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A Short History of the World in 50 Books

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A Short History of the World in 50 Books by Daniel Smith explores fifty of the most influential books throughout history, placing each within its historical context. From ancient texts such as the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Diamond Sutra to philosophical works by Confucius and Plato, and from foundational scientific treatises to enduring cultural classics by Shakespeare and Cervantes, this volume reveals how these books both reflect and have shaped civilisation. It offers a concise yet comprehensive insight into humanity's intellectual heritage and how literature has influenced our world.
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Format: Hardback
$3599
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for history enthusiasts, literary scholars, and curious readers eager to gain a broad understanding of the books that have shaped human thought and culture over millennia.

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Discover the power of the book through 50 of the most influential texts ever written – from around the world and throughout time. Books that truly did have a significant impact on world history.

Discover the power of the book through fifty of the most influential texts ever written – from around the world and throughout time. Books that truly did have a significant impact on world history.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The book has a unique status as an emblem of human culture and civilisation. It is a vessel for sharing stories, dispersing knowledge, examining the nature of our extraordinary species and imagining what lies beyond our known world. Books ultimately provide an invaluable and comprehensive record of what it means to be human.

This volume takes a curated list of fifty of the most influential books of all time, putting each into its historical context. From Ancient game-changers like the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Diamond Sutra, through sacred texts and works of philosophical rumination by the likes of Confucius and Plato, via scientific treatises, historic β€˜firsts’ (like the first printed book) and cultural works of enduring impact (think Shakespeare, Cervantes and Joseph Heller), these are volumes that are at once both products of their societies and vital texts in moulding those same civilisations. It would take a lifetime and more to read and absorb all of them. But this volume allows you to become ridiculously well read in just a fraction of the time. This isn’t a celebration of the canon, it’s about the books that have changed how we think and live – and which have changed the course of history.

Series: A Short History of the World

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    A Short History of the World in 50 Murders
    Taking readers on a world-wide journey, bestselling historian Natasha Tidd examines how fifty murders shaped the course of history. From early serial killers to the birth of criminology, she shows how such tragic loss of life can have history-changing consequences. From ancient Rome to the mid-twentieth century, historian Natasha Tidd takes readers on a global exploration behind the history of...
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  • A Short History of the World in 50 Lies
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  • A Short History of the World in 50 Failures
    Explore the failures, mistakes and missed opportunities that shaped history in this new entry in the bestselling series. From the botched attempt to create a life-extending elixir that produced gunpowder, to the unsuccessful stint in medical school which led to a career in naturalism for Charles Darwin, to the missile detection system malfunction that almost sparked a nuclear war, the...
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  • A Short History of the World in 50 Books
    The book has a unique status as an emblem of human culture and civilisation. It is a vessel for sharing stories, dispersing knowledge, examining the nature of our extraordinary species and imagining what lies beyond our known world. Books ultimately provide an invaluable and comprehensive record of what it means to be human.This volume takes a curated list of fifty...
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  • A Short History of the World in 50 Lies
    Taking readers on a global journey through human history, Natasha Tidd examines how lies can change the world around us, from Julius Caesar’s deceptive PR machine to the cover-ups that caused Chernobyl.From forgeries that created centuries worth of conflict and domination, such as The Donation of Constantine, the Protocols of Zion and the mysterious Testament of Peter the Great, to...
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  • A Short History of the World in 50 Tyrants
    Explore the tyrants who have shaped the course of history. All power corrupts, but absolute power can turn people into absolute monsters. The true stories behind the men and women who led tyrannies around the world. This is history ... but not as you know it.Leading readers through all of world history, Ben Gazur looks at how tyrants and their...
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781789294088

Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books Ltd

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 21 July 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Michael O'Mara Books Ltd

Illustration: b/w line drawings throughout

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 24.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 178.0mm

Weight: 350g

Pages: 288

About the Author

Daniel Smith is a non-fiction author and editor who has written across a range of subjects, including politics, economics and social history. He is the author of The Little Book of Big Ideas: 150 Concepts and Breakthroughs that Transformed History and the 'How to Think Like ...' series for Michael O'Mara Books, which has been published in 20 languages and sold over 450,000 copies worldwide. He is also a long-time contributor to The Statesman's Yearbook, the geo-political guide to the world that celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2013. He lives in London with his wife and two children.

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