A History of the World in 100 Objects

Originally this book started out as a project for BBC Radio 4; with four years in the planning, and a host of experts to help him, Neil MacGregor has created a really special collection of top artefacts, all of which can be found at the British Museum. The series has been described as a project charting the history of humanity, and after having read the book it comes as no surprise that it has won awards and bursaries for the museum, at which MacGregor was the Director for 13 years. Each object gets about five pages each, so the chapters are a bite-size insight into each era of history that the object relates to. Remember that this project started as a radio series, and so each week they would have different guests on the show, experts in the fields that each item relates to; in the book there are little snippets of what each guest had to say. Whilst the book might be a bit too heavy and full on to read in one go, it’s one of those books you can dip in and out of, and the chapters are short and punchy which makes it all the more easier. This book is a must for anyone who considers themselves a history enthusiast, no matter what period of history interests you. One of the cleverest things about the book is how it connects each epoch. When you think about the Romans, or Greeks, or Egyptians, you don’t necessarily know how time transitioned from one to the other, but this book covers the in-between phases too. I would also recommend this book to anyone who has interests in social sciences, philosophy, and politics too. This book is invaluable in giving an objective view of the world’s history as we know it. If you want to understand how and why we are the way we are, then you need to know where we came from, and this history connects all of us. Not only does this book fill in the blanks between dynasties and eras, but all of the objects are to be found in the British Museum. It really brings each artefact to life, instead of just reading the two lines next to each artefact which never truly does it justice. I'd recommend reading the book, highlighting the chapters/items you want to see, and take the book with you on a visit to the British Museum. Don’t be surprised if you find people following you, having a book in your hand and looking determined like you know where you’re going usually makes an impression on other visitors.

Such a delicious book! Studded with large chunks of entertainment and seasoned with exotic information. The book tries to tell history in a way which has not been attempted before. 100 objects from all over the world with clear historical significance have been chosen from the large inventory of the British Museum, ranging from the beginning of human history (a simple flint tool or an arrowhead) right up to the present day (a credit card or a solar lamp). And the writer tells a fascinating and engaging story of world history through describing those objects. Such a novel approach. This is a must read for everyone.

This is an extraordinary and brilliant book, where the author takes us through "mankind" in a series of about 100 essays. It's the sort of book that motivates anyone with the slightest interest in archaeology and anthropology, and makes me wish I'd read archaeology at university in my youth. It should be compulsory reading for Canadian and American high school students, rather than the so-called social-studies rubbish that's propagated these days. It is eminently readable and in no way "stuffy." It's also the kind of work that can be read in stages, put down and taken up later, as well as something that can be referred to as time passes.

Fue una serie del radio y el libro es, estupendo, con fotos y comentarios de xada objeto. Estupendo.

Even if, like me, you have no specialised interest in history as such but just enjoy good books, this tome is a real joy to possess and to savour slowly chapter by fascinating chapter; at more than 700 pages it certainly can't be read overnight. I don't know if there is a paperback version available, but even if there were I would still suggest buying the hardcover version. As I told a friend that I recently recommended this book to, it is the kind of book that really deserves the Victorian treatment - to be bound in leather with gold tooling on the cover, and then to sit on your bookshelf waiting to be taken down again at intervals to be read again and again. Neil MacGregor's really unique approach to describing mankind's history is to take 100 objects from the British Museum (some of them very elaborate and artistic creations but others very simple, everyday objects that have usually survived just through chance) and to put these objects firmly in their social and historical context, using them as the springboard to show us the much wider picture of life in those times. This is an exciting story that deserves to be well told, and MacGregor's beautiful, intelligent prose helps to add to our pleasure. As an avid bibliophile it is gratifying to still be able to buy real books that you can hold and SMELL, and with real pages to turn, rather than having to depend on the "convenience" of the ubiquitous Kindle or i-Pad!