A Little History of the World Summary and Reviews

A Little History of the World
by E. H. Gombrich

A Little History of the World
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Book Summary Information

Author: E. H. Gombrich
Illustrator: Clifford Harper
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-10-07
ISBN: 030014332X
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Yale University Press

Book Reviews of A Little History of the World

Book Review: A Really Good First Pass
Summary: 4 Stars

Gombrich delivers what he promises, "A Little History." To a reviewer who is a reader, rather than a historian, the book conveys to young students a story with a conscience, but not with a politically correct agenda, which pleases this reader in spades. It is meant to be read aloud to the student, presumably by a parent or teacher. It is conversational, it doesn't pander or speak down to the audience, it occasionally asks a question, or throws in a comment. First published in 1936 - the lazy reviewer neglects to determine the number of printings- in the German, the little classic (280 pages) was translated into English in 2005. That should attest to someone's idea of the work's worthiness. Although meant for kids, Gombrich writes as if at least some of the material had come to the student's attention before. Few words need to be defined, there is no overload of names or dates, and a few maps are included. It is apparent that Grombrich was writing for a student whose standards were more demanding than in today's America. It would be a shock to this reviewer's system to find that fifty per cent of contemporary high school seniors would pass a test covering the material in "A Little History." Alas. The work is Euro-centric, as the author acknowledges. The American Civil War gets less than one page of treatment. But it works within the context of Western civilization, Gombrich's focus. Gombrich revised the material while in his nineties, during the 1990's. He commented on a couple of shortcomings contained in the original work, and his effort to correct them, which speaks well for his ethics. Who is ready to hear this book? A very bright eight or nine-year-old, perhaps, especially if the emphasis is put on the idea that it is a student's first pass, revealing a very big picture. Multiple readings might be useful as the student ages. I should have given it five stars.

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