Kodansha: a World History of the Rise and Fall (Nine Volumes)

Nine books introduce different countries or regions respectively. How should we summarize them? Quite simply, they have one common feature, which is Eurasia. From the beginning of the four ancient civilizations to today, the scenes surrounding the Eurasian continent are the richest. Splendid civilizations have been born in various places, and there are frequent exchanges with each other. The Silk Road almost runs through the interior of the Eurasian continent. Where do you find the source of all this? I wonder how many people have read the book Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. This book mentioned that the Eurasian continent is the richest in flora and fauna. All the plants and animals in the world that can be domesticated are found in the Eurasian continent. As long as they can be domesticated, wealth can be accumulated. Although numerous large and small wars occurred during this period, they were only minor episodes, and long-term stable discoveries were the main theme.

Kimitoshi Moritani is a professor at the Faculty of Letters, Teikyo University, Japan. His research direction is ancient Greece and Macedonian history. Reiji Motomura is a professor of comprehensive cultural studies at the Graduate School of the University of Tokyo. His main works include "The Dark History of Rome". This book looks at the world historical process from the perspectives of different Japanese scholars. For example, Masaaki Sugiyama's History of Mongolia tells the story of the true globalization of the world from the Mongol era, while Prince Hayashi's History of the Ottoman Empire analyzes how the multi-ethnic coexistence of the Islamic world achieved long-term stability.

This book contains a new historical perspective and knowledge, including worlds and eras that are not recorded in textbooks, and you can also see history through the eyes of non-historians. Masaaki Sugiyama's history of Mongolia tells the story of the world's true globalization from the Mongol era. Prince Hayashi's history of the Ottoman Empire analyzes how the multi-ethnic coexistence of the Islamic world can achieve long-term stability. Southeast Asia in the works of Yoshiaki Ishizawa is like a self-sufficient paradise. The Anshi Rebellion in the eyes of Takao Moriyasu also became a turning point for the entire Eurasian continent. The content is very rich, the knowledge content is sufficient, and you will gain a lot after reading it!

"The principles are extracted from a large number of historical materials to explain, and the principles are explained with relevant historical materials to support it. It is very thirst-quenching when reading, especially in areas that I have not had much contact with, and it feels enlightening." The book has nine volumes in total, starting from Alexandria, ancient Rome, the Tang Empire, Persia, Ottoman, and up to modern European maritime trade and colonial hegemony. There are some parts that make people shine when reading. This kind of study of the world as a whole is very good, emphasizing the integration and influence between different ethnic groups. Nothing is not closely related.

Most of the historical complete works in the past were works that covered the entire era and had clear historical periods. In other words, they were very static histories. This set of world history, which focuses on the rise and fall, refreshes our understanding in terms of "world" and "history". The book contains worlds and eras that are not recorded in textbooks, and you can also see history through the eyes of non-historians. It is precisely because of this arrangement that this set of books becomes a "dynamic world history." Different scholars choose a certain historical section to tell the history of different regions, and finally integrate it into a common civilization genealogy.

This book is so interesting! I especially like the history of Mongolia written by Masaaki Sugiyama. It turns out that the Mongol Empire was so powerful, and globalization actually started in the Mongol era! I feel like Genghis Khan, galloping freely on the grassland. Moreover, there is a lot of knowledge in the book that I have not learned in textbooks, which opened my eyes. I want to recommend this book to my friends and learn about world history together!