Modern Global History

A Brief History of the World offers a sweeping yet accessible journey through the grand story of humanity—from the origins of life on Earth to the rise of civilizations, empires, revolutions, and global connections. Written for curious minds and lifelong learners, this book distills the most significant moments in human history into a clear, engaging narrative that reveals how our world came to be. Rather than an exhaustive chronicle, this concise guide highlights the pivotal ideas, cultures, achievements, and conflicts that have shaped the human experience. It begins with the emergence ...

This clearly written and engrossing book presents a global narrative of the origins of the modern world from 1400 to the present. Unlike most studies, which assume that the “rise of the West” is the story of the coming of the modern world, this history, drawing upon new scholarship on Asia, Africa, and the New World and upon the maturing field of environmental history, constructs a story in which those parts of the world play major roles, including their impacts on the environment.

The Great History of War From the first tribal conflicts of prehistory to the global wars that shaped the modern age, The Great History of War traces humanity’s relentless evolution through the lens of battle. This sweeping narrative explores how war has defined civilizations, inspired innovation, and reshaped empires across more than five millennia of human history. Beginning with the dawn of organized combat, the book journeys through the rise of ancient armies, the strategic brilliance of Alexander the Great, the disciplined might of Rome, the zeal of religious crusades, and the fury ...

A globe-trotting work of relentless investigative reporting, this is the first major book to expose the catastrophic reality of the multi-billion-dollar global garbage trade. ...

Embark on a breathtaking adventure through the captivating world of optics with "Light through the Ages: A Global History of Optics." This enthralling and comprehensive guide will take you on an exhilarating ride, unveiling the mysteries of light and its applications that have shaped human history and transformed our understanding of the universe. From the ingenious discoveries of the ancient Egyptians to the cutting-edge advancements in quantum optics, this riveting book brings to life the inspiring stories of the remarkable pioneers, inventors, and visionaries who have revolutionized the ...

The Mao Zedong Reader: How to Understand Chinese Ideology to Improve Foreign Policy and Relations with China Edited by Eric Engle For the first time, a comprehensive collection of Mao Zedong's most important writings is available in a single volume. The Mao Zedong Reader is the definitive guide to understanding the ideology that shaped modern China and continues to influence its foreign policy today. With a wide-ranging selection of Mao's writings, from his early revolutionary days to his later years as China's leader, this book provides a nuanced and balanced view of his thought. Dr. Eric ...

This clearly written and engrossing book presents a global narrative of the origins of the modern world from 1400 to the present. Unlike most studies, which assume that the "rise of the West" is the story of the coming of the modern world, this history, drawing upon new scholarship on Asia, Africa, and the New World, constructs a story in which those parts of the world play major roles.

An award-winning journalist reveals the dramatic true story of the CIA's Team Alpha, the first Americans to be dropped behind enemy lines in Afghanistan after 9/11. America is reeling; Al-Qaeda has struck and thousands are dead. The country scrambles to respond, but the Pentagon has no plan for...

Aunque la masonería esté envuelta en un halo de misterio, su historia la pueblan algunas de las personas más importantes de los últimos siglos, como Churchill, Disney, Mozart, Franklin o Kipling. Fundada en Londres en 1717 con una clara vocación de hermanamiento entre hombres, la Orden se expandió con rapidez. Durante el mandato de George Washington, se convirtió en el credo de la nueva nación americana. Tanto la Iglesia mormona como la mafia siciliana le deben sus orígenes.

“An excellent small group study.” – Rev. Travis Knoll In a time of upheaval in the largest denomination of the Methodist movement, this classic explanation and defense of Methodist Christianity by its founder is required reading. Pastor David Wentz has updated Wesley’s 18th-century language, deleted references to no-longer-relevant theological disputes, and added an introduction that sets the work in context. The result is a clear, easy to read text that is enjoyable and understandable for modern readers of all levels of theological interest and expertise. This short book is ideal ...

From the postwar studios of Los Angeles to stages across Tokyo, Rio, and London, Lee Ritenour: Fusion’s Consummate Session Guitarist traces the life of one of modern music’s most quietly influential figures. Through fifty years of transformation—spanning jazz, pop, fusion, and global collaboration—this biography captures how precision and empathy became the twin foundations of a musician who shaped the sound of an era. Drawing on archival depth and first-hand accounts, the book follows Ritenour’s journey from child prodigy to studio perfectionist, from his teenage work with The ...

