Throughout the ages, human beings have shown an astonishing capacity to adapt to their environments. Creating great cities, establishing remarkable civilizations, and developing new modes of communication, we have accomplished remarkable feats. At the same time, warfare, discrimination, and poverty reveal the darker side of human nature. From history's most remarkable men and women to bloody wars and genocides, this illustrated volume brings to life an incredible range of human experience over the millennia. Taking inspiration from the latest developments in historiography, Professor Jeremy Black sheds new light on our understanding of the past with a special emphasis on the environment, cities, science, politics, and the mechanics of everyday life. Covering the birth of agriculture in the Nile Valley, the development of empires in Mesopotamia, the fall of Rome, the advance of science in the Islamic world, the rise of international trade along the Silk Roads, and the conflagration of the world wars, among many other topics, A History of the World is an essential source of reference that is sure to both entertain and inform. A History of the World covers the key subjects of world history in eight comprehensive chapters: - Prehistoric Humans - The Ancient World - Classical Civilization - The Middle Ages - Renaissance and Enlightenment - Revolutions and Nationalism - The World at War - The Modern World ABOUT THE SERIES: Sirius Visual Reference Library brings together wonderfully illustrated reference guides on scientific and historical topics, made bold and fascinating through full-color maps, timelines, photographs, feature boxes and other visual elements.