The Outline of History: Volume 1, Prehistory to the Roman Republic (Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading) »

"Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe," H. G. Wells once said. Widely revered as the father of science fiction, the English novelist, journalist, sociologist, and historian penned ominous -- and educated -- glimpses at humanity's possible future, including The Time Machine (1895), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898).

The first comprehensive history of the world, The Outline of History is a vibrant synthesis of real history, told in a sweeping, panoramic style, as if it were fiction. H. G. Wells removes nationalism from the equation, creating the premier worldview of history, told from a global rather than a local point of view.

With The Outline of History Wells started a craze that lasted throughout the 1920s for copycat "outlines" on every conceivable subject. Coming right after the carnage of World War I, the Outline was neither unduly pessimistic and cynical about the human condition nor Pollyannaish about humanity's future. Instead, it offered an account of the development of the world's civilizations up to the present, showing its readers that an enlightened future depended on a clear, unprejudiced view of the past.

About the Author:
H. G. Wells is most famous for being one of the godfathers of science fiction. His masterpieces include The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau, and The War of the Worlds. Born in 1866 in the small town of Bromley, England, to an impoverished family, Wells never forgot the hardships of his origin and wrote with the common man in mind.