World History For Dummies

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
	About This Book
	Foolish Assumptions
	Icons Used in This Book
	Beyond the Book
	Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Getting into History
	Chapter 1 Tracing a Path to the Present
		Firing Up the WABAC Machine
		Footpath to Expressway: Building on Humble Beginnings
		War! What Is It Good For? Material for History Books, That’s What
		Appreciating History’s Tapestry
			Threading backward
			Crossing threads
			Weaving home
		Making the Connections
		Tracking the Centuries
	Chapter 2 Digging Up Reality
		Homing In on Homer
			The Troy story
			Inspiring archaeological finds
		Raising Atlantis
		Reading the Body Language of the Dead
			Frozen in the Alps
			Salted away in Asia
			Bogged down in northern Europe
			Dried and well preserved in the Andes
			Preserved pharaohs in Egypt
		Tracking the Centuries
	Chapter 3 Putting History into Perspective
		Being Human Beings
			Nearing the Neanderthal
			Talking like no one had before
			Making sense of AD, BC, CE, and BCE
		Dividing Time into Eras . . . and Giving Them Names
			Sorting ancient from modern
			Telling classical from schmassical
			Bowing to the queens
			Perceiving and avoiding biases
		Noticing the Noteworthy and the Notorious
			Studying contradictions
			Looking at events from different angles
			Verifying virtue
		Tracking the Centuries
Part 2 Finding Strength in Numbers
	Chapter 4 Getting Civilized
		Building Jericho’s Walls for Mutual Defense
		Planting Cities along Rivers
			Settling between the Tigris and Euphrates
			Getting agricultural in Africa
			Assembling Egypt
			Going up the river into Kush
			Giving way as new civilizations rise
			Heading east to the Indus and Yellow Rivers
		Coming of Age in the Americas
		Keeping Records on the Way to Writing and Reading
			Planning pyramids
			Laying down laws and love songs
		Shaping the World Ever After
			Building a Persian Empire
			Growing toward Greekness
			Making Alexander great
		Developing Cultures Abounding
		Tracking the Centuries
	Chapter 5 Rising and Falling Empires
		Rome’s Ascent and Demise
			Forming the Roman Republic
			Earning citizenship
			Expanding the empire
			Crossing the Rubicon
			Empowering the emperor
			Roaming eastward
			Western empire fades into history
			Rome and the Roman Catholic Church
		Building Empires around the World
			Ruling Persia and Parthia
			India’s empires
			Uniting China: Seven into Qin
			Flourishing civilizations in the Americas
		Remembering Far-Flung Cultures
		Tracking the Centuries
	Chapter 6 Splitting Eras: The Middle Ages
		Building (And Maintaining) the Byzantine Empire
		Sharing and Imposing Culture
			Bearing with barbarians
			Traversing Africa with the Bantu
			Sailing and settling with the Vikings
			Traveling the Silk Road
		Planting the Seeds of European Nations
			Repelling the raiders
			Uniting Western Europe: Charlemagne pulls it together
			Keeping fledgling nations together
		Emerging Islamic Fervor
		Rebounding Guptas in India
		Rounding Up Developments in Cultures Far to the East and to the West
		Tracking the Centuries
	Chapter 7 Struggling for Dominance
		Extending the Arab Empire and Spreading Islam
			Taking education and literacy to new heights
			Making advances in science and technology
			Mastering the Indian Ocean
			Assembling and disassembling an empire
		Excelling in East Asia
			Innovating the Chinese way
			Traveling the Silk Road for trade and cultural exchange
			Sailing away for a spell
		Developing a Taste for Eastern Goods
			Orienting Venice
			Controlling trade routes between Europe and the East
		Mounting the Crusades
			Meeting the main players
			Looking at the misguided zeal of specific Crusades
			Setting a precedent for conquest
		Growing Trade between East and West
		Surviving the Black Death
			Killing relentlessly
			Doing the math: Fewer folks, more wealth
		Seeking a Way East and Finding Places to the West
			Meeting the Americans who met Columbus
			Celebrating or ruing “discovery”
			Training and experience shaped Columbus
			Stumbling upon the West Indies
		Tracking the Centuries
	Chapter 8 Grabbing the Globe
		Sailing South to Get East
			Getting a foothold in Indian trade
			Demanding respect
		“Discovering” America
			How the Aztecs rose and fell
			Incas grasp greatness and then fall to the Spanish
		Circling the Planet
			Ottomans ascend among Eastern empires
			Founding East India companies
			Closing the door to Japan
			Playing by British East India Company rules
