Ebook: The Complete Idiot's Guide to World History

This book explores the timeline of the world, from the dawn of civilization to the twenty-first century.;pt. 1: The beginnings and foundations of civilization. The building blocks of civilization -- First civilizations of Africa and Western Asia -- Ancient and Classic China -- Ancient and Classic India -- Classic Greece -- When in Rome -- pt. 2: After the Classics. Islam and Africa -- The Byzantine Empire and Russia -- Rebirth in China -- Chinese culture spreads in East Asia -- The Mongols rule! -- Those terrible Middle Ages -- American on the eve of invasion -- pt. 3: The world gets much smaller. Back to Islam -- As the world shrinks: South Asia -- Exploration or exploitation? -- Religion and reformation -- Science and philosophy brighten things up -- pt. 4: Western domination. Revolutions -- The industrial revolution -- Revolutions and reactions -- Imperialism -- pt. 5: The twentieth century and beyond. The war to end all wars -- A time of uncertainty -- World War II and the end of European dominance -- The Cold War -- Out from the shadows -- Where do we go from here?