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The Storm Before the Calm
by George Friedman • 2020
Every eighty years America's government breaks; every fifty, its economy. Now both arrive at once.
4.05
3k+
The Storm Before the Calm Summary
The Storm Before the Calm 90%
Every eighty years America's government breaks; every fifty, its economy. Now both arrive at once.
by George Friedman 2020
4.05
3k+ ratings
A Short History of the World
by Christopher Lascelles • 2011
Thirteen billion years in one short book: why empires fall, ideas spread, and everything connects.
3.86
2k+
A Short History of the World Summary
A Short History of the World 90%
Thirteen billion years in one short book: why empires fall, ideas spread, and everything connects.
by Christopher Lascelles 2011
3.86
2k+ ratings
The Fourth Turning Is Here
by Neil Howe • 2023
An 80-year cycle pushes America toward a 2030 crisis. The last two ended in total war.
3.93
3k+
The Fourth Turning Is Here Summary
The Fourth Turning Is Here 90%
An 80-year cycle pushes America toward a 2030 crisis. The last two ended in total war.
by Neil Howe 2023
3.93
3k+ ratings
A Study of History, Abridgement of Vols 1-6
by Arnold Joseph Toynbee • 1987
History's pattern: empires die, and their true heirs are the churches they tried to crush.
4.11
543
A Study of History, Abridgement of Vols 1-6 Summary
A Study of History, Abridgement of Vols 1-6 90%
History's pattern: empires die, and their true heirs are the churches they tried to crush.
by Arnold Joseph Toynbee 1987
4.11
543 ratings
The History of the Ancient World
by Susan Wise Bauer • 2007
The recurring patterns that built and then quietly destroyed ancient civs from Sumer to Rome.
4.11
7k+
The History of the Ancient World Summary
The History of the Ancient World 90%
The recurring patterns that built and then quietly destroyed ancient civs from Sumer to Rome.
by Susan Wise Bauer 2007
4.11
7k+ ratings
The Lessons of History
by Will Durant • 1968
What forty centuries of history reveal: cycles, geography's grip, and the unchanging human drives.
4.05
21k+
The Lessons of History Summary
The Lessons of History 90%
What forty centuries of history reveal: cycles, geography's grip, and the unchanging human drives.
by Will Durant 1968
4.05
21k+ ratings
The Fourth Turning
by William Strauss • 1996
America's history runs on an 80-year cycle of four social seasons. The crisis season has begun.
3.87
8k+
The Fourth Turning Summary
The Fourth Turning 90%
America's history runs on an 80-year cycle of four social seasons. The crisis season has begun.
by William Strauss 1996
3.87
8k+ ratings
A Study of History, abridged
by Arnold Joseph Toynbee • 1957
History's real units are civilizations, not nations. Their collapses conceal a spiritual purpose.
4.10
224
A Study of History, abridged Summary
A Study of History, abridged 90%
History's real units are civilizations, not nations. Their collapses conceal a spiritual purpose.
by Arnold Joseph Toynbee 1957
4.10
224 ratings
Ancient Worlds
by Michael Scott • 2016
Democracy, republic, and Confucianism were born in the same century. None by design.
3.77
635
Ancient Worlds Summary
Ancient Worlds 90%
Democracy, republic, and Confucianism were born in the same century. None by design.
by Michael Scott 2016
3.77
635 ratings
War! What Is It Good For?
by Ian Morris • 2014
Ten thousand years of war made the world ten times safer. The paradox behind that claim.
3.95
2k+
War! What Is It Good For? Summary
War! What Is It Good For? 90%
Ten thousand years of war made the world ten times safer. The paradox behind that claim.
by Ian Morris 2014
3.95
2k+ ratings
War and Peace and War
by Peter Turchin • 2005
Empires aren't conquered. They dissolve from within, on a schedule that mathematics can model.
4.17
928
War and Peace and War Summary
War and Peace and War 89%
Empires aren't conquered. They dissolve from within, on a schedule that mathematics can model.
by Peter Turchin 2005
4.17
928 ratings
World History 101
by Tom Head • 2017
From Sumer to NATO, the dozen turning points that made the modern world.
3.72
911
World History 101 Summary
World History 101 89%
From Sumer to NATO, the dozen turning points that made the modern world.
by Tom Head 2017
3.72
911 ratings
Dangerous Games
by Margaret MacMillan • 2008
History is never neutral. Nations and leaders weaponize it daily, and the patterns are predictable.
