Originally published in 1898. PREFACE: The definite object proposed in this work is an examination of the general history of Europe and America with particular reference to the effect of sea power upon the course of that history. Historians generally have been unfamiliar with the conditions of the sea, having as to it neither special interest nor special knowledge; and the profound determining influence of maritime strength upon great issues has consequently...

A History of the World covers human history from its earliest origins right up to the modern day. Spanning the globe, it includes everything you need to know about the civilizations, the people, the ideas and the conflicts that shaped the world. Explaining the latest historical developments, it forms an essential reference for modern-day amateur historians.

Describes the period of early European exploration from the journeys of Marco Polo and discoveries of Eastern countries to the discovery and conquest of the Americas.

The Caribbean, 1665. Pirate captain Charles Hunter, with backing from a powerful ally, assembles a crew of ruffians to take the Spanish galleon, "El Trinidad," guarded by the bloodthirsty Cazalla, a favorite commander of the Spanish king himself.

Looks at the seventies, including the return of the Panama Canal to Panama, detente, the oil crisis, Nixon's visit to China, terrorism, the Iran Hostage Crisis, and Three Mile Island.

"The moment just before Radar Radmanovic is born, all of the hospital's electricity mysteriously fails. The delivery takes place in total darkness. Lights back on, the staff sees a healthy baby boy-with pitch-black skin-born to the stunned white parents. No one understands the uncanny electrical event or the unexpected skin color. "A childbirth is an explosion," the ancient physician says by way of explanation. "Some shrapnel is inevitable, isn't...