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  • A Political History of the World

  • Three Thousand Years of War and Peace (A Pelican Book)
  • Written by: Jonathan Holslag
  • Narrated by: Roy McMillan
  • Length: 15 hrs and 5 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (26 ratings)

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A Political History of the World

Written by: Jonathan Holslag
Narrated by: Roy McMillan
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Publisher's Summary

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of A Political History of the World by Jonathan Holslag, read by Roy McMillan. 

In 3,000 years of history, China has spent at least 11 centuries at war. The Roman Empire was in conflict during at least 50 percent of its lifetime. Since 1776, the United States has spent over 100 years at war. The dream of peace has been universal in the history of humanity. So why have we so rarely been able to achieve it? 

In A Political History of the World, Jonathan Holslag has produced a sweeping history of the world, from the Iron Age to the present, that investigates the causes of conflict between empires, nations and peoples and the attempts at diplomacy and cosmopolitanism. A bird's-eye view of 3,000 years of history, the book illuminates the forces shaping world politics from ancient Egypt to the Han Dynasty, the Pax Romana to the rise of Islam, the Peace of Westphalia to the creation of the United Nations.

This truly global approach enables Holslag to search for patterns across different eras and regions and explore larger questions about war, diplomacy, and power. Has trade fostered peace? What are the limits of diplomacy? How does environmental change affect stability? Is war a universal sin of power? At a time when the threat of nuclear war looms again, this is a much-needed history intended for students of international politics and anyone looking for a background on current events.

©2018 Jonathan Holslag (P)2018 Penguin Audio

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A Must Have for Every Library

Astoinded at the depth and breadth of coverage. Objective statement of facts make for a unblemished vision of world history

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Enjoyed the book

This is not a bulky history book which is full of boastful stories rather it is about "what history teaches us"..

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Brilliant

Comprehensive. Loverd it.
Well narrated.
Story is nicely interwoven.
A must read for students of History and Political science.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting summary

A quick overview of all the world’s major civilisations and acts as a great summary. However, too many things are papered over, esp when it comes to India and SE Asia. The conclusions of the book however are universal. Would have loved to have some predictions for 2000-2250 😉

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    2 out of 5 stars
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written for history buffs, not for general public

Too much unnecessary detail in the book. Quitting half-way through - can't take it anymore. You can't build a pattern from the chapters, and can't construct an overview of flow of events. Waste of time for a layman!

Bits of useful information scattered here and there. But too terse, and too much detail to be of any help.

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