Cartoon History of the Universe Volumes 1-7

Among the comic strips for little ones and the graphic books (which are not 'comics' ... nothing comical in or about these) about well muscled super-heroes in tights for young readers in the US, this series is a gem. A class apart in style ... considering the content, especially. Again, in a country where ignorance is celebrated and knowledge is shunned (in general ... exceptions are there, of course), an overview of the vast history of humankind, in a palatable, interesting and humorous form, is a gem unlooked-for. As one critic said (and quoted somewhere on the book cover), it is better than most (all?!) school text books. And considering a comic strip, it has veritable gold mine of references of published history and research papers showing the fantastic effort and the extent of knowledge of the author. I would say it's the best gift that can be given to a school-age boy or girl (and any adult on any day). At a time of unrest and intolerance as the one we live in especially, a book like this that shows the connections and varieties human civilizations on different parts of the globe is a fantastic first step that can help one appreciate the variety and common grounds of humans all over the mother earth.

This 3-book series, along with its successor ("The Cartoon History of the Modern World" - two books) is now considered a classic in terms of educating the layperson about world history, a worthy successor to H.G. Well's "Short History of the World" and Hendrik Willem Van Loon's "The Story of Mankind" - the latter aimed at older children. Larry Gonick has performed serious research (reading and distilling various sources), and follows the principle that facts (including historical ones) are always more memorable if accompanied by laugh-out-loud humor. This series (whose initial volume was championed and shepherded by the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, one of the book editors at Doubleday, the publisher) has been used in various high-school and even college courses on World History. It is an antidote to the belief that history is boring (which can be true given how it is often taught in schools). Apart from possessing the set myself, I've also gifted the set to at least three others.

Love this guy's work. His writing style keeps you entertained from start to finish. Hard to put down!! I found part two at a Goodwill and read it a million times, and the preface did not disappoint either!! The drawings add a pit of character to the historical figures that only pictures can do.

I had originally bought this book for use in my waiting room. However, some of the sexual humor and the irreverant approach to religious figures meant that it was a "stay at home" book. (Don't tell the IRS) Now that the book is in its proper place, I should add that I enjoyed it immensely and went on to buy Volumes 2 and 3. (not on my office account though)The book starts with evolution of the earth and its creatures. The pictures were well done and the humor makes the factual material easier to remember. The bulk of the book deals with the history of the human race. The author does not confine himself to European civilization. Two of my children read all three volumes, and I did not have to hassle them to do it. How often does this happen with other history texts? I am hoping to use their interest in some of the historical topics to encourage them to read other books. Each section of the Cartoon History contains a reference section for those who desire further reading. Ideally this book should be a companion to serious textbooks on history. However, there are a lot of people who are unwilling and unable to absorb material from textbooks or lectures. People who are visual learners may be able to remember the pictures and the humor when they have trouble remembering college lecutres or long passages of text. I have recommended this and some other of the author's books to individuals who were having trouble with basic college classes.

I have always loved books of all kinds and this one seemed to be interesting because it was designed in a humorous cartoon format. At first you might get the impression that this volume was made for children. However, this unusual book is actually for any age reader who likes the idea of being amused with funny lines, as well as educated to a small degree about the history of the universe including our own little world. This book was a lot of fun to read. It begins with the "Big Bang" and moves from the organic soup to one cell creatures, right up to small animals, large animals, and finally man. It also covers various important times in our world's history. Even though some of the material seems a little silly; nevertheless, it is humorous enough to keep you turning the pages. This huge book was created in a 11 by 81/2 inch format with 360 pages of black and white drawings. I found that one of the most informative sections is at the end of the book where there are seven pages of recommended books to increase your knowledge about some of the material presented in this volume. This section alone is worth the price of the book. In conclusion, if you are seeking an interesting and humorous approach to history illustrated with black and white drawings, you might want to check out this book. Rating: 4 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Never Trust a Politician)

I have all of Larry Gonick's books (except for Calculus) and he's my favorite author from the 1990s. And this is my favorite book from my favorite author. And used books from the 90's are cheap so you should buy it, too. I used to read this when I was a kid, and uh, considering the nature of the Bible (plague, dead babies, nudity,) your kid shouldn't. I lost my copy to other family members when I became an adult so I had to pick it up again. Gonick covers a lot on the book of Kings from the Bible. Some of what's in the book of Kings is exactly what happened in ancient history, some of it is, well, uh, "not a primary reference for ancient history," but Gonick uses the Bible as part of ancient history. I've read it at least 5 times, and it covers ancient history, which is the Middle East and the Far East. There's one page dedicated to Ashurnasipal King of Assyria, whom I'm studying this year on YouTube in Fan of History's channel. Fan of History is spending over 100 hours pod-casting the neo-Assyrian Empire. And Larry Gonick spends 1 page. Is ancient history that vast, or is Larry Gonick ignoring the glory of the neo-Assyrian Empire? Spend hundreds of dollars on books written by Hittite scholars, ancient Assyrian scholars, ancient Chinese scholars, and get back to me, because I'm never going to answer that question. This book is the cheapest way of learning I can think of.

I bought this book for the first time in 1990 after the first chapter being used as required reading for a science course in college. I can not recommend this book enough. It is an accessible and entertaining look at the history of earth. Great stuff and I was happy to get a new copy to share with my kids (my original copy was borrowed years ago and never returned).

Good general purpose book for classroom library. This is a great set of books in cartoon form. Easy to understand. Good condition. Arrived quickly.

Nei limiti che gli sono connaturati, un libro divertente immagino frutto di una sintesi mostruosa dell’ampia bibliografia riportata alla fine. Consigliatissimo

Eductional, just the right stuff for my young boy.

j'ai découvert cette série il y a 10 ans, je ne m'en lasse pas, très bien écrit et très fourni!

present for grandson

Pure knowledge. Colour would have added more meaning to these sketches.