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Review
A History of the World in 100 Objects ... has been a triumph: hugely popular, and rightly lauded as one of the most effective and intellectually ambitious initiatives in the making of 'public history' for many decades. -- John Adamson Sunday Telegraph Highly intelligent, delightfully written and utterly absorbing -- Timothy Clifford Spectator Allen Lane has done Mr MacGregor proud... The objects have been beautifully photographed, Mr MacGregor's voice comes through distinctively and his arguments about the interconnectedness of disparate societies through the ages are all the stronger for the detail afforded by extra space. A book to savour and start over Economist This is a story book, vivid and witty, shining with insights, connections, shocks and delights -- Gillian Reynolds Daily Telegraph The style is authentic, personal and humorous. MacGregor could not have skewered our pretensions better...Look on our works, ye mighty, and despair -- Andrew Roberts Financial Times Brilliant, engagingly written, deeply researched -- Mary Beard Guardian
Product Description
This book takes a dramatically original approach to the history of humanity, using objects which previous civilisations have left behind them, often accidentally, as prisms through which we can explore past worlds and the lives of the men and women who lived in them. The book's range is enormous. It begins with one of the earliest surviving objects made by human hands, a chopping tool from the Olduvai gorge in Africa, and ends with an object from the 21st century which represents the world we live in today. Neil MacGregor's aim is not simply to describe these remarkable things, but to show us their significance - how a stone pillar tells us about a great Indian emperor preaching tolerance to his people, how Spanish pieces of eight tell us about the beginning of a global currency or how an early Victorian tea-set tells us about the impact of empire. Each chapter immerses the reader in a past civilization accompanied by an exceptionally well-informed guide. Seen through this lens, history is a kaleidoscope - shifting, interconnected, constantly surprising, and shaping our world today in ways that most of us have never imagined. An intellectual and visual feast, it is one of the most engrossing and unusual history books published in years.
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beyond Chat Labels--An Intriguing Guide to 100 Fascinating Objects in the British Museum,
By Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 112,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (#1 HALL OF FAME)
This review is from: History of the World in 100 Objects (Hardcover)
"Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were so dim that he could not see." -- 1 Samuel 4:15 (NKJV)Let me address right away the objections that some will have to this outstanding resource: 1. The photographs are often dim and unclear. Yup. That's true. But the point of the book is to tell the story of the objects, not to highlight them as things of beauty as might be the case for a painting or a sculpture. 2. The electronic version costs a lot more than $9.99 and is almost as much as the hardcover. Yup. I thought that hardcover was inexpensive for what it is. Buy that one if you don't want to spend a lot for your Kindle. If you get past those problems, I think you'll love this book. It's like having several of the world's top authorities on each of 100 objects tell you deep meanings that you wouldn't grasp by visiting the British Museum on your own and staring at the objects. I was very impressed by the selection process, finding objects that convey interesting information at several levels. For instance, an object might tell you something about who made it and how it was used. These objects also have significance in terms of where the elements of the object came from (frequently indicating long-distance trade that you probably wouldn't have expected). Further, aspects of the objects may also reveal something about common human instincts that show up in many different cultures at about the same time. In addition, you get a sense of chronology that you probably didn't know in terms of what each civilization was doing at the same time. While it would be nice if 100 objects would tell all of human history, that's frankly impossible. A more accurate title for the book would probably be something like "Multicultural Dimensions of Human Experience Represented in 100 Objects from the British Museum." So don't let the title lead you to make unrealistic assumptions about the book. To me, a handful of the objects were so fascinating that I would have felt rewarded simply by having those few pages. Here are my favorites: --Olduvai Handaxe --Swimming Reindeer --Ain Sakhri Lovers Figurine --Jomon Pot --Jade Axe --Rhind Mathematical Papyrus --Minoan Bull-leaper --Mold Gold Cape --Chinese Bronze Bell --Ceremonial Ballgame Belt --Sutton Hoo Helmet --Maya Relief of Royal Blood-letting --Vale of York Hoard --Kilwa Pot Sherds --Ife Head --Taino Ritual Seat --Tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent --Ming Banknote --Jade Dragon Cup --Mechanical Galleon --Kakiemon Elephants --Akan Drum --Hawaiian Feather Helmet --North American Buckskin Map --Australian Bark Shield --Jade Bi --Hokusai's The Great Wave --Suffragette-defaced Penny --Russian Revolutionary Plate --Throne of Weapons When you get the book, see what you think. I particularly liked the way that commenting scholars were selected who should have a superior cultural and historical perspective on the objects. One of my sons and his wife work in a well-known museum. I've recommended the book to them as a way to gain perspective on how to tell a collection's story in more complete and compelling ways. Bravo, Director MacGregor!
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A History of the World in 100 Objects CD,
By
This review is from: A History Of The World In 100 Objects (Hardcover)
An Excellent book to have on one's bookshelf as an overview of significant artifacts and the historical background of each one. Since purchasing the book, I subsequently recieved the CDs as a Christmas gift and they are, quite simply, outstanding.Barbara, Montreal
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific!,
By Eliza Mitchell (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A History of the World in 100 Objects (Audio CD)
We live in an area without local radio and find even satellite radio dull and repetitive at times, especially on our 3 hour drives to town for groceries - so this audio series is terrific. I was concerned that without being able to see the objects we would lose something but it is done so well that I'm glad to have the CD not the DVD. I particularly like that modern experts from different fields - art, design etc are brought in to examine, describe and ancient objects. So much history I had forgotten and much I never knew all bound up in these objects. We often pause the recording to talk about the ideas or rewind to get some of the details clear! We find it is best to pause after 5 or 6 objects because there is just so much information to digest and discuss. It does make me want to go to the British Museum and look at some of these objects. I recommend this series highly.
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