To keep readers interested, there’s plenty of odd tidbits along with the usual factual dates and significant events.
Pictures are a terrific way to find out what daily life in different eras were like, and Gonick nicely balances the big picture (such as a cityscape) with insets of individual activities. The book is subtitled “From Columbus to the US Constitution”, but I appreciate Gonick starting slightly before then, with the established native civilizations. That’s quite a lot for a 250-some-page book, but Gonick has the ability to explain history clearly and concisely. His latest series, following up from the The Cartoon History of the Universe books… well, I’ll let the PR explain it:Ĭartoon History of the Modern World Part I covers the history of ancient Mexico, the Spanish conquests, the Portuguese empire in Asia and Brazil, national and religious upheavals in Europe and India, the colonial ventures of France, Britain, and the Netherlands in North America and elsewhere, the development of science and parliamentary government, and the foundation of the United States. Larry Gonick’s books are impressive: they’re wickedly funny, culturally insightful, and more educational than some college classes I’ve attended.
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