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became the well…ordered expression of human energy
and purpose。 Best of all； the wide view of the glorious past；
which surrounded us on all sides； gave us new courage to face
the problems of the future when we had gone back to our daily
tasks。
History is the mighty Tower of Experience； which Time
has built amidst the endless fields of bygone ages。 It is no easy
task to reach the top of this ancient structure and get the benefit
of the full view。 There is no elevator； but young feet are
strong and it can be done。
Here I give you the key that will open the door。
When you return； you too will understand the reason for
my enthusiasm。
HENDRIK WILLEM VAN LOON。
CONTENTS
1。 THE SETTING OF THE STAGE
2。 OUR EARLIEST ANCESTORS
3。 PREHISTORIC MAX BEGINS TO MAKE THINGS FOR HIMSELF
4。 THE EGYPTIANS INVENT THE ART OF WRITING AND THE RECORD
OF HISTORY BEGINS
5。 THE BEGINNING OF CIVILISATION IN THE VALLEY OF THE NILE
6。 THE RISE AND FALL OF EGYPT
7。 MESOPOTAMIA； THE SECOND CENTRE OF EASTERN CIVILISATION
8。 THE SUMERIAN NAIL WRITERS； WHOSE CLAY TABLETS TELL US
THE STORY OF ASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA； THE GREAT SEMITIC
MELTING…POT
9。 THE STORY OF MOSES； THE LEADER OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE
10。 THE PHOENICIANS； WHO GAVE US OUR ALPHABET
11。 THE INDO…EUROPEAN PERSIANS CONQUER THE SEMITIC AND THE
EGYPTIAN WORLD
12。 THE PEOPLE OF THE AEGEAN SEA CARRIED THE CIVILISATION
OF OLD ASIA INTO THE WILDERNESS OF EUROPE
13。 MEANWHILE THE INDO…EUROPEAN TRIBE OF THE HELLENES WAS
TAKING POSSESSION OF GREECE
14。 THE GREEK CITIES THAT WERE REALLY STATES
15。 THE GREEKS WERE THE FIRST PEOPLE TO TRY THE DIFFICULT
EXPERIMENT OF SELF…GOVERNMENT
16。 HOW THE GREEKS LIVED
17。 THE ORIGINS OF THE THEATRE； THE FIRST FORM OF PUBLIC
AMUSEMENT
18。 HOW THE GREEKS DEFENDED EUROPE AGAINST AN ASIATIC INVASION AND
DROVE THE PERSIANS BACK ACROSS THE AEGEAN SEA
19。 HOW ATHENS AND SPARTA FOUGHT A LONG AND DISASTROUS WAR
FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF GREECE
20。 ALEXANDER THE MACEDONIAN ESTABLISHES A GREEK WORLD
EMPIRE； AND WHAT BECAME OF THIS HIGH AMBITION
21。 A SHORT SUMMARY OF CHAPTERS 1 TO 20
22。 THE SEMITIC COLONY OF CARTHAGE ON THE NORTHERN COAST OF
AFRICA AND THE INDO…EUROPEAN CITY OF ROME ON THE WEST
COAST OF ITALY FOUGHT EACH OTHER FOR THE POSSESSION OF
THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN AND CARTHAGE WAS DESTROYED
23。 HOW ROME HAPPENED
24。 HOW THE REPUBLIC OF ROME； AFTER CENTURIES OF UNREST AND
REVOLUTION； BECAME AN EMPIRE
25。 THE STORY OF JOSHUA OF NAZARETH； WHOM THE GREEKS CALLED
JESUS
26。 THE TWILIGHT OF ROME
27。 HOW ROME BECAME THE CENTRE OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD
28。 AHMED； THE CAMEL DRIVER； WHO BECAME THE PROPHET OF THE
ARABIAN DESERT； AND WHOSE FOLLOWERS ALMOST CONQUERED
THE ENTIRE KNOWN WORLD FOR THE GREATER GLORY OF
ALLAH； THE ‘‘ONLY TRUE GOD''
29。 HOW CHARLEMAGNE； THE KING OF THE ~ RANKS； CAME TO BEAR
THE TITLE OF EMPEROR AND TRIED TO REVIVE THE OLD IDEAL
OF WORLD…EMPIRE
30。 WHY THE PEOPLE OF THE TENTH CENTURY PRAYED THE LORD
TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE FURY OF THE NORSEMEN
31。 HOW CENTRAL EUROPE； ATTACKED FROM THREE SIDES； BECAME
AN ARMED CAMP AND WHY EUROPE WOULD HAVE PERISHED
WITHOUT THOSE PROFESSIONAL SOLDIERS AND ADMINISTRATORS
WHO WERE PART OF THE FEUDAL SYSTEM
32。 CHIVALRY
33。 THE STRANGE DOUBLE LOYALTY OF THE PEOPLE OF THE MIDDLE
AGES； AND HOW IT LED TO ENDLESS QUARRELS BETWEEN THE
POPES AND THE HOLY ROMAN EMPERORS
