William McNeill’s The World History is widely recognized as a pioneering work of global history. It tells the story of interactions among civilizations around the world, from prehistory to the twenty-first century, and is now being published in Chinese for the first time. Recommended by Arnold Toynbee, George Modelski?; Slavoj? Weigel; Jerry Bentley, He Bingdi, Xu Zhuoyun, Qian Chengdan, Liu Xincheng, and others. In 1963, McNeill published The Rise of the West: A History of the Human Community, which is forthcoming from CITIC Press. Historians generally regard it as marking the birth of global history. In 1964, McNeill began teaching a world history course at the University of Chicago. For this class, he edited and condensed The Rise of the West for “students and general readers,” publishing The World History as a textbook in 1967.
Since its publication in 1967, McNeill’s The World History has gone through four revisions and editions, remaining a bestseller in the English-speaking world. It is used in world history courses at American colleges and universities, serves as an introduction to world history for general readers, and has even been assigned at the United States Air Force Academy.
McNeill’s contribution and distinctive insight lie in his belief that world history only becomes meaningful when it focuses on interactions between civilizations. He continually wrote about the clashes and counterclashes, conquests and reconquests between civilizations. Organized around civilizations, The World History explores their interactions around the globe, transforming a world history that had previously been fragmented and isolated into a dynamic, interconnected account, and mapping a network of interactions among human civilizations. This is considered the true beginning of world history as a field of study.
McNeill’s The World History has arrived in Chinese nearly fifty years after its original publication. This is its first publication in China, authorized exclusively worldwide by McNeill and translated from the fourth revised edition.
The book includes 109 vivid illustrations and charts, a timeline marking the course of human civilization, and a recommended further-reading list. It also offers a new discussion of major events in world history and civilization since 1976, further refining this classic in both content and structure.
McNeill’s The World History covers a vast range of topics and is written in clear, flowing prose, surpassing ordinary textbooks. Whether you are a working professional, student, teacher, businessperson, or government official, The World History is a reliable classic introduction to world history.
It explains the history of world civilization from a religious perspective. After reading it, you will understand the incompatibility between Chinese civilization and other world civilizations. Different people may have different gains after reading it. It is recommended reading.
This "History of the World" is really great! The author, William McNeil, tells the development of global history from the perspective of civilizational interaction, which gave me a more comprehensive understanding of world history. His views are unique and his writing is concise and fluent. Like a kind teacher, he tells complex historical stories clearly and understandably. The wonderful charts and historical chronology in the book are also eye-catching. I think this book is not only suitable for students and teachers, but also for everyone interested in world history. As Arnold Toynbee said: "McNeil tells a complex story very smoothly and easily." Highly recommended!
Good book, worth promoting
Recommend a good book.