Book Rec: A Little History of the World

A Little History of the World invites you on a journey through time, revealing ideas and discoveries that help us understand our world today.

I visited New York recently. Within my four days there, I ventured to The Met three times; it’s the most impressive museum I’ve ever been in. Of course I wanted a small memento to remind me of how much fun I had. As I journeyed through the expansive gift shop, a book caught my attention: A Little History of the World.

Browsing “A Little History of the World” at The Met. New York.

If we’ve had conversations or you follow me on Instagram, you know I love history. I actively try to solve a puzzle in my head of why everything is the way it is. Understanding the world fascinates me. Guns, Germs, and Steel has been a big influence on me, as well as Sapiens recently. But A Little History of the World is different.

It’s written as a children’s book! I never imagined telling the story of our world that way. Usually, history books are thick and their density hurts my eyes. I opened the cover of A Little History of the World, read the blurb inside, and immediately decided to buy it. In 1935, at the age of twenty-six, author E.H. Gombrich had doctorate in art history and no prospect of a job. He lived in Vienna and wrote the book in six weeks using his knowledge and encyclopedias around him. Only recently was it translated in English – because Gombrich wanted to write it in English himself!

A Little History of the World is a fun and quick read. Within 40 chapters, Gombrich covers the dinosaurs; spans numerous civilizations, ideas and discoveries; and ends with dividing up the world after World War I. As you read, you can imagine reading aloud to child tucked in bed. His writing isn’t pompous. Books like these are typically intimidating, showing their audience the depth of their knowledge. Gombrich is straightforward, mixing humor and empathy. I never felt inferior to the author; instead, I felt invited along a journey.

E.H. Gombrich is German and wrote it before World War II. That was in the back of my head the whole time. He’s writing about the history of the world and, very soon, one of the biggest events in history will take place! Reading between the lines of some things he writes, it’s noticeable that tension was building around him in Europe. In fact, the Nazi’s banned this book for being too pacifist. In the last chapter, he reflects on events of the world since the book’s initial publication.

I feel like I have a strong foundation of how the history of the world goes, but Gombrich enlightened me on subjects in my periphery, say like chivalrous knights and Oliver Cromwell. It was inspiring to learn more about Alexander the Great and the Greeks and interesting to discover the Romans admired beauty the Greeks created—Romans could care less about all their philosophers and embrace of other cultures. One thing that wasn’t new: the violence and chaos. Jeez. All we need is love.

I recommend reading A Little History of the World. No matter how much you know to begin with, you’ll learn something new and expand your understanding. If we think about our past, we can assess where we are presently, and where we want to go.

You can buy A Little History of the World here.

Do you enjoy history? What are some events that helped you better understand the world today?