On a Little History of the World

This book should be old hat to anyone familiar with world history, or even European history, but it is possible that much of this may be new to readers who haven’t explored these subjects.

First, the positives of this book: It is easy to read and is not in the least bit condescending. Each chapter functions as a separate vignette or examination of a period, and it is suitable for children or those entering their first forays into world history.

On the other hand, this book is an example of exactly what was wrong—and continues to be wrong—with world history education. Above all, this is a history of Europe, with occasional glances at China, the Americas, and the Middle East. South Asian history ends with Buddha. Chinese history ends with the Han, although there is a second look at it in the 19th century. Middle Eastern history ends with the Crusades. The history of the Americas discusses Columbus and Moctezuma, then the American Civil War. African history does not exist at all. These are glaring errors, as the history of the “world” was—for the vast majority of its existence, centered around civilizational highs in Asia.

Moreover, “world history” as scholars mean it today, generally emphasizes the connections between regions. Here, we don’t see connections between regions except at specific moments. Each region is a separate, discrete locale without many connections to the outside world. I don’t know if I can fault the author too much, as it was initially written in 1935 and aimed towards children, but I can blame readers for praising this book as much as they do. It isn’t world history.