A History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor

A History of the World in 100 Objects

Neil MacGregor

Penguin Publishing Group · Hardcover · October 27, 2011

From the renowned director of the British Museum, a kaleidoscopic history of humanity told through things we have made.

Buy on Amazon

We earn from qualifying purchases.

Genres
World History, Archaeology, Civilizations
Published
Penguin Publishing Group, October 27, 2011

Nearest books

Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved.

  1. Shakespeare's Restless WorldNeil MacGregor63% match
  2. Homo DeusYuval Noah Harari53% match
  3. Masters of the PlanetIan Tattersall, Bob Souer54% match
  4. PaperMark Kurlansky55% matchShares World History and Civilizations
  5. Fallen IdolsAlex von Tunzelmann49% matchShares World History

For younger readers: Sugar Changed the World, The History of We, Timelines of World History

Start with three books, and this one can be the first.

Members get a new edition every morning: a route out from their books to essays, research and talks, with the reason for each.

Start with this book

About this book

From the renowned director of the British Museum, a kaleidoscopic history of humanity told through things we have made. When did people first start to wear jewelry or play music? When were cows domesticated and why do we feed their milk to our children? Where were the first cities and what made them succeed? Who invented math-or came up with money?

Continue reading

The history of humanity is a history of invention and innovation, as we have continually created new items to use, to admire, or to leave our mark on the world. In this original and thought-provoking book, Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, has selected one hundred man-made artifacts, each of which gives us an intimate glimpse of an unexpected turning point in human civilization. A History of the World in 100 Objects stretches back two million years and covers the globe. From the very first hand axe to the ubiquitous credit card, each item has a story to tell; together they relate the larger history of mankind-revealing who we are by looking at what we have made. Handsomely designed, with more than 150 color photographs throughout the text, A History of the World in 100 Objects is a gorgeous reading book and makes a great gift for anyone interested in history.

Objects as History

Come here for

  • objects as entry points
  • cultural history with a curator’s eye

Expect

  • essay-driven chapters
  • clear, selective framing

Where it sits

World History86%
Archaeology37%
Civilizations29%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Art History
  • Ancient History
  • Civilizations
Authors
Neil MacGregor
Publisher
Penguin Publishing Group
Published
October 27, 2011
Format
Hardcover
Reading lane
Art History