“A remarkable book, written in an amiable, conversational style…This resurrected history deserves reading for all its delights.” New York Times
Description
In 1935, with a doctorate in art history and no prospect of a job, twenty-six-year-old Ernst Gombrich was invited to attempt a history of the world for younger readers. Amazingly, he completed the task in an intense six weeks, and Eine kurze Weltgeschichte für junge Leser was published in Vienna to immediate success. It is now an international bestseller and available in almost thirty languages across the world.
In forty concise chapters, Gombrich tells the story of man from the Stone Age to the atomic bomb. In between emerges a colorful picture of wars and conquests, grand works of art, and the spread and limitations of science. This is a text dominated not by dates and facts but by the sweep of mankind’s experience across the centuries, a guide to humanity’s achievements and an acute witness to its frailties. The product of a generous and humane sensibility, this timeless account makes intelligible the full span of human history.
Praise
“A remarkable book, written in an amiable, conversational style…This resurrected history deserves reading for all its delights.” New York Times
“In simple, vivid prose, Gombrich surveys the human past from prehistory to his own time…Lucky children will have this book read to them. Intelligent adults will read it for themselves and regain contact with the spirit of European humanism at its best.” Wall Street Journal
“A timeless and engaging narrative of the human race.” Booklist
“The true fairy tale of the evolution of mankind.” Die Zeit (Hamburg)
“Blackstone Audio’s A Little History of the World…is a great title to keep in the car to play for the whole family, as everyone will learn something new…Ralph Cosham reads the work in a grandfatherly tone, engaging listeners with his enthusiasm and charm. The title’s forty short chapters allow for easy stop-and-start listening on the go.” Audiobooker
Details
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Release Day | Dec 31, 2005 |
| Release Date | January 1, 2006 |
| Release Date Machine | 1136073600 |
| Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
| Provider | Blackstone Publishing |
| Categories | History, World, Nonfiction - Adult, Nonfiction - All |
Author Bio
E. H. Gombrich (1909–2001), author of the six-million-copy international bestseller The Story of Art and other classic works, was probably the best-known art historian of his time. Born in Vienna in 1909, he moved to London in 1936, working at the BBC and later becoming director of the Warburg Institute and professor of the history of the classical tradition at London University. Among his many honors were the Erasmus Prize, the Hegel Prize, the Wittgenstein Prize, and the Goethe Prize. He was knighted in 1972 and appointed a member of the Order of Merit in 1988.
Narrator Bio
Geoffrey Howard (a.k.a. Ralph Cosham) (1936–2014) was a British journalist who changed careers to become a narrator and screen and stage actor. He performed in more than one hundred professional theatrical roles. His audiobook narrations were named “Audio Best of the Year” by Publishers Weekly, and he won seven AudioFile Earphones Awards, and in 2013 he won the coveted Audie Award for Best Mystery Narration for his reading of Louise Penny’s The Beautiful Mystery.
Overview
In 1935, with a doctorate in art history and no prospect of a job, twenty-six-year-old Ernst Gombrich was invited to attempt a history of the world for younger readers. Amazingly, he completed the task in an intense six weeks, and Eine kurze Weltgeschichte für junge Leser was published in Vienna to immediate success. It is now an international bestseller and available in almost thirty languages across the world.
In forty concise chapters, Gombrich tells the story of man from the Stone Age to the atomic bomb. In between emerges a colorful picture of wars and conquests, grand works of art, and the spread and limitations of science. This is a text dominated not by dates and facts but by the sweep of mankind’s experience across the centuries, a guide to humanity’s achievements and an acute witness to its frailties. The product of a generous and humane sensibility, this timeless account makes intelligible the full span of human history.
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