The Little Book of Big History

Jeremy Black Ian Crofton

A lively history of the universe and human civilization, this authoritative volume tells the story of the cosmos, the stars, and human development on earth.

The Little Book of Big History is an endeavor to encapsulate the entire story of the cosmos, from the Big Bang to the current day, into an engaging and comprehensive narrative. Combining methods from history, astronomy, physics, and biology to draw together the big story arcs of how the universe was created, why planets formed, and how life developed, the result is a unique perspective of mankind’s place in the universe.

Excited by the alternative "framework for all knowledge" that is offered by this approach, Bill Gates is funding the Big History Project, which aims to bring this concept to a wider audience around the world.

The Little Book of Big History breaks down the main themes of Big History into highly informative and accessible parts for all readers to enjoy. By giving a truly complete timeline of world events, this book shines a whole different light on science as we learned it and makes us think of our history—and our future—in a very different way.

Jeremy Black is a professor of history at Exeter University. He is also a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of America and the West at the Foreign Policy Research Institute based in Philadelphia. He is the author of a number of history books and is one of the most prolific historical scholars in England.

Ian Crofton, formerly editor-in-chief of The Guinness Encyclopaedia, has written a wide range of other books, including Science without the Boring Bits, Brewer's Britain and Ireland, Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase and Fable, and the acclaimed World History: 50 Episodes You Really Need to Know. A polymath, with a gift for condensing complex narratives into highly readable and entertaining texts, he is the perfect guide to an increasingly popular approach to history.

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Endorsements & Reviews

"Remarkable. As the universe expands forever into the void, Crofton and Black leave readers with ‘a humbling insight into how contingent and fleeting our existence is.’" Publishers Weekly

"A cheeky concept that surprises with its distilled but generally comprehensive treatment of a vast subject, from the Big Bang to the possible end of the universe. Timelines of pivotal events help punctuate the narrative structure of this history-in-brief, an engaging, admirably thorough introduction for new readers of history with short attention spans." Kirkus Reviews

"The book covers an enormous amount of material while trying to highlight all of the events, animals, concepts, and inventions that make up human civilization and the universe." Library Journal