
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Aug 30, 2020

Conversations With Friends
Book
A sharply intelligent novel about friendship, lust, jealousy, and the unexpected complications of...
Literary Fiction

Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick
Book
‘Genius’ Alice Walker ‘Rigorous, convincing, dazzling’ Zadie Smith on Their Eyes Were...

Symphony Road (Shane Cleary Mystery, #2)
Book
Trouble comes in threes for Shane Cleary, a former police officer and now, a PI. Arson. A Missing...
Crime Procedural Noir Historical Fiction

Pine
Book
They are driving home from the search party when they see her. The trees are coarse and tall in the...
Literary Fiction Scotland

The Unwritten, Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity
Book
Tom Taylor's life was screwed from go. His father created the Tommy Taylor fantasy series,...

Ghost Wall
Book
In the north of England, far from the intrusions of cities but not far from civilization, Silvie and...
Literary Fiction Contemporary Trigger warning: Domestic Violence

The Book of Last Letters
Book
Inspired by an incredible true story, a young nurse captures the final letters of injured soldiers...
World War II Historical Fiction Literary Saga

LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated Watersheds of World History in Books
Nov 5, 2018
Firstly, I have to be honest, world history from start to finish in 200 pages? I know, I asked myself that question so many times before I sat down to finally read this and I was highly sceptical whether it could be achieved. How very wrong I was.
Taylor has a unique take on history, succinct and incredibly to the point. I read a lot of history books and most historians get a little 'flowery' with their language in an attempt to make the reader love the history but Taylor takes a completely contrasting methodology in being almost blunt with the delivery of the historical facts. Usually, I would prefer more description but in this book it is much more apt to have this short, sharp burst approach as it keeps the reader hooked to the very end, even if they already know the history being told. That being said, I'm a self professed history enthusiast who reads history like fiction, and Taylor, in this masterpiece, managed to teach me a thing or two about periods of history I thought I knew inside out.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone interested in getting a beginners knowledge of world history, whether to help decide options for school, find a new hobby or even brush up on quiz knowledge. Taylor has written an immensely useful and informative text that I would, if I were a teacher of history, make a compulsory text for all my children. As it is, I'm in primary teaching and I can see myself recommending this to colleagues who are less confident in general historical knowledge to make sure they meet the grade! A fantastic talent has emerged in the literary world of non-fiction history, and I look forward to reading more from this incredibly talented and unique author.
