The Outline of History 2: Being a Plain History of Life & Mankind

by H.G. Wells

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World History, Reference

692 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1920

About the author

Herbert George Wells was born to a working class family in Kent, England. Young Wells received a spotty education, interrupted by several illnesses and family difficulties, and became a draper's apprentice as a teenager. The headmaster of Midhurst Grammar School, where he had spent a year, arranged for him to return as an "usher," or student teacher. Wells earned a government scholarship in 1884, to study biology under Thomas Henry Huxley at the Normal School of Science. Wells earned his bachelor of science and doctor of science degrees at the University of London. After marrying his cousin, Isabel, Wells began to supplement his teaching salary with short stories and freelance articles, then books, including The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898).

Wells created a mild scandal when he divorced his cousin to marry one of his best students, Amy Catherine Robbins. Although his second marriage was lasting and produced two sons, Wells was an unabashed advocate of free (as opposed to "indiscriminate") love. He continued to openly have extra-marital liaisons, most famously with Margaret Sanger, and a ten-year relationship with the author Rebecca West, who had one of his two out-of-wedlock children. A one-time member of the Fabian Society, Wells sought active change. His 100 books included many novels, as well as nonfiction, such as A Modern Utopia (1905), The Outline of History (1920), A Short History of the World (1922), The Shape of Things to Come (1933), and The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (1932). One of his booklets was Crux Ansata, An Indictment of the Roman Catholic Church. Although Wells toyed briefly with the idea of a "divine will" in his book, God the Invisible King (1917), it was a temporary aberration. Wells used his international fame to promote his favorite causes, including the prevention of war, and was received by government officials around the world. He is best-remembered as an early writer of science fiction and futurism.

He was also an outspoken socialist. Wells and Jules Verne are each sometimes referred to as "The Fathers of Science Fiction". D. 1946.

More: http://philosopedia.org/index.php/H._...

http://www.online-literature.com/well...

http://www.hgwellsusa.50megs.com/

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/t...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells

Reviews

[Apteris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief quote from the introduction to the second volume of The Outline of History:

"Another great historian, the late A. J. P. Taylor of Oxford University, confessed that he may have learned more from the Outline, which he encountered as a youth, than from any other book he ever read."

It is hard to disagree. The scope and clarity of this work are remarkable. When Wells situates the Earth in space and life on it in geological time, at the beginning of the first volume, you sense their immensity. When Wells outlines the development of humans from Pithecanthropus to the present, and of human society from Neolithic culture to the League of Nations, you all but see all of it happen. His criticisms of certain historical figures and ideas are fair and reasonable, and when he recounts the histories of people he admires -- again, fairly and reasonably --, of a Jesus of Nazareth or an Asoka, for instance, the prose all but blazes forth.

Recommended reading for everyone.

Incidentally, I listened to rather than read most of this book, though I own both the audio and the paper version. Thus, I recommend not only the books themselves, but also the 1993 Blackstone Audio Books-produced reading, read by Bernard Mayes.

[Jay Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

However much I may disagree with his general conclusions, this is a well written work. He provides a general history and I agree that history has generally been written with a Western bias. While he provides a reasoned argument with examples where Eastern influences were valuable, he slips back to making this more of a history of Western Civilization. Also, he believes that history shows a definite progression of peace and one world government. Admitting that I am reading this almost 70 years after it was written, many of his theories have borne no fruit. While I am a church believer, his theories on the failure of the continued expansion have some merit. The author seems to hold Jesus in great esteem, but his criticism of the Catholic Church is especially vehement. As aside: many Catholic writers still feel it necessary to defend the church to this day from his statements. As a historical treatise, it lacks footnotes and sources, but I still find it valuable as the thoughts of a very intelligent man.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I slogged through volume II of the series. Way-y-y too much detail on some of the minor points.
I skimmed quite a bit, seeking the Internet at times for clarification and summation. If a person steps away a bit, you can observe slow shifts in societies...evolving intelligence, tastes, governing. I found a chronological table at the end of volume II. It's also helpful for putting many events in perspective.

[Joel Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume wraps up a rather ambitious overview of world history, ending about 1920.

Wells is obviously a proponent of Socialism, though he admits there's been no demonstration of it working well and even points out some of its disastrous results. He's skeptical of Capitalism even though (with its flaws) it has done more to lift the world out of poverty than any other economic system.

At the book's finish, he can't help but propound and prognosticate a future of world peace and with no property ownership. It's a pipe dream, of course. No system that forcefully confiscates from the citizens and redistributes wealth will ever bring this about. In order for a type of socialism to work, people would voluntarily have to share their possessions and everyone able-bodied would have to be willing to contribute their labor.

As long as there is greed or laziness in the world that's not going to happen.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a while to read Volume II of Wells’s The Outline of History, mostly because of school and wanting to read other books. But this has been a long process for me. I finished the first volume nearly two years ago, and it’s been a gradual process to finishing it since then.

Wells presents all of human history from the creation of the universe to the present day (1920). He tells everything in a very storybook-like manner, but the details are very well-versed and accurate overall.

He literally prowess is clearly seen in this, with how he writes in the same fashion of one of his famous novels. It makes this a much easier-to-read history lesson to those who find the common narrative dull. I highly recommend to anyone who is generally curious about the political, social, or religious history of the world.

[Craig Tutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned more about the history of the modern world (from the Roman Empire) from this single book than all the history textbooks I ever studied in school. H.G. Wells was brilliant enough that he could make the reading of such a huge and detailed expanse of history seem as pleasant as a novel. And he was driven to do so: he wanted as much of the world to learn from mistakes of history such as to help prevent another Great War (WWI). His much slimmed down version of this same book, meant for mass readership, was far less interesting to read for me.

[Ryan Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

this goes from being not very accurate (in ancient history) to being too highly interpretive (in recent history)

it might be the slightest bit euro centric as well. we didn’t hear from south america or africa at all. we didn’t hear from asia after the end of the mongol conquests.

still, broad strokes were intended, broad strokes were achieved

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind, Vol. II (Hardcover)
by H.G. Wells

[Liedzeit Liedzeit · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Plain History of Man and Mankind9/10

[Elizabeth]

The Outline of History, Vols. II
by H.G. Wells

Dust jacket worn.