The New Atlas of World History: Global Events at a Glance by John Haywood (Thames & Hudson), 2011

252pp., £32 hard, ISBN 978-0-500-25185-0

This historical atlas presents global history in a series of uniform world maps.  This allows complete and instant comparability between different periods and regions. For example, when did modern humans first colonise different parts of the world? What was happening in China when Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire? What was the global reach of the great religious faiths at the time of the European Reformation?  The fifty-six specially commissioned world maps are accompanied by illustrated timelines charting key events and cultural developments and by over 400 illustrations that demonstrate the diversity of art, architecture and technology. There is also an extensive reference section and includes an A to Z of peoples, cultures and nations.  Covering the whole of human history from six million years ago to the present day, this is the perfect book for quick reference and provides a highly appealing and authoritative overview of the human story for the twenty-first century.  The book, ideal for the school or departmental library, is accessible to brighter students at Key Stage 3 and all students above that level.