I just finished reading Origin Story and I loved it. I found its approach to be both unique and informative. Rather than the typical deep dive into one very small sliver of time that you find in most history books, it explored the big ideas and threads that run through our past to explain how we got to where we are today. It was excellent.
But, humans didn’t appear until almost halfway through. And when we did, Origin Story focused on overarching ideas rather than facts and dates. As an example, it spent a lot of time talking about how and why farming came to be and how it led to the first agrarian societies and states. But it was very light on the histories of those ancient peoples. Who were their leaders, kings, notable individuals? What wars were fought and when? Who conquered who? How and why did these societies rise and fall?
This isn’t at all a critique on Origin Story. I thoroughly enjoyed it and after finishing reading it I feel like I understand the world better. But my curiosity about the ancient world is piqued and I’m finding myself wanting more in the way of those traditional facts and dates and stories you find in most history books. What I’m looking for I guess would be something like World History 101, with a wide lens that spans from ancient to modern times. So, while I certainly am interested in and want to learn more about Rome, for example, I’m not just looking for the best Roman history book. Any ideas?
by SpryPanda