In Timelines, John Haywood presents a grand sweep of global history in an immediately accessible format. Using concise, insightful, and engaging text summaries alongside timelines, maps, and illustrations, Haywood takes the reader from the origins of our first ancestors up to the present day. A short essay introduces and summarizes the most important political and cultural landmarks, with a clear timeline then presenting events in four categories: “Politics & Economy,” “Religion & Philosophy,” “Science & Technology,” and “Arts & Architecture.”

The book’s clear, concise, and accessible format allows the reader to achieve a new understanding of contemporaneous events across the globe, making unexpected and surprising links and connections across history. Who knew, for example, that at the same time the Bayeux Tapestry was being completed in Europe, Chinese scientist Shen Kuo was correctly explaining the origin of fossils? That as Peter the Great was modernizing Russia, Robert de La Salle was exploring the length of the Mississippi River and Christopher Wren was finishing St. Paul’s Cathedral in London? This original and authoritative book offers a unique way of appreciating the diverse array of events that have shaped world history.