1688: A Global History

I bought this book out of curiosity, why 1688? I’m amazed at the large number of transitions, many results that exist to the present, the author was able to highlight. I suspect careful scholars could present a similar case for a different age, but it would take as much work as the present effort. A delightful book.

Focusses on a year in world history that many see as the birth of the modern age. Easy to read by the general public. High school reading level. Covers a number of important women as well as men.

Fascinating ... a cross-section of history of the world for a single year. A cross-wise slice to go with the branching vertical slices you get from James Burke's "Connections" series.

I had to get this for a class a couple of years ago, and it was actually pretty interesting!

Interesting exercise. He almost pulls it off

No my favorite but can be interesting

Anyone interested in the 17th century will love this book. I would recommend it to the serious scholar.Thank you. I will seek out other books on this topic.

I needed it for school

If you are keen in world history this is a highly recommended book.

I read this before I'd heard of Big History, lost my copy and recently bought it again. Wills takes a single year and pans around the globe, making insightful connections, and you look up from the book with a greater sense of the world we share and how we got here. It sits well on the shelf with David Christian, Cynthia Stokes Brown, Jared Diamond, Mark Kurlansky, Charles C Mann, Eric Wolf and William McNeill. Highly recommended.