Eyewitness to History: From Ancient Times to the Modern Era

by Patricia S. Daniels (Editor), James Reston Jr. (Foreword)

History comes alive in this engaging and lavishly illustrated chronicle, which spans world events and people from ancient times to the 21st century. The voices of the great and humble speak to us through songs, documents, edicts, poetry, letters, menus, and even graffiti, revealing each era's conflicts, daily life, arts, science, religion, and enduring influence. Interactive design focuses on the tangible artifacts of history, and magnificent illustrations—including period art, archival photographs, and expertly rendered scenes of long-ago events—bring vivid immediacy and eye appeal to every colorful spread. With its unique emphasis on voices from the past, its competitive price point, and its inviting, innovative design, Eyewitness to History is poised to be THE pick for value-minded customers looking for an absorbing take on world history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

464 pages, Hardcover

First published October 19, 2010

About the author

Patricia Daniels has written extensively on science and health. Among her publications are The New Solar System, Human Body, Encyclopedia of Space, Childhood Medical Guide, and The Medical Advisor.

Reviews

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent supplement to a world history course. An excellent introduction for those of us long out of school who didn't have such a a book back in the day.
Fascinating if choppy and skimpy. Hard to fit the whole of human history into a book you can pick up.
It covers all the continents and all times from prehistory
Chapters are: Epic Journeys, prehistory to 500 B.C.E.; The Golden Ages, 600 B.C.E. to 600 C.E.; The Classical Age, 600 B.C.E. to 500 C.E.; Postclassical Era, 500-1100 C.E.; Kings and Nomads, 1000-1450 C.E.; Breaking Bonds, 1450-1650; New World Order, 1650-1800; Empires Rising, 1800-1900; The World at War, 1900-1945; Global Cultures, 1945-2010.
Each chapter features a single influential document with information about it; a time line with dates parallel for different continents; an opening summary; quotes from letters, memoirs, speeches, poetry, etc. of the time; Connections with historic roots of today's issues and small biographical profiles with thumbs up/down as an opinionated judgment of the person.
Recommended to fans of history. It's also nice to have photos if people, things, and places.

[Lor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eyewitness to History, From Ancient Times to The Modern Era - National Geographic
Apr - May, 2025
Paleolithic Era, AKA Old Stone Age (2.5mil yrs ago - 10,000 B.C.E.)
The Classical Age (600 B.C.E. - 500 C.E)
Human history is bloody, filled with endless wars, suppressions. Repeating again and again. Could this due to human nature? Something we can never solve?

[Rebecca Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

History is a subject that can tell us so much about ourselves and can help us shape the future. I have always had an interest in history and was pleased to read Eyewitness to History: From Ancient Times to the Modern Era. This book gives a detailed account of the dawn of history to the present day. It presents the history of many of the major regions in the world. It also gives glimpses of certain historical figures and gives them thumbs up or down. There are many beautiful pictures that correspond with the text. Each chapter includes a timeline that will provide a quick rundown of historical events. The book also provides the history of certain political or religious movements. At times I did feel that the author’s opinions were stated as fact. My favorite aspects of this book were the personal excerpts from various documents. It was also interesting to learn more about how the various countries of the world have connected. There are also quotes on the bottom of each page that weave together with the topic being discussed. This was a surprisingly quick and easy read. I would recommend Eyewitness to History to history enthusiasts.

[Dorothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a little trouble getting started on this book. I felt the need to stop frequently to digest what I was reading. It is an excellent starting point. As I got further into the book I became fascinated by some events and less so with others. I believe I can now investigate more thoroughly the subjects I enjoyed most while skipping some I already knew pretty well or didn't have as much interest in. I found myself on Google fairly often but the same thing happened with Moby Dick when I realized I was much more interested in whaling and exploration than I would have believed. Lol . Much knowledge to be gained here.

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's good book if you would just like to know the general history of the world. It has a good summary of major events and time eras.

Although minus one star due to the fact that the history of sub-Saharan Africa is rarely ever mentioned.

Also, there was a mistake that stated Jesus rose 2 days after his death. If the authors of this book can make a mistake like that, then I am going to assume that there are also other mistakes in the book also.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as interesting as I thought it would be; I ended up skipping around A LOT!