3.64
2k+
Dangerous Games Summary
Dangerous Games 89%
History is never neutral. Nations and leaders weaponize it daily, and the patterns are predictable.
by Margaret MacMillan 2008
3.64
2k+ ratings
Story of Civilization
by Will Durant • 1975
Civilization rests on four fragile foundations; remove one, and the whole structure collapses.
4.43
2k+
Story of Civilization Summary
Story of Civilization 89%
Civilization rests on four fragile foundations; remove one, and the whole structure collapses.
by Will Durant 1975
4.43
2k+ ratings
Bleu
by Michel Pastoureau • 2000
The Virgin Mary, a French king, and denim: how blue went from barbarian to beloved.
3.99
2k+
Bleu Summary
Bleu 89%
The Virgin Mary, a French king, and denim: how blue went from barbarian to beloved.
by Michel Pastoureau 2000
3.99
2k+ ratings
A Little History of the World
by E.H. Gombrich • 1936
The whole human story, from cave paintings to the Cold War, in one short, elegant book.
4.10
32k+
A Little History of the World Summary
A Little History of the World 89%
The whole human story, from cave paintings to the Cold War, in one short, elegant book.
by E.H. Gombrich 1936
4.10
32k+ ratings
Escape from Rome
by Walter Scheidel • 2019
China kept rebuilding its empire. Europe never rebuilt Rome. That difference changed everything.
4.05
482
Escape from Rome Summary
Escape from Rome 89%
China kept rebuilding its empire. Europe never rebuilt Rome. That difference changed everything.
by Walter Scheidel 2019
4.05
482 ratings
The Square and the Tower
by Niall Ferguson • 2017
The real shapers of history were not kings but the networks connecting everyone else.
3.65
4k+
The Square and the Tower Summary
The Square and the Tower 89%
The real shapers of history were not kings but the networks connecting everyone else.
by Niall Ferguson 2017
3.65
4k+ ratings
Day of Empire
by Amy Chua • 2007
Dominating the world has always required one thing: taking in the talent everyone else rejects.
3.77
999
Day of Empire Summary
Day of Empire 89%
Dominating the world has always required one thing: taking in the talent everyone else rejects.
by Amy Chua 2007
3.77
999 ratings
End Times
by Peter Turchin • 2023
Ten millennia of data point to two conditions for state collapse. America now meets both.
4.06
3k+
End Times Summary
End Times 89%
Ten millennia of data point to two conditions for state collapse. America now meets both.
by Peter Turchin 2023
4.06
3k+ ratings
Conquests and Cultures
by Thomas Sowell • 1998
Geography blocked Africa, conquests lifted Britain, and human capital explains the gap.
4.44
964
Conquests and Cultures Summary
Conquests and Cultures 89%
Geography blocked Africa, conquests lifted Britain, and human capital explains the gap.
by Thomas Sowell 1998
4.44
964 ratings
The Republic for Which It Stands
by Richard White • 2017
America rebuilt itself after 1865 into something no one voted for. A history of broken promises.
4.16
2k+
The Republic for Which It Stands Summary
The Republic for Which It Stands 89%
America rebuilt itself after 1865 into something no one voted for. A history of broken promises.
by Richard White 2017
4.16
2k+ ratings
The Shortest History of Germany
by James Hawes • 2017
Behind the 20th century’s disasters stands a hidden network of financiers and imperial idealists.
3.70
9k+
The Shortest History of Germany Summary
The Shortest History of Germany 89%
Behind the 20th century’s disasters stands a hidden network of financiers and imperial idealists.
by James Hawes 2017
3.70
9k+ ratings
At Home
by Bill Bryson • 2010
Every room in your house conceals a history of bloodshed, invention, and empire.
3.99
99k+
At Home Summary
At Home 89%
Every room in your house conceals a history of bloodshed, invention, and empire.
by Bill Bryson 2010
3.99
99k+ ratings
The Fate of Empires and Search for Survival
by John Bagot Glubb • 1978
Ten generations: energy, conquest, affluence, decay. The West is running out of time.
4.21
751
The Fate of Empires and Search for Survival Summary
The Fate of Empires and Search for Survival 89%
Ten generations: energy, conquest, affluence, decay. The West is running out of time.
by John Bagot Glubb 1978
4.21
751 ratings
The Decline and Rise of Democracy
by David Stasavage • 2020
Democracy did not begin in Athens. It emerges where the state is too weak to rule alone.
