History - The brief version... Any ideas?

[marcoddy]

Hi, i would like to learn a lot more about history, but as it's technically an infinate subject, i'd like to speed it up a little.

Does anyone have any idea if there's any books out there that give a short piece on relevant topics... different empires, ages, times of specific discoveries, different kings & queens etc.

basically, i'd like to learn a little bit about a lot of history, opposed to a lot about a little era.

Thanks in advance to other curious folk.

[woofgang]

1066 and all that by sellars and yeatman

[woofgang]

http://www.methuen.co.uk/1066andallthat.html

[SteveD]

Maybe this is not exactly what you are looking for, but it's a fascinating read:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0552997048/qid=1125556889/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_11_1/026-1638290-0241230

[SeaJayPea]

Try 'This Sceptered Isle' by Christopher Lee, a series of 15 minute programmes that the bbc did a few years ago. It's currently being repeated on bbc7, and is available as several cd's on Amazon.

[Artemis]

Cassells Chronology of World History is very good.

[sutman6]

Have u tried the 'Horrible History' series of books??

They're supposed to be aimed at kids but they are a very good read, interesting and to the point.

[Rumford]

Watch the fim 'Airplane' and wait for the bit in the control room where Lloyd Bridges asks his assistant (something like) 'What's happened so far?'

[rachc25]

I would suggest not looking at history in terms of a series of chronological events but rather themes that can flow from one to another and even happen at the same time!

History is a dynamic subject; it is not about there being a set of definitive answers that are out there waiting to be snapped up.  Things that are taken as 'fact' have since been shown to be anything but.

The authors I would suggest would be the following

Eric Hobsbawm, On History or The Age of Extremes

Joyce Appleby et al, Telling the Truth About History

John Tosh, The Pursuit of History

I am sure there a lots of good resources online but I have never fully got to grips with all this so all my recommendations are good old fashioned books.  You can dip in and out of these texts and also use the bibliographies in each to sign post you to other texts.

Remember that each historian has his or her own slant on their subject so it worth having a look at a few different types of historian.  Enjoy your reading!