The Kingfisher Illustrated History of the World [antikvár]

Foreword To me history is the most fascinating subject there is. I am not a professional historian: I am a lover of history, in the sense that I love the 'story' of our times, past, present and future. This ambitious enterprise is, to my mind, immensely important. It is the kind of book that I would have liked to have had when my own interest in the subject began to form. When I was a youngster, history was presented to us in schools only from our Western perspective of civilization; of man's development based on the imperatives of conquest and empire building which made our own society the fortunate and inevitable outcome. This Illustrated History of the World shows how much we have learned to respect other and equally valid aspects of civilization; to respect the achievements of other peoples. History is, above all, a matter of perspective. For the past to be comprehensible, and accessible, it requires an overall framework of time. Throughout this book, chapter by chapter, and theme by theme, we are given the chronological context within which we can place properly the events that interest us most closely. The style of the book is as up-to-date as it is informative. Once, history was presented as a portrait gallery of rulers - good, bad and indifferent - but that approach was only a superficial illustration of events. Today we recognize the significance of new and broader perspectives as a way of illuminating our understanding, rather than simply illustrating the written word. An overview of history - even a book as good as this one -cannot be the last word; but it can be a marvellous incentive to learn more, and to give us a reliable basis from which to launch our curiosity. Enjoy this treasure house of knowledge about the past. It is the door to the future. Magnus Magnusson KBE