"Narrated by a distinguished historian, here is an account of the grand adventure of human history. It is the story of the world's people during the last four million years, beginning before the human race moved out of Africa to explore and settle the other continents, and ending with the recent millennium.".

"Geoffrey Blainey's major themes are the development of technology and skills, the rise of major religions, the course of empires, and the role of geography, which has often governed what could not happen. He concerns himself not only with major transformations but also with what people ate and how hard they worked in order to earn their daily bread; with the intense impact of the moon, the stars, and the night sky on human experience and on the ways in which the universe was perceived."--BOOK JACKET.