A Short History of The World (Unabridged) (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. From Earth's Origins to the League of Nations: A Scientific Chronicle of Civilization and Human EvolutionBy H. G. Wells
Length13h 41m
About this audiobook
A Short History of the World (Unabridged) is H. G. Wells's ambitious single-volume account of human history, from the origins of the earth and life to the aftermath of the First World War. Written in lucid, energetic prose, it condenses archaeology, anthropology, religion, politics, and science into a sweeping narrative of civilization's development. Its style is unmistakably Wellsian: rational, synthetic, progressive, and alert to the fragility of empires and ideas. In literary context, it belongs to the early twentieth-century tradition of public history, seeking to educate a broad readership while advancing a secular, global view of mankind. Wells, best known for The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, and other foundational works of scientific romance, was also a committed social thinker shaped by Victorian science, socialism, and the catastrophic disillusionment of modern war. His training under T. H. Huxley and his lifelong faith in education inform this book's grand design: to replace narrow nationalism with historical consciousness. This work is recommended for readers who want a concise yet intellectually vigorous panorama of world history. Though some interpretations reflect its era, its breadth, moral urgency, and humane cosmopolitanism remain compelling.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 4.0 (22.8K)
Includes Goodreads, Amazon, LibraryThing, StoryGraph
GenreHistory
Length13 hrs 41 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateMay 7, 2015
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1A Short History of The World (Unabridged) (Annotated)
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5Author Biography
Show all chaptersShow less
6I. The World in Space
7II. The World in Time
8III. The Beginnings of Life
9IV. The Age of Fishes
10V. The Age of the Coal Swamps
11VI. The Age of Reptiles
12VII. The First Birds and the First Mammals
13VIII. The Age of Mammals
14IX. Monkeys, Apes and Sub-Men
15X. The Neanderthaler and the Rhodesian Man
16XI. The First True Men
17XII. Primitive Thought
18XIII. The Beginnings of Cultivation
19XIV. Primitive Neolithic Civilizations
20XV. Sumeria, Early Egypt and Writing
21XVI. Primitive Nomadic Peoples
22XVII. The First Seagoing Peoples
23XVIII. Egypt, Babylon and Assyria
24XIX. The Primitive Aryans
25XX. The Last Babylonian Empire and the Empire of Darius I
26XXI. The Early History of the Jews
27XXII. Priests and Prophets in Judea
28XXIII. The Greeks
29XXIV. The Wars of the Greeks and Persians
30XXV. The Splendour of Greece
31XXVI. The Empire of Alexander the Great
32XXVII. The Museum and Library at Alexandria
33XXVIII. The Life of Gautama Buddha
34XXIX. King Asoka
35XXX. Confucius and Lao Tse
36XXXI. Rome Comes Into History
37XXXII. Rome and Carthage
38XXXIII. The Growth of the Roman Empire
39XXXIV. Between Rome and China
40XXXV. The Common Man’s Life Under the Early Roman Empire
41XXXVI. Religious Developments Under the Roman Empire
42XXXVII. The Teaching of Jesus
43XXXVIII. The Development of Doctrinal Christianity
44XXXIX. The Barbarians Break the Empire Into East and West
45XL. The Huns and the End of the Western Empire
46XLI. The Byzantine and Sassanid Empires
47XLII. The Dynasties of Suy and Tang in China
48XLIII. Muhammad and Islam
49XLIV. The Great Days of the Arabs
50XLV. The Development of Latin Christendom
TALES OF SPACE AND TIMEH. G. Wells9h 18m3.9 (3.2K)$1.99 · $0.00
The War of The Worlds (A Sci-Fi Classic)H. G. Wells8h 15m4.5 (11.2K)$1.99 · $0.00
THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAUH. G. Wells6h 21m3.9 (173.4K)$1.99 · $0.00
The Wheels of ChanceH. G. Wells7h 59m3.6 (1.2K)$1.99 · $0.00
The Shape of Things To Come - A Science Fiction ClassicH. G. Wells19h 44m3.7 (3.3K)$2.99 · $0.00
THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAUH. G. Wells6h 18m3.9 (165.6K)$1.99 · $0.00
The War in the AirH. G. Wells9h 31m$14 · $0.00
Die Riesen kommen!H. G. Wells9h 48m3.6 (15.9K)$1 · $0.00
