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1 to 14 of 14 items
Feb 18, 2023Gregory_St rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is a superb book telling the history of the world from the very first object in the British Museum collection, a stone axe from the Olduvai Gorge, Africa, something like 1.5 million years ago, to the first credit card. I read the book…
Aug 09, 2020chrisshanley rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
This book is a lovely approach to world history as seen through a collection. It illustrates some rather clear patterns in history throughout the globe and broadened my understanding of cultures from almost all time periods and locations.…
Mar 18, 2019lovemybranch rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Mixed review: Pro: The book contains gorgeous photographs of the 1001 objects and most of the writing is fascinating. Some of the objects were so beautiful that I can still see them in my mind's eye. I learned a lot. Con: As…
Oct 29, 2018Steve11 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I'm only five chapters into this fascinating book, but already I'm hooked. What an interesting concept: to talk about the history of the world, the human world, through objects. It is better than reading about battles and politics.
LoganLib_Phoebe
Jun 22, 2016LoganLib_Phoebe rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Don't be daunted by the size, this is a very readable and fascinating history told through objects both grand and everyday.
Jan 24, 20151aa rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
The tack it takes on its subject, combined with all the chapters being short, makes this book terrific.
Nov 19, 2014
One of my favorite books! Actually, it started as an audio program, and I recommend first listening to it. The library has it on CD. Such a great concept - audio depictions of objects. The essay on each object includes comments from a…
Jan 20, 2014PaulHenryDavis rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Best world history book - ever.
Oct 22, 2012ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
-a wholly enjoyable book. MacGregor makes material culture come alive through brilliant story-telling.
Sep 13, 2012KSerá rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Of course this is also a history of British colonialism, but MacGregor does a good job of adding culturally sensitive insights. It's great preparation for a visit to this one of many free museums in London.
Jul 28, 2012anisoz rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Well, not quite the objects I was prepared for, nor the perspective, either! Should've done my due diligence first. Still, 'twas a good, deliberate, skim. Glad to see that they chose to acknowledge more than the western world.
hgeng63
May 08, 2012hgeng63 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
No one does history like the British! I really like how non-Western cultures were covered.
Mar 26, 2012jmikesmith rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This book tells the history of humanity from about 2 million years ago through to last year through a selection of 100 human-made objects, from a stone chopping tool to a solar-powered lamp. The author freely admits that the selection of…
Oct 14, 2011baylife rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I loved this book and will buy it for myself to keep on my bookshelves. It is a volume I shall return to again and again to study the colour plates of the marvellous artefacts from the British Museum and to read of the provenance and the…