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The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind
By H. G. Wells
Length47h 33m
About this audiobook
Spanning the entirety of human existence from the primordial sludge to the aftermath of the Great War, this ambitious volume seeks to unify history into a single narrative of life. It emphasizes the common heritage of mankind, arguing against nationalism and for a unified world state to prevent future catastrophes. A monumental effort of synthesis, it frames history as a race between education and disaster.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 4.0 (6.3K)
Includes Goodreads, LibraryThing, Amazon, StoryGraph
GenreHistory
Length47 hrs 33 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateFeb 24, 2026
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1BOOK I THE MAKING OF OUR WORLD
2I THE EARTH IN SPACE AND TIME
3II THE RECORD OF THE ROCKS
4III NATURAL SELECTION AND THE CHANGES OF SPECIES
5IV THE INVASION OF THE DRY LAND BY LIFE
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6V CHANGES IN THE WORLD’S CLIMATE
7VI THE AGE OF REPTILES
8VII THE AGE OF MAMMALS
9BOOK II THE MAKING OF MEN
10X THE LATER POSTGLACIAL PALÆOLITHIC MEN, THE FIRST TRUE MEN (Later Palæolithic Age)
11XIII THE RACES OF MANKIND
12XIV THE LANGUAGES OF MANKIND
13BOOK III THE DAWN OF HISTORY
14XV THE ARYAN-SPEAKING PEOPLES IN PREHISTORIC TIMES
15XVI THE FIRST CIVILIZATIONS
16XVII SEA PEOPLES AND TRADING PEOPLES
17XVIII WRITING
18XIX GODS AND STARS, PRIESTS AND KINGS
19XX SERFS, SLAVES, SOCIAL CLASSES, AND FREE INDIVIDUALS
20BOOK IV JUDEA, GREECE, AND INDIA (pt. 1)
21BOOK IV JUDEA, GREECE, AND INDIA (pt. 2)
22BOOK IV JUDEA, GREECE, AND INDIA (pt. 3)
23BOOK V THE RISE AND COLLAPSE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE: XXVIII FROM TIBERIUS GRACCHUS TO THE GOD EMPEROR IN ROME (pt. 1)
24BOOK V THE RISE AND COLLAPSE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE: XXVIII FROM TIBERIUS GRACCHUS TO THE GOD EMPEROR IN ROME (pt. 2)
25BOOK VI CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM
26XXX THE BEGINNINGS, THE RISE, AND THE DIVISIONS OF CHRISTIANITY
27XXXI SEVEN CENTURIES IN ASIA (CIRCA 50 B.C. TO A.D. 650)
28THE OUTLINE OF HISTORY
29SCHEME OF CONTENTS
30BOOK VI (Continued) CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM (Continued)
31THE OUTLINE OF HISTORY
32XXXIII CHRISTENDOM AND THE CRUSADES
33BOOK VII THE MONGOL EMPIRES OF THE LAND WAYS AND THE NEW EMPIRES OF THE SEA WAYS: XXXIV THE GREAT EMPIRE OF JENGIS KHAN AND HIS SUCCESSORS (The Age of the Land Ways) (pt. 1)
34BOOK VII THE MONGOL EMPIRES OF THE LAND WAYS AND THE NEW EMPIRES OF THE SEA WAYS: XXXIV THE GREAT EMPIRE OF JENGIS KHAN AND HIS SUCCESSORS (The Age of the Land Ways) (pt. 2)
35BOOK VIII THE AGE OF THE GREAT POWERS
36XXXVI PRINCES, PARLIAMENTS, AND POWERS
37XXXVII THE NEW DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICS OF AMERICA AND FRANCE (pt. 1)
38XXXVII THE NEW DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICS OF AMERICA AND FRANCE (pt. 2)
39XXXVII THE NEW DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICS OF AMERICA AND FRANCE (pt. 3)
40XXXVII THE NEW DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICS OF AMERICA AND FRANCE (pt. 4)
41XXXVII THE NEW DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICS OF AMERICA AND FRANCE (pt. 5)
42BOOK IX THE NEXT STAGE IN HISTORY: XLI THE POSSIBLE UNIFICATION OF THE WORLD INTO ONE COMMUNITY OF KNOWLEDGE AND WILL
43TIME CHARTS AND CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE
44CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE (pt. 1)
45CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE (pt. 2)
46FOOTNOTES: (pt. 1)
47FOOTNOTES: (pt. 2)
48IMPRINT | DISCLAIMER
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