Der LuftkriegH. G. Wells12h 54m3.6 (9.4K)$1 · $0.00
INTERGALACTIC ENTERPRISE: 60+ Space Sci-Fi Novels in One EditionH. G. Wells, Percy Greg, Jules Verne, David Lindsay, Edward Everett Hale, H. Beam Piper, Philip K. Dick, E. E. Smith, Murray Leinster, Fritz Leiber, Richard Stockham, Irving E. Cox, Frederik Pohl, Edwin Lester Arnold, John Jacob Astor, Gustavus W. Pope310h 42m$1.99 · $0.00
The Greatest Science Fiction Classics of H. G. Wells (Unabridged) (Annotated)H. G. Wells98h 56m4.4 (139)$2 · $0.00
Greatest Science Fiction Classics of H. G. Wells (Annotated)H. G. Wells98h 56m$2 · $0.00
Men Like Gods (Annotated)H. G. Wells11h 7m4.3 (153)$2 · $0.00
Tono-Bungay (Annotated)H. G. Wells17h 8m3.9 (9.2K)$2 · $0.00
An Englishman Looks at the World (Annotated)H. G. Wells12h 43m$2 · $0.00
Die Insel des Dr. Moreau (Kommentiert)H. G. Wells, Felix Paul Greve6h 16m4.0 (175)$1 · $0.00
First and Last Things - A Confession of Faith and Rule of Life (Annotated)H. G. Wells7h 45m$2 · $0.00
Select Conversations With An Uncle & 2 Other Reminiscences (The original 1895 edition) (Annotated)H. G. Wells3h 22m3.3 (127)$2 · $0.00
The War of The Worlds - A Science Fiction Classic (Complete Edition) (Annotated)H. G. Wells8h 27m$2 · $0.00
The Wheels of Chance (Complete Edition) (Annotated)H. G. Wells8h 7m$2 · $0.00
A Brief History of IntelligenceMax S. Bennett12h 18m4.6 (6.6K)$29 · $0.00
Ghosts of HiroshimaCharles Pellegrino8h 59m4.5 (877)$23
Unbroken Bonds of BattleJohnny Joey Jones8h 31m4.6 (2.6K)$8 · $0.00
The Daughter of AuschwitzTova Friedman, Malcolm Brabant7h 54m4.6 (16.7K)$26 · $0.00
Lily's PromiseLily Ebert, Dov Forman8h 54m4.6 (16.1K)$29 · $0.00
On Democracies and Death CultsDouglas Murray10h 38m4.6 (6.5K)$29 · $0.00
Across the RiverKent Babb11h 40m4.6 (927)$29 · $0.00
Balcony Over Jerusalem: A Middle East Memoir - Israel, Palestine and BeyondJohn Lyons12h 37m4.6 (1.4K)$33 · $0.00
BeyondStephen Walker15h 39m4.6 (3.2K)$33 · $0.00
Kings and PawnsHoward Bryant10h 9m4.6 (678)$29 · $0.00
No EscapeNury Turkel9h 30m4.6 (809)$28 · $0.00
Jubal Stone: U.S. Marshal: Blood Trail To Hell: A Western Adventure NovelCasey Nash3h 42m4.6 (3.2K)$18 · $0.00
Fall and RiseMitchell Zuckoff17h 23m4.6 (9.8K)$40 · $0.00
The SurvivorJosef Lewkowicz, Michael Calvin9h 22m4.6 (2.5K)$29 · $0.00
Always FaithfulThomas Schueman, Zainullah Zaki12h 12m4.6 (977)$29 · $0.00
The State of Society in France Before the Revolution of 1789 (Annotated)Alexis de Tocqueville17h 25m4.6 (1.2K)$2 · $0.00
All the Gallant MenDonald Stratton, Ken Gire5h 55m4.6 (11.8K)$24 · $0.00
Saint Joan (Annotated)George Bernard Shaw6h 20m4.6 (1.2K)$1.20 · $0.00
Medgar and MyrlieJoy-Ann Reid10h 52m4.5 (27.8K)$29 · $0.00
The History of the Peloponnesian War (Annotated)Thucydides24h 3m4.6 (1.1K)$2 · $0.00
You may also like
A Child's History of the WorldV. M. Hillyer10h 9m4.1 (3.2K)$2.30
The Story of Mankind (Illustrated Edition) (Annotated)Hendrik Willem van Loon14h 44m3.9 (5.4K)$2 · $0.00
The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and MankindH. G. Wells44h 11m4.1 (1.5K)Free
Taming the Potted BeastMolly Williams6h 14m4.1 (560)$17
A Little History of the WorldE. H. Gombrich9h 12m4.3 (38.2K)$20
The Art of Perfumery G. W. Septimus Piesse5h 4m4.1 (276)Free
The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and MankindH. G. Wells48h 36m4.0 (6.6K)$2.30
The Outline of HistoryH. G. Wells44h 31m4.0 (6.4K)$40
The Ten Books on ArchitectureVitruvius Pollio12h 12m4.1 (19.5K)$2 · $0.00
Discover the beauty of Baroque artKlaus H. Carl, Victoria Charles1h 15m4.0 (24)$13 · $0.00
The Book of Art for Young PeopleAgnes Ethel Conway, Sir William Martin Conway3h 4m3.1 (23)$2 · $0.00
Die griechischen Denker vor SokratesKarl Vorländer4h 22m$1.99 · $0.00
1000 Sculptures of GeniusJoseph Manca, Patrick Bade, Sarah Costello15h 28m4.1 (18)$18 · $0.00
Claude Lorrain and artworksSergei Daniel1h 45m$15 · $0.00
The Holy Land and SyriaGeorge Carpenter8h 58m$2.30
At Home In FijiC. F. Gordon Cumming17h 29m3.8 (25)$2.40
VeroneseFrançois Crastre1h 6m$2 · $0.00
ShoesKlaus Carl1h 7m4.0 (26)$15 · $0.00
Valentin SerovDmitri V. Sarabianov3h 6m4.4 (51)$16 · $0.00
The Pre-SocraticsAlex Omberg2h 17m5.0 (2) Only with Ultra