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The Definitive Visual History

History: The Definitive Visual Guide

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This lavishly illustrated visual encyclopedia tells the story of our world in depth and detail from the dawn of civilization to the present day.

Charting human endeavor from every angle, SI History chronicles the significant events, ground-breaking ideas, political forces, and technological advances that have shaped our planet. Every historical episode is explored and explained with the help of stunning images that bring the authoritative text to life. 

Important points in history, from the battle of Hastings and the storming of the Bastille to D-Day and 9/11, have clear but concise coverage, together with profiles of influential figures, such as Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, and Nelson Mandela. 

It’s time to head back in time and explore the past with this striking history book, which  

- Profiles of key people who have made history.
- Features on inventions, discoveries, and ideas that changed the world.
- Graphics lend immediacy and impact to key statistics.
- National Histories section separately chronicles key events of every country

As each moment in history is defined and detailed, supporting panels note the causes and consequences, providing wider context and broadening our horizons. New and enhanced coverage of recent events – such as the Arab Spring – and contemporary issues such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, bring the book firmly into the present. 

With its broad-themed approach to important historical events, this book shows that ours is a history with genes and viruses, not just battle and treaties – and the stories and biographies of men and women from every corner of the globe who have shaped today’s world reaffirm that SI History is the story of humankind in which everyone has a part to play.

620 pages, Hardcover

Published April 25, 2023

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240 people want to read

About the author

D.K. Publishing

9,022 books2,110 followers
Dorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.

Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.

Source: Wikipedia.

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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Profile Image for Sydney.
257 reviews3 followers
January 11, 2025
It took me almost two months to read this entire book, and my key takeaway is: Only delve into this book if you have lots of free time. Don't get me wrong, it's incredibly well-researched, detailed, and perfect for a refresher on historical events, but some sections didn't keep me engaged.

I bought the recently revised and updated version, but I found two mistakes. On page 24, it says "Shese early..." instead of "These early...". Additionally, on page 99, it mentions the birth of Alexander the Great's son with the date as 332 BCE, when it should be 323 BCE. I understand that a book of this magnitude must be challenging to edit, but I hope they fix these errors in future editions.

Despite these minor issues, this book is truly a masterpiece and a valuable addition to any collection, even if it might only be read a couple of times.
Profile Image for Sam Gharib.
11 reviews
April 7, 2025
It’s a really fun entertaining and informative book. I skipped some parts especially far old days of human being but focused on the history from 17th century. The only part that bugged me was the misleading statements about the shah of Persia. The argument was pitch narrow minded and one-sided.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews

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