13 h 18 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 13 h 18 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What happens to our quarrels when we see them against the whole span of human history?
H. G. Wells begins with a world without people—or life. Earth takes its place in space, then fish, reptiles and mammals enter the story. A Short History of the World follows this long path toward humanity before turning to grain, settled homes and cities. Each change finds its place in a sweeping map of time.
From Greece, India and China, Wells moves through Rome, the rise of Islam, the Mongols and medieval Europe toward machines, revolutions and war. His guide is a bold idea: humanity shares one past, and that shared past should shape how people act. Published in 1922, this is an opinionated account, not an even-handed view of every culture.
What you’ll discover
- A planet before people Feel the scale of time as Wells begins long before the first humans appear.
- The roots of city life Follow the shift toward farming as people sow grain, keep animals and settle.
- Questions about living Explore how Wells places Greek thought, Buddha and Confucius within the wider human story.
- Empires meeting and clashing Trace a path through Rome, Islam and the Mongols as peoples meet and struggle.
- The hope of cooperation Consider Wells's argument that seeing humanity as one family should change our choices.
Who will love it
For readers who love one clear path through human history and a bold, opinionated guide, from the formation of the Earth to the rise of cities, empires, religions and ideas, and on to the modern world.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- The Earth is old and life changes gradually
- Humans emerge from a dark prehistory
- Farming and writing create the first cities
- Empires, traders and the first great prophets
- Greece shows what free thought can do
- Buddha and Confucius ask how to live
- Rome builds an empire and Christianity rises
- Islam, the Mongols and a reviving Europe
- Machines, revolution and the hope of one world
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A Short History of the World
by H. G. Wells · 1922
Wells traces humanity from a lifeless Earth to modern war, asking how a shared past can shape our future.
Challenging10–20 hours to readEnglish
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In short
Imagine a story that starts with a planet where nothing lives and ends with the machines and wars of the modern age. H.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
The Earth is old and life changes gradually
Wells opens with the Earth as one planet circling one star among countless others. He wants the reader to feel the scale of time before a single human appears. Rock is laid down in layers, and those layers hold the remains of creatures that lived ages ago.
He reads that rocky record as a story. Early life is simple and lives in water. Then come fishes, creatures that crawl onto land, and the great reptiles. When the climate changes, the reptiles fade and birds and mammals spread.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 7 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1922
- Language
- English
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
Wells, H. G. A Short History of the World. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-short-history-of-the-world.
Wells, H. G. (2026). A short history of the world. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-short-history-of-the-world (Original work published 1922)
Wells, H. G. A Short History of the World. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-short-history-of-the-world.
@book{wells2026short,
author = {Wells, H. G.},
title = {A Short History of the World},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-short-history-of-the-world},
note = {First published 1922}
}
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What is A Short History of the World about?
It is a one-volume account of human history, beginning with the formation of the Earth and early life. It then covers prehistoric people, the first cities, ancient empires, religions, Rome, Islam, medieval Europe and the modern age up to the early 1920s.
Is A Short History of the World the same as The Outline of History?
No. It is a separately written, shorter work that draws on the same material as his much larger Outline of History, published in 1920. The short version appeared in 1922 and was meant for readers who wanted the main story in a single, easier volume.
When was A Short History of the World written?
It was published in 1922, soon after the First World War. That date shapes its tone, since Wells hoped that knowing a shared human past might help nations cooperate and avoid another great war.
The author
H. G. Wells
1866–1946 · English science fiction novelist
H. G. Wells (1866–1946) was an English writer born in Bromley, Kent. He wrote novels, short stories and nonfiction. His novels included The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897) and The War of the Worlds (1898). He died in London.
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