			Going from Ming to Qing in China
		Spreading the Slave Trade
			Perpetuating an evil
			Developing a new market
			Profiting from a contemptible institution
		Starting Revolutions
			Bringing in the new
			Playing with dangerous ideas
			Rebelling Americans
			Erupting rage
			Making a bold bid for freedom in Haiti
		Tracking the Centuries
	Chapter 9 Pulling Empires Together as Subjects Push Back
		Managing Unprecedented Empires
			Britain battles on multiple fronts
			France rebrands after its revolution
			Europe divides Africa
		Challenging European Dominance
			Turning against Spanish and Portuguese rule in Latin America
			Reclaiming Africa for Africans
			Uprising in Asia
			Unleashing pent-up power in Japan
			Ricocheting unrest comes home to Europe
		Revolting in Russia
			Standing apart up north
			Rushin’ toward rebellion
			Taking power in the Soviet Union
		Fighting World Wars
			Redefining war: World War I
			Returning to conflict: World War II
		Running Hot and Cold (Wars)
			Daring each other to blink in the Cold War
			Seeing no end to violent conflicts
		Getting it Together and Forming the United Nations
		Tracking the Centuries
Part 3 Seeking Answers
	Chapter 10 Worshipping through the Ages
		Defining Religion
			Divining the role of god(s)
			Analyzing the religious impulse
			Distinguishing philosophy from religion
		Assessing Animism
			Seeking understanding through spirit
			Connecting animals to deities
		Jotting down Judaism
			Awaiting a Messiah
			Maintaining Jewish nationalism
		Hammering Out Hinduism
		Biting Off a Bit of Buddhism
		Condensing Christianity
			Initiating the Roman Catholic Church
			Evaluating the Eastern Orthodox Church
			Peeking at the Protestant churches
		Investigating Islam
			Honoring the Five Pillars
			Going beyond Mecca and Medina
			Clashing cultures
		Summarizing Sikhism
		Tracking the Centuries
	Chapter 11 Loving Wisdom: Philosophy’s Impact
		Asking the Big Questions
			Founding science in philosophy
			Mixing philosophy and religion
		Tracing Philosophy’s Roots
			Living on the edges of Greek society
			Drawing inspiration from other cultures
			Traveling broadens the mind
		Examining Eastern Philosophies
		Leading to (and from) Socrates
			Building a tradition of seeking answers
			Thinking for himself: Socrates’ legacy
				Glimpsing Socrates through Plato’s writings
				Viewing Socrates as the scapegoat
			Building on Socrates: Plato and Aristotle
			Tracing Plato’s influence
		Philosophy in the Age of Alexander and After
			Spreading Hellenistic philosophies
			Putting philosophy to practical use
		Tracking the Centuries
	Chapter 12 Being Christian, Thinking Greek
		The Great Chain of Being
		Interpreting Christian Theology
			Stacking scripture upon scripture
			Replacing Homer with the Bible
		Establishing Jesus’s Divinity
		Augustine’s Influence on Early Christian Thought
			Divining the mind of God
			Condoning righteous killing
			Tracing two paths to salvation
		The Philosophy of Aquinas
			Keeping scholarship alive
			Coming back to Aristotle
			Supporting faith with logic
		Embracing Humanism and More
			Nothing secular about it
			Tracing humanism’s impact
		Tracking the Centuries
	Chapter 13 Awakening to the Renaissance
		Realizing the Reach of the Renaissance
		Redefining the Human Role
			Flowering in Florence
			Spreading the word
			Promoting human potential
			Reclaiming the ancients
			Presenting the printing press
		Uniting Flesh and Soul
			Inspiring Michelangelo
			Living in the material world
		Returning to Science
			Shifting the center of the universe
			Studying human anatomy
		Being All That You Could Be
			Striving for perfection
			Stocking up on self-help books
		Writing for the Masses
			Creating new classics
			Staging dramas with Classical roots
			Packing something to read onboard a ship
		Undermining Renaissance Gains with Conflict
			Battling for control of Italian city-states
			Spilling outside Italy’s borders
		Tracking the Centuries
	Chapter 14 Breaking Away: The Reformation
		Cracks in the Catholic Monopoly
			Losing authority
			Satirizing the Church
		Luther Challenges the System
			Selling salvation
			Peddling to pay the pope
			Insisting on faith
		A Precarious Holy Roman Empire
			Searching for sources of cash
			Fighting crime and inflation
			Setting the stage for dissent
		Here Luther Stands (Up to the Emperor)
		Luther Gains a Following
			Losing control of the Lutheran movement
			Choosing sides
		The Empire Strikes Back
			Savoring a bitter victory
			Achieving compromise
