Check nearby libraries
Buy this book
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."
Check nearby libraries
Buy this book
Previews available in: English
Showing 4 featured editions. View all 4 editions?
Edition | Availability |
---|---|
1
The Human Story: Our History, from the Stone Age to Today
July 26, 2005, Harper Perennial
in English
0060516208 9780060516208
|
aaaa
Libraries near you:
WorldCat
|
2
The Human Story: Our History, from the Stone Age to Today
July 26, 2005, Harper Perennial
Paperback
in English
0060516208 9780060516208
|
zzzz
Libraries near you:
WorldCat
|
3
The human story: our history, from the Stone Age to today
2004, HarperCollins
in English
- 1st ed.
0060516194 9780060516192
|
eeee
Libraries near you:
WorldCat
|
4 |
zzzz
Libraries near you:
WorldCat
|
Book Details
First Sentence
"OUR TALE BEGINS when humans much like us evolved and filled the earth."
Classifications
ID Numbers
Community Reviews (0)
Feedback?History
- Created April 29, 2008
- 13 revisions
Wikipedia citation
×CloseCopy and paste this code into your Wikipedia page. Need help?
January 19, 2024 | Edited by MARC Bot | uppercase bwbsku local_id |
December 8, 2022 | Edited by ImportBot | import existing book |
November 14, 2022 | Edited by ImportBot | import existing book |
January 25, 2022 | Edited by ImportBot | import existing book |
April 29, 2008 | Created by an anonymous user | Imported from amazon.com record. |