3.86
223
The Decline and Rise of Democracy Summary
The Decline and Rise of Democracy 89%
Democracy did not begin in Athens. It emerges where the state is too weak to rule alone.
by David Stasavage 2020
3.86
223 ratings
Civilization
by Niall Ferguson • 2011
Five hundred years of Western rule rested on six innovations. The rest have now caught up.
3.86
10k+
Civilization Summary
Civilization 89%
Five hundred years of Western rule rested on six innovations. The rest have now caught up.
by Niall Ferguson 2011
3.86
10k+ ratings
The Book on the Bookshelf
by Henry Petroski • 1999
Why books once faced the wall and wore chains: the bookshelf as a history of engineering.
3.75
1k+
The Book on the Bookshelf Summary
The Book on the Bookshelf 89%
Why books once faced the wall and wore chains: the bookshelf as a history of engineering.
by Henry Petroski 1999
3.75
1k+ ratings
A Short History of the World in 50 Lies
by Natasha Tidd • 2023
A forged document, a faked war, an imaginary country: the lies that changed history.
3.60
2k+
A Short History of the World in 50 Lies Summary
A Short History of the World in 50 Lies 89%
A forged document, a faked war, an imaginary country: the lies that changed history.
by Natasha Tidd 2023
3.60
2k+ ratings
The Sources of Social Power
by Michael Mann • 1986
Why do empires rise and fall? The answer isn't one force but four overlapping power networks.
4.32
158
The Sources of Social Power Summary
The Sources of Social Power 89%
Why do empires rise and fall? The answer isn't one force but four overlapping power networks.
by Michael Mann 1986
4.32
158 ratings
Civilization on Trial
by Arnold Joseph Toynbee • 1948
Civilizations rise to fall, religions to climb. The rubble is the mechanism, not the failure.
3.83
152
Civilization on Trial Summary
Civilization on Trial 89%
Civilizations rise to fall, religions to climb. The rubble is the mechanism, not the failure.
by Arnold Joseph Toynbee 1948
3.83
152 ratings
Peasants Into Frenchmen
by Eugen Weber • 1976
They didn't speak French or feel French. Roads, schools, and barracks turned them into Frenchmen.
4.28
403
Peasants Into Frenchmen Summary
Peasants Into Frenchmen 89%
They didn't speak French or feel French. Roads, schools, and barracks turned them into Frenchmen.
by Eugen Weber 1976
4.28
403 ratings
Rome and China
by Walter Scheidel • 2008
Why Rome's fall was permanent, and China's was not: a comparative history of ancient empires.
3.47
47
Rome and China Summary
Rome and China 89%
Why Rome's fall was permanent, and China's was not: a comparative history of ancient empires.
by Walter Scheidel 2008
3.47
47 ratings
Nations and Nationalism since 1780
by Eric J. Hobsbawm • 1990
Nationalism invented nations, not the reverse, and the two-century project is already decaying.
3.91
2k+
Nations and Nationalism since 1780 Summary
Nations and Nationalism since 1780 89%
Nationalism invented nations, not the reverse, and the two-century project is already decaying.
by Eric J. Hobsbawm 1990
3.91
2k+ ratings
How the South Won the Civil War
by Heather Cox Richardson • 2020
Southern oligarchy lost the war but won the West, rebranding as cowboy individualism.
4.31
5k+
How the South Won the Civil War Summary
How the South Won the Civil War 89%
Southern oligarchy lost the war but won the West, rebranding as cowboy individualism.
by Heather Cox Richardson 2020
4.31
5k+ ratings
Culture
by Martin Puchner • 2023
Borrowing, theft, lucky accidents: four millennia of cultural history. Purity was never the point.
3.92
924
Culture Summary
Culture 89%
Borrowing, theft, lucky accidents: four millennia of cultural history. Purity was never the point.
by Martin Puchner 2023
3.92
924 ratings
A History of the World in 100 Objects
by Neil MacGregor • 2010
The full sweep of human history, read not from texts but from 100 physical objects.
4.19
9k+
A History of the World in 100 Objects Summary
A History of the World in 100 Objects 88%
The full sweep of human history, read not from texts but from 100 physical objects.
by Neil MacGregor 2010
4.19
9k+ ratings
Silencing the Past
by Michel-Rolph Trouillot • 1995
Why the Haitian Revolution was erased from history while it was still happening.
