Originally published between 1920-70, the aim of the general editor, C.K. Ogden, was to summarize the most up-to-date findings and theories of historians, anthropologists, archaeologists and sociologists. This reprinted material is available in a number of different sets, in the following groupings, or as individual volumes: "Prehistory and Historical Ethnography", set of 12 (0-415-15611-4); "Greek Civilization", set of 7 (0-415-15612-2); "Roman Civilization", set of 6 (0-415-15613-0); "Eastern Civilizations", set of 10 (0-415-15614-9); "Judaeo-Christian Civilization", set of 4 (0-415-15615-7); "European Civilization", set of 11 (0-415-15616-5).
i read this as an antidote to "300", and boy did it do the trick. A god and thorough overview, it seems, or at least it seemed to me in my position of otherwise abject ignorance...