Embark on a journey that stretches across more than three millennia—where myth, ritual, philosophy, and practice converge into one of the world’s most transformative traditions. In The History and Path of Yoga: A Thousand-Year Journey from Ritual to Global Wellness, Sahana Reed takes readers on an extraordinary exploration of yoga’s evolution—from its ancient origins in the Indus Valley and Vedic hymns to its flowering in Buddhist and Jain ascetic traditions, its reinvention in medieval Tantra and Bhakti, and finally its global transformation into a multibillion-dollar wellness ...

Pat Metheny has never stood still. From his beginnings in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, through the smoky Kansas City clubs, to international stages and groundbreaking studio sessions, he has redefined the role of the guitar in modern music. Pat Metheny: The Quiet Architect of Modern Guitar traces his fifty-year journey, combining the precision of a historian with the insight of someone who lived inside the music. This definitive biography follows Metheny’s evolution from trumpet-playing prodigy to one of the most innovative voices in jazz and beyond. It covers his formative years in the ...

Discover the Epic Story of Cinema—From Flickering Frames to Streaming Screens. In The Global History of Film, acclaimed author Oliver Greyson delivers an engaging and comprehensive narrative of the world’s most captivating art form. Spanning over a century, this book traces the evolution of cinema from its earliest experiments in light and motion to the groundbreaking films of today.

Decode the Secrets of China's Global Strategy —Before It's Too Late!China’s growing influence is reshaping global power dynamics—are you ready to figure out China's next moves? China's New Client States? explores the historical foundations and modern applications of China’s foreign policy. From the ancient tributary system to the Belt and Road Initiative, this book reveals how China builds alliances, exerts influence, and challenges Western dominance. This fascinating and insightful book that digs into the historical roots of China's diplomatic strategies, revealing the principles ...

Padel was born behind the walled courtyards of Acapulco and grew into one of the world’s fastest-rising sports. From private estates to public clubs, from wooden paddles to carbon fiber rackets, its story is one of invention, adaptation, and relentless growth. This book captures that full journey—how environment, technology, and human creativity combined to transform a backyard pastime into a global movement. Through thirty tightly constructed chapters, readers follow Padel’s evolution from Mexican origins to worldwide dominance. Each era unfolds with the clarity of lived experience: ...

Tom Waits has never fit neatly into any musical category. From the moment he emerged out of Los Angeles’s Troubadour scene in the late 1960s, his voice sounded like gravel dragged across midnight pavement, his songs populated by waitresses, hustlers, dreamers, and drunks. Over five decades, he transformed from jazz-soaked piano balladeer to junkyard visionary, dismantling conventions and building soundscapes from brake drums, pump organs, marimbas, and scraps of everyday noise. Tom Waits: Voice from the Alley is the definitive biography of one of America’s most enigmatic and influential...

From the smoky clubs of Harlem to the wide beaches of Hawaii, Taj Mahal: Blues Explorer Without Borders traces the extraordinary life of one of America’s most visionary musicians. Born Henry Saint Clair Fredericks in 1942, Taj Mahal grew up surrounded by jazz, gospel, and Caribbean rhythms that would later fuse into a sound as vast as the world itself. This definitive biography follows his journey through seven decades of creative evolution—an odyssey that redefined not only the blues but the very meaning of musical heritage. Through meticulous research and vivid storytelling, the book ...

Born in 1923 Los Angeles and raised in the heart of jazz’s Golden Age, Dexter Gordon rose from a gifted teenager to one of the most commanding tenor saxophonists in history. Dexter Gordon: Bebop’s Towering Tenor traces his extraordinary life from Central Avenue’s thriving music scene to the bebop revolution of 52nd Street, from years of exile in Europe to his triumphant return to the American stage. Drawing from newly preserved archives, recording notes, and firsthand accounts, this definitive biography offers a panoramic view of Gordon’s artistry. Readers follow his journey through...

What if the state as we know it didn't exist? Our air would be poisonous, our votes uncounted, and our markets dysfunctional. Yet across the world, in countries as diverse as Hungary, Israel, the UK, and the US, attacks on the modern state and its workforce are intensifying. They are morphing into power grabs by self-aggrandizing politicians who attempt to seize control of the state for themselves and their cronies. What replaces the modern state once it is fatally undermined is not the free market and the flowering of personal liberty.