The Human Story: Our History, from the Stone Age to Today

De (autor): James C. Davis

Has there ever been a history of the world as readable as this?

In The Human Story, James C. Davis takes us on a journey to ancient times, telling how peoples of the world settled down and founded cities, conquered neighbors, and established religions, and continues over the course of history, when they fought two nearly global wars and journeyed into space.

Davis's account is swift and clear, never dull or dry. He lightens it with pungent anecdotes and witty quotes. Although this compact volume may not be hard to pick up, it's definitely hard to put down.

For example, on the death of Alexander the Great, who in a decade had never lost a single battle, and who had staked out an empire that spanned the entire Near East and Egypt, Davis writes: "When they heard how ill he was, the king's devoted troops insisted on seeing him. He couldn't speak, but as his soldiers -- every one -- filed by in silence, Alexander's eyes uttered his farewells. He died in June 323 B.C., at the ripe old age of thirty-two."

In similar fashion Davis recounts Russia's triumph in the space race as it happened on an autumn night in 1957: "A bugle sounded, flames erupted, and with a roar like rolling thunder, Russia's rocket lifted off. It bore aloft the earth's first artificial satellite, a shiny sphere the size of a basketball. Its name was Sputnik, meaning 'companion' or 'fellow traveler' (through space). The watchers shouted, 'Off. She's off. Our baby's off ' Some danced; others kissed and waved their arms."

Though we live in an age of many doubts, James C. Davis thinks we humans are advancing. As The Human Story ends, he concludes, "The world's still cruel; that's understood, / But once was worse. So far so good."

In this concise and entertaining history, James C. Davis recounts the development of humanity, from the Stone Age to modern life. From the death of Alexander the Great to the launch of Sputnik, from the discoveries of Copernicus to China's "Great Leap Forward," Davis chronicles the triumphs and tragedies of human existence and argues that despite the many conflicts and difficulties of the modern era, humanity is moving in a positive direction.

James C. Davis taught history at the University of Pennsylvania for thirty-four years. His many books include Rise from Want: A Peasant Family in the Machine Age, A Venetian Family and its Fortune, 1500 - 1900, and The Decline of the Venetian Nobility as a Ruling Class.

"A reliable pathfinder to the central facts and narrative of unfamiliar terrain ... Regarding history as a progressive process overall, Davis's reconnoitering of humanity's record of depravity and enlightenment is a wise choice as an introduction to world history." -- Booklist

--Kirkus Reviews

Has there ever been a history of the world as readable as this?

For example, on the death of Alexander the Great, who in a decade had never lost a single battle, and who had staked out an empire that spanned the entire Near East and Egypt, Davis writes: When they heard how ill he was, the king's devoted troops insisted on seeing him. He couldn't speak, but as his soldiers -- every one -- filed by in silence, Alexander's eyes uttered his farewells. He died in June 323 B.C., at the ripe old age of thirty-two.

In similar fashion Davis recounts Russia's triumph in the space race as it happened on an autumn night in 1957: A bugle sounded, flames erupted, and with a roar like rolling thunder, Russia's rocket lifted off. It bore aloft the earth's first artificial satellite, a shiny sphere the size of a basketball. Its name was Sputnik, meaning 'companion' or 'fellow traveler' (through space). The watchers shouted, 'Off. She's off. Our baby's off ' Some danced; others kissed and waved their arms.

Though we live in an age of many doubts, James C. Davis thinks we humans are advancing. As The Human Story ends, he concludes, The world's still cruel; that's understood, / But once was worse. So far so good.