H. G. Wells' Short History of The World (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. The Beginnings of Life, The Age of Mammals, The Neanderthal and the Rhodesian Man, Primitive ThoughtBy H. G. Wells
Length13h 50m
About this audiobook
H. G. Wells' Short History of the World is a sweeping work of popular historical synthesis, carrying the reader from the formation of the earth and the rise of early life to ancient civilizations, empires, revolutions, and the turbulent modern age after the First World War. Written in Wells's lucid, brisk, and democratic prose, it belongs to the early twentieth-century tradition of universal history, seeking patterns across science, anthropology, politics, and culture rather than merely recounting dynasties and battles. Wells, best known for his scientific romances and prophetic social imagination, was also a committed public intellectual shaped by evolutionary theory, socialism, and the catastrophes of modern warfare. His background in science under T. H. Huxley and his lifelong concern with education and world governance inform the book's expansive method. He wrote history not as antiquarian ornament, but as a tool for cultivating global consciousness. This book is recommended to readers seeking an accessible yet intellectually ambitious introduction to world history. Though some judgments reflect its period, its breadth, urgency, and humane purpose remain compelling, especially for those interested in how history can illuminate humanity's shared destiny.
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
GenreHistory
Length13 hrs 50 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 22, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5Author Biography
Show all chaptersShow less
6H. G. Wells' Short History of The World
7I. The World in Space
8II. The World in Time
9III. The Beginnings of Life
10IV. The Age of Fishes
11V. The Age of the Coal Swamps
12VI. The Age of Reptiles
13VII. The First Birds and the First Mammals
14VIII. The Age of Mammals
15IX. Monkeys, Apes and Sub-Men
16X. The Neanderthaler and the Rhodesian Man
17XI. The First True Men
18XII. Primitive Thought
19XIII. The Beginnings of Cultivation
20XIV. Primitive Neolithic Civilizations
21XV. Sumeria, Early Egypt and Writing
22XVI. Primitive Nomadic Peoples
23XVII. The First Seagoing Peoples
24XVIII. Egypt, Babylon and Assyria
25XIX. The Primitive Aryans
26XX. The Last Babylonian Empire and the Empire of Darius I
27XXI. The Early History of the Jews
28XXII. Priests and Prophets in Judea
29XXIII. The Greeks
30XXIV. The Wars of the Greeks and Persians
31XXV. The Splendour of Greece
32XXVI. The Empire of Alexander the Great
33XXVII. The Museum and Library at Alexandria
34XXVIII. The Life of Gautama Buddha
35XXIX. King Asoka
36XXX. Confucius and Lao Tse
37XXXI. Rome Comes Into History
38XXXII. Rome and Carthage
39XXXIII. The Growth of the Roman Empire
40XXXIV. Between Rome and China
41XXXV. The Common Man’s Life Under the Early Roman Empire
42XXXVI. Religious Developments Under the Roman Empire
43XXXVII. The Teaching of Jesus
44XXXVIII. The Development of Doctrinal Christianity
45XXXIX. The Barbarians Break the Empire Into East and West
46XL. The Huns and the End of the Western Empire
47XLI. The Byzantine and Sassanid Empires
48XLII. The Dynasties of Suy and Tang in China
49XLIII. Muhammad and Islam
50XLIV. The Great Days of the Arabs
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
MotherlandJulia Ioffe17h 52m4.7 (2.5K)$40 · $0.00
Where Cowards Go to DieBenjamin Sledge8h 42m4.7 (351)$20 · $0.00
RevolutionariesSanjeev Sanyal11h 23m4.6 (2.6K)$29 · $0.00
We Crossed a Bridge and It TrembledWendy Pearlman6h4.6 (5.2K)$24 · $0.00
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
You may also like
Wine for Dummies 4th EditionEd McCarthy, Mary Mulligan3h 2m4.0 (1.4K)$18 · $0.00
Itinerary through Corsica by its Rail, Carriage & Forest RoadsC. B. Black2h 6m$2 · $0.00
Birds Found on the Arctic Slope of Northern AlaskaJames W. Bee3h 15m$2 · $0.00
Australasian Fossils: A Students' Manual of PalaeontologyFrederick Chapman5h 27m$1 · $0.00
The Flow of Time in the Connecticut Valley: Geological ImprintsHoward A. Meyerhoff, George W. Bain3h 45m$1 · $0.00
The Geographical Distribution of Animals (Summarized Edition)Alfred Russel Wallace8h 23m$2
An Introduction To The Study Of FishesAlbert Carl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther22h 25m$2.40
Popular Scientific Recreations in Natural Philosphy, Astronomy, Geology, Chemistry, etc., etc., etcGaston Tissandier31h 11m4.4 (10)$2 · $0.00
Animals From A To ZSergio Cipullo6m$8 · $0.00
History of Botany (1530-1860)Julius Sachs22h 52m$1 · $0.00
RosesPierre-Joseph Redouté, Claude Antoine Thory1h 50m4.5 (94)$15 · $0.00
Englisch lernen Audio - Das perfekte WochenendeSpotlight Verlag1h 2m$14
At the Beach (Pixi Bedtime Stories 77)Rüdiger Paulsen4m$2 · $0.00
Fragments of Earth Lore: Sketches & Addresses Geological and GeographicalJames Geikie16h 25m$2 · $0.00
An Introduction to the Birds of PennsylvaniaGeorge Miksch Sutton7h 34m$2.30
How to See the British Museum in Four VisitsBlanchard Jerrold8h 23m$1 · $0.00
Noteworthy Mammals from Sinaloa, MexicoTicul Alvarez, J. Knox Jones, M. Raymond Lee38m$2 · $0.00
The Introduction to Hegel's Philosophy of Fine ArtsGeorg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel8h 26m4.2 (189)$1 · $0.00
The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United StatesAsa Gray48h 1m4.5 (44)$2 · $0.00
Manures and the principles of manuringCharles Morton Aikman16h 3m$2 · $0.00