Short History of the World (Summarized Edition)
Enriched edition. From cosmic origins to modern upheavals: a lucid big history blending geology, evolution, archaeology, and a global perspectiveBy H. G. Wells
Length3h 22m
About this audiobook
H. G. Wells' Short History of The World compresses the human saga into a lucid arc from cosmic origins and the emergence of life to the upheavals of the twentieth century. A distillation of his Outline of History, it fuses geology, evolution, archaeology, and political narrative in brisk, didactic prose that alternates synoptic sweep with emblematic scenes. Composed in the shadow of the First World War, it urges a rational, global perspective against parochial chronicles. Though some claims reflect its early‑twentieth‑century horizon, the book remains a pioneering, accessible experiment in writing world history for general readers. Wells, trained in biology under T. H. Huxley and renowned as a novelist and public intellectual, brought scientific habits of synthesis to history. His Fabian internationalism and experience of war and rapid technological change fueled a didactic hope: that a shared, secular narrative could educate citizens and temper future conflict. Readers seeking a coherent, concise map of the past will value this survey. Read with awareness of period assumptions, it rewards with clarity and scope—an entry to world history and a touchstone in the history of ideas.
Quickie Classics summarizes timeless works with precision, preserving the author's voice and keeping the prose clear, fast, and readable—distilled, never diluted. Enriched Edition extras: Introduction · Synopsis · Historical Context · Author Biography · Brief Analysis · 4 Reflection Q&As · Editorial Footnotes.
Audiobook details
GenreHistory
Length3 hrs 22 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJan 10, 2026
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
6H. G. Wells' Short History of The World (pt. 1)
2Introduction
7H. G. Wells' Short History of The World (pt. 2)
3Synopsis
8Analysis
4Historical Context
9Reflection
5Author Biography
The Invisible ManH. G. Wells4h 59m$6 · $0.00
The First Men in the MoonH. G. Wells8h 48m$1 · $0.00
Tales of the UnexpectedH. G. Wells8h 47m$2 · $0.00
The Country of the Blind, and 32 Other Stories (The original unabridged edition)H. G. Wells18h 28m$1 · $0.00
The Wonderful VisitH. G. Wells5h 42m$1 · $0.00
Tono-BungayH. G. Wells13h 23m$1 · $0.00
Experiment in Autobiography; Discoveries and Conclusions of a Very Ordinary Brain (Since 1866)H. G. Wells27h 50m$1 · $0.00
The Best of H. G. Wells: The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine & The Invisible ManH. G. Wells15h 52m$1 · $0.00
The Greatest Science Fiction Novels of H. G. Wells in One VolumeH. G. Wells98h 32m$1 · $0.00
The Collected Short Stories of H. G. WellsH. G. Wells37h 33m$1 · $0.00
MarriageH. G. Wells14h 12m$2 · $0.00
In the Days of the CometH. G. Wells9h 24m$1 · $0.00
KippsH. G. Wells10h 54m$1 · $0.00
The Sea LadyH. G. Wells3h 12m$2 · $0.00
New Worlds For Old: A Plain Account of Modern SocialismH. G. Wells10h 29m$2 · $0.00
What is Coming? A Forecast of Things after the WarH. G. Wells7h 10m$2 · $0.00
God, the Invisible KingH. G. Wells2h 50m$1 · $0.00
Ann VeronicaH. G. Wells11h 3m$1 · $0.00
When the Sleeper WakesH. G. Wells9h 22m$2 · $0.00
The Country of the Blind & Other Sci-Fi Tales - 33 Fantasy Stories in One EditionH. G. Wells18h 54m$1 · $0.00
The Gulag Archipelago Volume 3Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn21h 56m$46 · $0.00
The Redeemer’s ReturnArthur W. Pink13h 18m$20
The Happiest Man on EarthEddie Jaku3h 48m$7 · $0.00
MotherlandJulia Ioffe17h 52m$40 · $0.00
Where Cowards Go to DieBenjamin Sledge8h 42m$20 · $0.00
Frederick Douglass: All 3 Memoirs in One VolumeFrederick Douglass44h 9m$2 · $0.00
I've Been to the MountaintopMartin Luther King48m5 (1)$11 · $0.00
RevolutionariesSanjeev Sanyal11h 23m$29 · $0.00
We Crossed a Bridge and It TrembledWendy Pearlman6h$24 · $0.00
Unbroken Bonds of BattleJohnny Joey Jones8h 31m$8 · $0.00
The Red RecordIda B. Wells-Barnett2h 9m$2 · $0.00
The Daughter of AuschwitzTova Friedman, Malcolm Brabant7h 54m$26 · $0.00
Lily's PromiseLily Ebert, Dov Forman8h 54m$29 · $0.00
Saving My EnemyBob Welch9h 11m$20
On Democracies and Death CultsDouglas Murray10h 38m$29 · $0.00
Across the RiverKent Babb11h 40m$29 · $0.00
Balcony Over Jerusalem: A Middle East Memoir - Israel, Palestine and BeyondJohn Lyons12h 37m$33 · $0.00
The Fire Next TimeJames Baldwin2h 25m$15
EnduranceAlfred Lansing6h 1m$20
LES MISERABLES (Illustrated Edition)Victor Hugo66h 17m$1 · $0.00
You may also like
Experiments and Observations on Electricity Made at Philadelphia in AmericaBenjamin Franklin3h 29m$1 · $0.00
Path to ZeroTucker Perkins4h 33m$20
The Weather MachineAndrew Blum4h 50m$20 · $0.00
You Are HereThomas M. Kostigen5h 31m$24 · $0.00
A Walk Around the BlockSpike Carlsen9h 12m$29 · $0.00
Russia in 1916Stephen Graham3h 7m$2 · $0.00
The Seat of EmpireCharles Carleton Coffin5h 1m$2 · $0.00
Canada: The Foundations of Its FutureStephen Butler Leacock5h 34m$1 · $0.00
Wild FictionsAmitav Ghosh19h$35
Spanish America (Vol. 1&2)C. Reginald Enock15h 55m$1 · $0.00
Winslow HomerWilliam R. Cross14h 49m$23 · $0.00
The Rational OptimistMatt Ridley13h 38m$8 · $0.00
Englisch lernen Audio - Königliches EnglischSpotlight Verlag1h 2m$12
Commercial GeographyJacques W. Redway9h 52m$2 · $0.00
Wild Animals of North AmericaEdward William Nelson14h 20m$2 · $0.00
The Impactful VeganRobert Cheeke8h 48m$23
Bread, Wine, ChocolateSimran Sethi11h 3m$29 · $0.00
The Land of Enchantment: From Pike's Peak to the PacificLilian Whiting9h 33m$2 · $0.00
Englisch lernen Audio - Die Bucht von San FranciscoRita Forbes, Michael Pilewski1h 1m$11
Time and TideRobert S. Ball2h 1m$2 · $0.00