The World: A Family History

Although described as a family history of humanity, this is primarily a history of political leaders, plus a few other notables. In this very long book there are so many of them—from all over the world—that each one has to be covered in a hurry. We get quick summaries of their personal histories, appearances, temperaments, sexual activities, and in particular the often horrible ways in which they killed each other and other people. Surprisingly often, they killed members of their own families, being rivals or potential rivals for power.

Thus, it's a tale of sex and violence; rather like reading a long historical novel with far too many characters, no coherent plot, and no neat beginning or end. Of course, it starts more or less at the beginning of recorded history, and finishes at the present.

I wouldn't have persevered with it but for the fact that this is all history, it really happened, which makes it sufficiently interesting that I managed to read it from cover to cover, though in fairly small doses, so it took me almost two months to finish it.

It's written quite readably, it's not hard to read, but I can't say that I really enjoyed it as I might enjoy a good novel. I rather generously award three stars in recognition of the author's achievement in covering the vast span of world history, and covering people and events on every continent. I rather doubt that I'll ever reread the whole thing, but I may sometimes use it for reference and dip into it.

I might prefer a more analytical world history that put less emphasis on individuals and more on developments in science, technology, society, political systems, the migrations of whole peoples, and so on. And I'd like dates to be more visible. Although this book is written more or less in chronological order, actual dates are mentioned only occasionally, in passing, and the book is divided up into eras not by date but by an estimate of world population in each era.

It's an impressive achievement in its way, and I don't think I regret buying it, but I find that it's not my preferred kind of world history.