Planet Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it. Us. We are the most advanced and most destructive animals ever to have lived. What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us Sapiens? The author explores who we are, how we got here and where we're going.

In a narrative beginning almost 1.5 million years ago with the emergence of Homo erectus, Frank Welsh takes the reader from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment, from the Industrial Revolution to the age of terrorism.

Now available in paperback, a glorious illustrated edition of the international bestseller

Charts world history from the dawn of civilisation to the modern culture we live in today. From the origins of homo-sapiens to the release of Nelson Mandela, from the French Revolution to the Space Race, this book presents an exploration of the human timeline up to and including modern Islam, the world wide web, and the global financial crisis.

Many books have been written which claim to be "A New History of the World". This one fully deserves the title...It is difficult, in a short review, to do justice to a book so ambitious, so detailed and so fascinating as this one -- Gerald DeGroot The Times A book that roves as widely as the geography it describes, encompassing worlds as far removed as those of Herodotus and Saddam Hussein, Hammurabi and Hitler...It is a tribute to Frankopan's scholarship and mastery of sources in multiple languages that he is as sure-footed on the ancient world as he is on the medieval and modern -- Justin Marozzi Sunday Times My book of the year: history on a grand scale, with a sweep of ambition that is rare ... A remarkable book on many levels, and one that anyone would have been proud to write: a proper historical epic of dazzling range, ambition and achievement -- William Dalrymple Observer The most illuminating book of the year ... A healthy antidote to Eurocentric accounts of history -- Books of the Year Times Literary Supplement Splendid ... tightly researched ... invigorating and profound with enough storytelling to excite the reader and enough fresh scholarship to satisfy the intellect...charismatic and essential -- Bettany Hughes Daily Telegraph A rare book that makes you question your assumptions about the world Wall Street Journal Based on astonishingly wide and deep reading and in all areas draws on the latest research...

On 1 July, 1916, a continuous line of British soldiers climbed out from the trenches of the Somme into No Man's Land and began to walk slowly towards dug-in German troops armed with machine-guns and defended by thick barbed wire. This is an account of the blackest day in the history of the British army.

Tells the story of human endeavour that laid out in all its grandeur and folly, drama and pain. This book reflects what now seems to be the inexorable rise of Asia and the increasingly troubled situation in the West.

The complete history of the world, from the beginning of time to the present day, based on the beliefs and writings of the secret societies.

Why does the West rule? This title answers this provocative question, drawing on 15,000 years of history and archaeology, and the methods of social science.

An essential text which provides a lucid, up-to-date narrative, incorporating the latest archaeological and textual discoveries. Winner of the AHS's 1997 James Henry Brested Award.

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.

Why has human history unfolded so differently across the globe? The author puts the case that geography and biogeography, not race, moulded the contrasting fates of Europeans, Asians, Native Americans, sub-Saharan Africans, and aboriginal Australians.

A compelling account of a crucial year in post-war history, in the tradition of Margaret MacMillan's award-winning and bestselling The Peacemakers.