E. H. Gombrich, ‘A Little History of the World', (Revd Ed., London, 2005), pp. 284. 

ISBN: 978-0-300-14332-4 (paperback)

Ernest Gombrich is best remembered as one of the most influential art historians and critics of the twentieth century. What is less well known is that at the age of twenty five (whilst simultaneously finishing his doctoral thesis) he wrote a history book for children. This text, entitled Eine kurze Weltgeshicte fur junge Lesser: Von der Urzeit bis zur Gegenwart, was published in Vienna in 1936 to immediate critical acclaim and has since been translated into most of the major world languages. This edition, translated by Caroline Mustill, is the first to ever appear in English.

It is not difficult to see why this book has remained so popular. Written with a warmth and lightness of touch which renders even the tricky concepts easy to understand, Gombrich manages to condense over five thousand years of history into less than three hundred pages (divided between forty short illustrated chapters). He introduces his readers to familiar and unfamiliar periods. Many history books for children mention the dinosaurs or the Romans, but how many attempt an explanation of the invention of numerals or the alphabet, the birth of democracy in Athens, or the Renaissance? Not to mention his treatments of the Reformation, Enlightenment, French Revolution, Industrial Revolution, etc, etc. All the major landmarks are covered, and covered in a manner which conveys rather than obscures a sense of their complexity and significance.

In short, this book illustrates just how charming, inspiring and comprehensive good history can be. Filled with interesting facts and asides, this is a perspicacious, erudite and genuinely informative work, containing something for everyone. Not just for children, it deserves to be read by as many people as possible.