– Customer review on 28/09/2007

Wow. This book is pretty amazing. I am almost overwhelmed with the amount of content it has, I may end up having a history-fuelled brain explosion.

The way this encyclopedia is layed out is so it can cover a vast range of topics in a very small detail. When I say "vast range of topics", I mean pretty much everything that ever happened in the history of humanity. This is equal parts good and bad. The good: It gives you a jumping off point to find out about civilisations you may have never heard about before. The bad: You can't really get a thorough understanding of everything just from this book, as I said, a good jumping off point.

That said, it's a pretty incredible resource and I would highly recommend it to homeschoolers such as myself.

– Customer review on 07/03/2007

The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia appears to be the updated version of the Kingfisher Illustrated History of the World, which received high accolades from Amazon reviewers and others. I've compared the two books. This "replacement" book is better laid out and has better graphics than its predecessor.
The colorful text highlights periods in history from 40,000 B.C. to the present. It is divided chronologically into segments:"The Ancient World" 40,000 BC to 500 BC, and The Classical World, 499 BC - AD 500, Early Middle Ages, 501- 1100, Trade and Empire1601-1707 , Revolution and Independence 1708- 1835, etc.

I like that it covers all regions of the world, including African history, and Indian, Asian, South American, Judea, etc, rather than the typical European history we're all used to. The information is broad in each section and includes wars, empires and dynasties, architecture, culture and arts, science and technology, maps, small biographies of important people in those times. I like that the book is chronological and also broad based in its approach. Each reference takes a full page or full two pages, with easy to find headings at the top of the page. There is a time line across the heading of each page so you know where you are in history. There's a nice "ready reference" in the back with quick notations of rulers and popes and the time period they ruled. I highly recommend this book for middle school years and adults who want a cursory but thought-provoking look at history. This book makes you want to delve more deeply into the different time periods. It's a good starting place for beginning your understanding of ancient history and getting a sense of time and place with regard to history. I homeschool and this is a great resource.

– Customer review on 05/02/2007

Lavishly illustrated global overview of historical events from 40,000 B.C. to 1993. With short essays, time charts, biographies, boxed articles, and comparative tables creating a picture of what was occurring simultaneously in various cultures at any given time. The information is presented in 10 chronological divisions, from the ancient and classical worlds through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to the world wars and the modern world. Each time division includes thematic essays on such topics as arts and crafts, communication and transportation, food and farming, religion, science and technology, trade and money, and war and weapons. Time tables are provided for each section, comparing major developments in six geographic regions: the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Near East, Asia and the Far East, and Australasia and the Pacific. Time lines run throughout the text, summarizing chronological events in specific situations, such as medical innovations or highlights of a reign. World maps summarize the international situation at the beginning of each section, and several other maps supplement the text. There are numerous color drawings and photographs on every page. Highly recommended, great book at a great price!