I didn't want to hijack the American History books thread, but wanted to ask.

What books would you recommend for a general, but comprehensive look at world history?

Hands down, The Story of Civilization, by Will and Ariel Durant.

Rush Revere series?

quote:

Originally posted by rch73:
Hands down, The Story of Civilization, by Will and Ariel Durant.

I agree: very readable. Jim Allen completed the series right before his death. Be forewarned that the series is 11 big thick books!

“World” history is awfully broad, and I’m not sure there is a good single volume. Oddly enough, what I’d recommend is 1493 it’s sequel 1491. Both have a global scope, and help to set up why our current world is what it is. They also offer a great scholarly corrective to the “Colonialists are evil” view of history.

It is awfully dense, but Henry Kissinger’s Diplomacy has a long, sweeping view of European international history.

Narrowing it down really helps, and some of the best history books I’ve read are about single, discrete events— but place that event in much wider perspective. So, it depends on what you’re interested in before I could recommend much else.

quote:

Originally posted by rch73:
Hands down, The Story of Civilization, by Will and Ariel Durant.

This.