4.35
3k+
Silencing the Past Summary
Silencing the Past 88%
Why the Haitian Revolution was erased from history while it was still happening.
by Michel-Rolph Trouillot 1995
4.35
3k+ ratings
1177 B.C.
by Eric H. Cline • 2014
The Bronze Age had trade routes and diplomacy. A cascade of disasters brought it down.
3.74
13k+
1177 B.C. Summary
1177 B.C. 88%
The Bronze Age had trade routes and diplomacy. A cascade of disasters brought it down.
by Eric H. Cline 2014
3.74
13k+ ratings
Invention and Innovation
by Vaclav Smil • 2023
Moore's Law is an outlier. Everywhere else, innovation crawls, stumbles, or backfires.
3.84
1k+
Invention and Innovation Summary
Invention and Innovation 88%
Moore's Law is an outlier. Everywhere else, innovation crawls, stumbles, or backfires.
by Vaclav Smil 2023
3.84
1k+ ratings
The Rise of the Western World
by Douglass C. North • 1973
The West did not rise because of technology. It rose because of property rights.
3.85
171
The Rise of the Western World Summary
The Rise of the Western World 88%
The West did not rise because of technology. It rose because of property rights.
by Douglass C. North 1973
3.85
171 ratings
Industry and Empire
by Eric J. Hobsbawm • 1968
Britain's industrial head start created an empire-dependent economy destined to fall behind.
3.92
574
Industry and Empire Summary
Industry and Empire 88%
Britain's industrial head start created an empire-dependent economy destined to fall behind.
by Eric J. Hobsbawm 1968
3.92
574 ratings
The Death of Reconstruction
by Heather Cox Richardson • 2001
The North's faith in free labor built Reconstruction, then provided the arguments to tear it down.
3.86
107
The Death of Reconstruction Summary
The Death of Reconstruction 88%
The North's faith in free labor built Reconstruction, then provided the arguments to tear it down.
by Heather Cox Richardson 2001
3.86
107 ratings
Empires and Barbarians
by Peter Heather • 2009
How Rome's wealth created the barbarians who remade Europe.
3.97
1k+
Empires and Barbarians Summary
Empires and Barbarians 88%
How Rome's wealth created the barbarians who remade Europe.
by Peter Heather 2009
3.97
1k+ ratings
Whatever Happened to the Metric System?
by John Bemelmans Marciano • 2013
A tale of revolutions, divine measures, and why a global standard stopped at America's shores.
3.62
321
Whatever Happened to the Metric System? Summary
Whatever Happened to the Metric System? 88%
A tale of revolutions, divine measures, and why a global standard stopped at America's shores.
by John Bemelmans Marciano 2013
3.62
321 ratings
Why the West Rules—for Now
by Ian Morris • 2010
Western rule is a geographical accident. One 15,000-year index shows why, and predicts the handoff.
4.11
6k+
Why the West Rules—for Now Summary
Why the West Rules—for Now 88%
Western rule is a geographical accident. One 15,000-year index shows why, and predicts the handoff.
by Ian Morris 2010
4.11
6k+ ratings
Glimpses of World History
by Jawaharlal Nehru • 1934
From a British prison cell, a jailed father teaches his daughter all of world history.
4.32
2k+
Glimpses of World History Summary
Glimpses of World History 88%
From a British prison cell, a jailed father teaches his daughter all of world history.
by Jawaharlal Nehru 1934
4.32
2k+ ratings
The Invention of Tradition
by Eric J. Hobsbawm • 1983
Most timeless rituals were built recently, assembled when rapid change broke old social bonds.
3.95
2k+
The Invention of Tradition Summary
The Invention of Tradition 88%
Most timeless rituals were built recently, assembled when rapid change broke old social bonds.
by Eric J. Hobsbawm 1983
3.95
2k+ ratings
The Heart of the Declaration
by Steve Pincus • 2016
The Declaration was not a small-government manifesto but a blueprint for a powerful, activist state.
3.64
36
The Heart of the Declaration Summary
The Heart of the Declaration 88%
The Declaration was not a small-government manifesto but a blueprint for a powerful, activist state.
by Steve Pincus 2016
3.64
36 ratings
7 Tipping Points That Saved the World
by Chris Stewart • 2011
Seven narrow escapes that saved the West. Remove any one, and democracy and Christianity vanish.
3.97
2k+
7 Tipping Points That Saved the World Summary
7 Tipping Points That Saved the World 88%
Seven narrow escapes that saved the West. Remove any one, and democracy and Christianity vanish.
by Chris Stewart 2011
3.97
2k+ ratings
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