From one of the great historians of our time, J.M. Roberts, comes Ancient History, a gorgeous guide to our common past. Hundreds of colorful maps and illustrations guide the reader from prehistoric times up through Enlightenment. From early hominids to Charlemagne, Egyptian kingship to European Dynasticism, Ancient History is an illuminating work on humankind's past. Arranged in chronological order, beginning with prehistoric times over 2,000,000 years ago, this book catalogues major time periods, discoveries, and events (e.g. Homo erectus, The Fertile Crescent, metallurgy, Sumer, Ancient Egypt, Ancient China, Aegean civilization, the Mediterranean world, Greek life, the Roman world, Islam, Byzantium, the Far East, Medieval Christendom, the Renaissance, European colonialism, church reformation, and much more. Following on the heels of the international success of Robert's History of the World, Ancient History will serve as an indispensable reference that will inform, enlighten, and entertain readers for years to come.