A History of the World in 100 Objects

by Neil MacGregor

Neil MacGregor's A History of the World in 100 Objects takes a bold, original approach to human history, exploring past civilizations through the objects that defined them.

Encompassing a grand sweep of human history, A History of the World in 100 Objects begins with one of the earliest surviving objects made by human hands, a chopping tool from the Olduvai gorge in Africa, and ends with objects which characterise the world we live in today.

Seen through MacGregor's eyes, history is a kaleidoscope - shifting, interconnected, constantly surprising, and shaping our world today in ways that most of us have never imagined. A stone pillar tells us about a great Indian emperor preaching tolerance to his people; Spanish pieces of eight tell us about the beginning of a global currency; and an early Victorian tea-set speaks to us about the impact of empire.

An intellectual and visual feast, this is one of the most engrossing and unusual history books published in years.

'Brilliant, engagingly written, deeply researched' Mary Beard, Guardian

'A triumph: hugely popular, and rightly lauded as one of the most effective and intellectually ambitious initiatives in the making of 'public history' for many decades' Sunday Telegraph

'Highly intelligent, delightfully written and utterly absorbing ' Timothy Clifford, Spectator

'This is a story book, vivid and witty, shining with insights, connections, shocks and delights' Gillian Reynolds Daily Telegraph

• ISBN10: 0241951771
• ISBN13: 9780241951774
• Publish Date: 28 June 2012 (first published 25 October 2010)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 640
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/isbn/9780241951774

Reviews

[MurderByDeath]

Wow, this book took awhile for me to get through. So much interesting information that I had to read only a few sections per sitting if I had any hope of retaining what I read. 

I found the objects selected to be interesting, the photography beautifully executed, and the writing to be very concise and accessible. I caught myself thinking "you can't know that! you're just guessing!" more than a few times as the author tried to speculate with what felt like a lot of imagination, about some of the objects. Overall, though, this is a great book and one that I will refer back to again and again over time.

[Eve1972]

Fascinating read..