings
Empire
by Niall Ferguson • 2003
Piracy, sugar, and debt built the largest empire ever. The collapse outpaced the climb.
3.93
10k+
Empire Summary
Empire 87%
Piracy, sugar, and debt built the largest empire ever. The collapse outpaced the climb.
by Niall Ferguson 2003
3.93
10k+ ratings
The Shortest History of Germany
by James Hawes • 2017
Behind the 20th century’s disasters stands a hidden network of financiers and imperial idealists.
3.70
9k+
The Shortest History of Germany Summary
The Shortest History of Germany 87%
Behind the 20th century’s disasters stands a hidden network of financiers and imperial idealists.
by James Hawes 2017
3.70
9k+ ratings
To End All Wars
by Adam Hochschild • 2011
A general led Britain's army. His sister led its pacifists. The Great War as family feud.
4.14
9k+
To End All Wars Summary
To End All Wars 87%
A general led Britain's army. His sister led its pacifists. The Great War as family feud.
by Adam Hochschild 2011
4.14
9k+ ratings
Work
by James Suzman • 2020
Work predates paychecks by billions of years. A history of how energy became employment.
3.83
3k+
Work Summary
Work 87%
Work predates paychecks by billions of years. A history of how energy became employment.
by James Suzman 2020
3.83
3k+ ratings
The Fate of Empires and Search for Survival
by John Bagot Glubb • 1978
Ten generations: energy, conquest, affluence, decay. The West is running out of time.
4.21
751
The Fate of Empires and Search for Survival Summary
The Fate of Empires and Search for Survival 87%
Ten generations: energy, conquest, affluence, decay. The West is running out of time.
by John Bagot Glubb 1978
4.21
751 ratings
Circle of Days
by Ken Follett • 2025
Fire destroys the sacred circle. A priestess and a builder vow to raise one that endures.
3.87
37k+
Circle of Days Summary
Circle of Days 87%
Fire destroys the sacred circle. A priestess and a builder vow to raise one that endures.
by Ken Follett 2025
3.87
37k+ ratings
A Patriot's History of the United States
by Larry Schweikart • 2004
The conservative reply to Zinn: America's record, from Columbus to 9/11, earns its patriotism.
4.11
4k+
A Patriot's History of the United States Summary
A Patriot's History of the United States 87%
The conservative reply to Zinn: America's record, from Columbus to 9/11, earns its patriotism.
by Larry Schweikart 2004
4.11
4k+ ratings
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