34。 BUT ALL THESE DIFFERENT QUARRELS WERE FORGOTTEN WHEN
THE TURKS TOOK THE HOLY LAND； DESECRATED THE HOLY
PLACES AND INTERFERED SERIOUSLY WITH THE TRADE FROM
EAST TO WEST。 EUROPE WENT CRUSADING
35。 WHY THE PEOPLE OF THE MIDDLE AGES SAID THAT CITY AIR
IS FREE AIR
36。 HOW THE PEOPLE OF THE CITIES ASSERTED THEIR RIGHT
TO BE HEARD IN THE ROYAL COUNCILS OF THEIR COUNTRY
37。 WHAT THE PEOPLE OF THE MIDDLE AGES THOUGHT OF THE
WORLD IN WHICH THEY HAPPENED TO LIVE
38。 HOW THE CRUSADES ONCE MORE MADE THE MEDITERRANEAN A
BUSY CENTRE OF TBADE AND HOW THE CITIES OF THE ITALIAN
PENINSULA BECAME THE GREAT DISTRIBUTING CENTRE FOR THE
COMMERCE WITH ASIA AND AFRICA
39。 PEOPLE ONCE MORE DARED TO BE HAPPY JUST BECAUSE THEY
WERE ALIVE。 THEY TRIED TO SAVE THE REMAINS OF THE
OLDER AND MORE AGREEABLE CIVILISATION OF ROME AND
GREECE AND THEY WERE 80 PROUD OF THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS
THAT THEY SPOKE OF A RENAISSANCE OR RE…BIRTH OF
CIVILISATION
40。 THE PEOPLE BEGAN TO FEEL THE NEED OF GIVING EXPRESSION
TO THEIR NEWLY DISCOVERED JOY OF LIVING。 THEY EXPRESSED
THEIR HAPPINES9 IN POETRY AND IN SCULPTURE AND
IN ARCHITECTURE AND PAINTING； AND IN THE BOOKS THEY
PRINTED
41。 BUT NOW THAT PEOPLE HAD BROKEN THROUGH THE BONDS OF
THEIR NARROW ~IEDIIEVAL LIMITATIONS； THEY HAD TO HAVE
MORE ROOM FOR THEIR WANDERINGS。 THE EUROPEAN WORLD
HAD GROWN TOO SMALL FOR THEIR AMBITIONS。 IT WAS THE
TIME OF THE GREAT VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY
42。 CONCERNING BUDDHA AND CONFUCIUS
43。 THE PROGRESS OF THE HUMAN RACE IS BEST COMPARED TO A
GIGANTIC PENDULUM WHICH FOREVER SWINGS FORWARD AND
BACKWARD。 THE RELIGIOUS INDIFFERENCE AND THE ARTISTIC
AND LITERARY ENTHUSIASM OF THE RENAISSANCE WERE FOLLOWED
BY THE ARTISTIC AND LITERARY INDIFFERENCE AND THE
RELIGIOITS ENTHUSIASM OF THE REFORMATION
44。 THE AGE OF THE GREAT RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSIES
45。 HOW THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS
AND THE LESS DIVINE BUT MORE REASONABLE RIGHT OF
PARLIAMENT ENDED DISASTROUSLY FOR KING CHARLES II
46。 IN FRANCE； ON THE OTHER HAND； THE DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS
CONTINUED WITH GREATER POMP AND SPLENDOR THAN EVER
BEFORE AND THE AMBITION OF THE RULER WAS ONLY TEMPERED
BY THE NEWLY INVENTED LAW OF THE BALANCE OF POWER
47。 THE STORY OF THE MYSTERIOUS MUSCOVITE EMPIRE WHICH SUDDENLY
BURST UPON THE GRAND POLITICAL STAGE OF EUROPE
48。 RUSSIA AND SWEDEN FOUGHT MANY WARS TO DECIDE WHO
SHALL BE THE LEADING POWER OF NORTHEASTERN EUROPE
49。 THE EXTRAORDINARY RISE OF A LITTLE STATE IN A DREARY PART
OF NORTHERN GERMANY； CALLED PRUSSIA
50。 HOW THE NEWLY FOUNDED NATIONAL OR DYNASTIC STATES OF
EUROPE TRIED TO MAKE THEMSELVES RICH AND WHAT WAS
MEANT BY THE MERCANTILE SYSTEM
51。 AT THE END OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY EUROPE HEARD
STRANGE REPORTS OF SOMETHING WHICH HAD HAPPENED IN
THE WILDERNESS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT。 THE
DESCENDANTS OF THE MEN WHO HAD PUNISHED KING CHARLES
FOR HIS INSISTENCE UPON HIS DIVINE RIGHTS ADDED A
NEW CHAPTER TO THE OLD STORY OF THE STRUGGLE FOR SELF…
GOVERNMENT
62。 THE GREAT FRENCH REVOLUTION PROCLAIMS THE PRINCIPLES
OF LIBERTY； FRATERNITY AND EQUALITY UNTO All THE PEOPLE
OF THE EARTH
53。 NAPOLEON
54。 AS SOON AS NAPOLEON HAD BEEN SENT TO ST。 HELENA； THE
RULERS WHO SO OFTEN HAD BEEN DEFEATED BY THE HATED
CORSICAN MET AT VIENNA AND TRIED TO UNDO THE MANY
CHANCES WHICH HAD BEEN BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE FRENCH
REVOLUTION
55。 THEY TRIED TO ASSURE