Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Part 1: Getting into History 5
Chapter 1: Tracing a Path to the Present 7
Chapter 2: Digging Up Reality 19
Chapter 3: Putting History into Perspective 29
Part 2: Finding Strength in Numbers 41
Chapter 4: Getting Civilized 43
Chapter 5: Rising and Falling Empires 61
Chapter 6: Splitting Eras: The Middle Ages 77
Chapter 7: Struggling for Dominance 93
Chapter 8: Grabbing the Globe 113
Chapter 9: Pulling Empires Together as Subjects Push Back 135
Part 3: Seeking Answers 161
Chapter 10: Worshipping through the Ages 163
Chapter 11: Loving Wisdom: Philosophy’s Impact 185
Chapter 12: Being Christian, Thinking Greek 201
Chapter 13: Awakening to the Renaissance 211
Chapter 14: Breaking Away: The Reformation 229
Chapter 15: Opening Up to Science and Enlightenment 251
Part 4: Fighting, Fighting, Fighting 267
Chapter 16: Wielding Sticks and Stones: Old-Fashioned War 269
Chapter 17: Upgrading the War Machine 283
Chapter 18: Modernizing Mayhem 297
Part 5: Meeting the Movers and Shakers 313
Chapter 19: Starting Something Legendary 315
Chapter 20: Battling Toward Immortality 329
Chapter 21: Exploring and “Discovering” 343
Chapter 22: Turning Tables: Rebels and Revolutionaries 357
Part 6: The Part of Tens 373
Chapter 23: Ten Unforgettable Dates in History 375
Chapter 24: Ten Essential Historical Documents 383
Index 393
