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“A remarkable book, written in an amiable, conversational style…This resurrected history deserves reading for all its delights.”
— New York Times
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“In simple, vivid prose, Gombrich surveys the human past from prehistory to his own time…Lucky children will have this book read to them. Intelligent adults will read it for themselves and regain contact with the spirit of European humanism at its best.”
— Wall Street Journal
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“It is history to read aloud, on a cold evening, preferably by a fire.”
— Los Angeles Times
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“What was the bestselling title this Christmas at Foyles in London? Hilary Mantel’s Man Booker Prize–winning Wolf Hall? Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? Cormac McCarthy’s The Road? Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol? No. It was E. H. Gombrich’s A Little History of the World.”
— Sunday Telegraph (London)
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“A masterpiece of nonfiction writing for children. It is a wry and charming book, perfectly suited to the capacities of a ten-year-old but also remarkably free of condescension. An adult can read it with pleasure. And, indeed, with instruction.”
— Newsday
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“A beautifully concise volume [that] will remind readers of any age that the past five thousand years have been one big slugfest between darkness and enlightenment, unreason and reason.”
— Seattle Times
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“Gombrich accomplishes what many university-level Western Civilization classes cannot—a riveting account of events that shaped the world from the Stone Age to the 1930s, illustrating the relevance of history to current events. Teachers and schools should add this to their reading lists.”
— Denver Post
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“A work one can quickly come to love…Using vivid imagery, storytelling, and sly humor, [Gombrich] brings history to life in a way that adults as well as children can appreciate.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“British narrator Ralph Cosham is a perfect choice for this material. His tone and rhythm render Gombrich’s clear, humane text in a warm and compelling reading…A useful and entertaining overview, and Cosham’s presentation compounds the pleasure.”
— AudioFile
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“A charming read that extends from prehistory to nuclear warfare and can be enjoyed also by adults in search of an instructive overview of the human drama.”
— First Things
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“A timeless and engaging narrative of the human race.”
— Booklist
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“The true fairy tale of the evolution of mankind.”
— Die Zeit (Hamburg)
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“Blackstone Audio’s A Little History of the World…is a great title to keep in the car to play for the whole family, as everyone will learn something new…Ralph Cosham reads the work in a grandfatherly tone, engaging listeners with his enthusiasm and charm. The title’s forty short chapters allow for easy stop-and-start listening on the go.”
— Audiobooker
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“A lovely, lively historical survey…A fine conception and summarizing of the world’s checkered past for young and old.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)