		Reform Spreads to England
			Creating the Church of England
			Realizing Henry’s legacy
		Along Comes Calvin
			Reforming the Swiss church
			Establishing Puritanism
			Causing turmoil in France
			Sparking rebellion in Holland
			Weakening the Holy Roman Empire
			Pushing for Puritanism in England and Scotland
			Emigrating to America
		Tracking the Centuries
	Chapter 15 Opening Up to Science and Enlightenment
		Mingling Science and Philosophy
		Starting a Scientific Revolution
			Gazing at the heavens: Astronomy
			Advancing the scientific method
		Waking Up to the Enlightenment
			Experiencing empiricism
			Living a “nasty, brutish, and short” life
			Reasoning to rationalism
			Expanding to the Encyclopedists
		Engineering the Industrial Revolution
			Dealing with the social fallout
			Raging against the machines: Luddite uprising
		Marketing Economics
			Playing the money game with Adam Smith
			Developing capitalism and Marxism
		Tracking the Centuries
Part 4 Fighting, Fighting, Fighting
	Chapter 16 Wielding Sticks and Stones: Old-Fashioned War
		Fighting as an Ancient Way of Life
		Raising Armies
			Keeping out attackers
			Escalating weapons technology: Using metal
			Riding into battle: Hooves and wheels
		Avoiding Assyrian Arsenals
			Assembling the units
			Wreaking havoc
		Farming and Fighting Together in Greece
			Soldiering shoulder to shoulder
			Standing up to the Persians
			Facing Macedonian ferocity
		Making War the Roman Way
			Marching in three ranks
			Recruiting a standing force
			Diversifying the legion
			Returning to riders
		Tracking the Centuries
	Chapter 17 Upgrading the War Machine
		Reinventing the Cavalry
			Standing tall and staying astride with stirrups
			Raiding as a way of life on horseback
			Guarding Byzantine borders
			Battling mounted Moors
			Charging into chivalry
		Donning the Steel Suit
			Wearing metal rings: Chain mail
			Putting more power into the archer’s bow
			Charging behind the lance
			Marrying precision to power with the longbow
		Adding Firepower with Gunpowder
			Lighting the fire of discovery
			Spreading explosive news
			Bringing in the big guns
			Battering down Constantinople’s walls
			Refining the new weaponry
			Adapting old strategies for new weapons
			Floating fortresses on the sea
			Adapting fortifications to the artillery era
		Tracking the Centuries
	Chapter 18 Modernizing Mayhem
		Following Three Paths to Modern War
			Promoting devastation in Prussia
			Putting technology to deadly uses: The Crimean War
			Redefining armed conflict: The U.S. Civil War
		Tying Tactics to Technology in the 20th Century
			Trapping valor in a trench: World War I
			Retooling the World War II arsenal
		Warring On Despite the Nuclear Threat
			Drawing strength from stealth: Guerilla tactics
			Wielding the weapon of fear: Terrorism
		Tracking the Centuries
Part 5 Meeting the Movers and Shakers
	Chapter 19 Starting Something Legendary
		Spinning Legends
		Uniting for Strength
		Playing for Power
		Building Bridges
		Writing Laws
		Tracking the Centuries
	Chapter 20 Battling Toward Immortality
		Towering Over Their Times
		Building Empires
		Launching Attacks
		Mounting a Defense
		Devising Tactics
		Instigating Inspiration
		Tracking the Centuries
	Chapter 21 Exploring and “Discovering”
		Famous Pioneers: Arriving Before Their Time
		Courageous Couriers: Carrying Messages
		Trailblazing Explorers: Seeking New Routes
		Notorious Conquerors: Bad Company
		Famous Firsts
		Renowned Guides
		Famous Mavericks: Taking Advantage of Opportunity
		Tracking the Centuries
	Chapter 22 Turning Tables: Rebels and Revolutionaries
		Rising from Revolutionaries to Rulers
		Gaining Support As Charismatic Rebels
		Making Ideas Reality
		Standing Against Authority
		Changing Rules
		Living and Dying by the Sword
		Dying for a Cause
		Tracking the Centuries
Part 6 The Part of Tens
	Chapter 23 Ten Unforgettable Dates in History
		460 BC: Athens Goes Democratic
		323 BC: Alexander the Great Dies
		476: The Western Roman Empire Falls
		1066: Normans Conquer England
		1095: The First Crusade Commences
		1492: Columbus Sails the Ocean Blue
		1776: Americans Break Away
		1807: Britain Bans the Slave Trade
		1893: Women Start Getting the Vote Around the World
		1945: The United States Drops the A-Bomb
	Chapter 24 Ten Essential Historical Documents
		The Rosetta Stone
		Confucian Analects
		The Bible
		The Quran
		The Magna Carta
		The Travels of Marco Polo
		The Declaration of Independence
		The Bill of Rights
		Das Kapital
		On the Origin of Species
Index
EULA