Exploring World History through Geography: From the Cradle of Civilization to a Globalized World

by Julie Crea Dunbar

Overview

Exploring World History through Geography: From the Cradle of Civilization to a Globalized World takes readers on a fascinating and unique jourbaney through time from many of the earliest world civilizations right into the 21st century.

From the early civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia to our present-day globalized society, readers will learn how humans interacted-and still interact-with the environment around them, as well as the environment's role in not only shaping the society's world view but enabling the building of socially stratified and successful civilizations. Not your run-of-the-mill world history tome, this book examines world history through the closely related discipline of geography.

The civilizations and events represented in the book, while not exhaustive, were selected to highlight geographic themes and areas of study. Upon completing the book, readers should have a firm understanding of the expansive, cross-curricular study of geography-from the study of world cultures and history to politics to the environment and Earth's physical processes. In addition, they will have a new understanding of the relevance of geography to not only human history but contemporary events, as well as their day-to-day lives. By presenting this history from a slightly different, geographic point of view, Exploring World History through Geography will inspire fresh curiosity in the world, both past and present.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440872921
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	09/29/2022
Pages:	376
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 10.30(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Julie Crea Dunbar has worked in social studies publishing for nearly 20 years.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

Introduction ix

1 Ancient Mesopotamia 1

2 Ancient Egypt 16

3 Ancient Greece 34

4 Ancient Rome 50

5 China 65

6 Mesoamerican Civilizations 79

7 South American Civilizations 94

8 North American Civilizations 111

9 The Byzantine Empire 126

10 The Islamic World 142

11 Europe in the Middle Ages 159

12 The Age of Exploration 176

13 Sub-Saharan African Kingdoms 195

14 Australia and Oceania 212

15 The Industrial Revolution 228

16 Colonizing Africa 245

17 World War I 262

18 World War II 278

19 The Cold War 294

20 Middle East Resource Conflicts 312

21 Global Challenges of the 21st Century 330

Bibliography 347

Index 351

What People are Saying About This

Joseph J. Kerski

"An understanding of geography is critical to the understanding and interpretation of history. Exploring World History through Geography thoughtfully guides the reader through thousands of years of world events, explorers, inventions, progress, and challenges in engaging and exciting ways but always with the consideration of geography. Rather than relegating geographic considerations to a few maps, directions, and distances, Dunbar’s book pays close attention to core geographic themes of scale, patterns, relationships, and region. Core to the book is human-environment interaction: How the physical environment influenced people and events, and how people influenced the environments they lived in and explored. Dunbar strikes a readable balance between detail but not letting the details obscure the important take-aways with each of the stories examined. While this book will be valuable to students and instructors in history and geography, it will also appeal to the general public who seeks to discover how these two disciplines provide insight to understanding our fascinating planet.

Frank W. Thackeray

"Dunbar’s book is a highly effective synthesis bringing together several important disciplines including history, geography, economics, and world cultures. Presented in a sprightly and informative manner designed to hold the reader’s attention, the various themes explored in this work carry great relevance for our contemporary world. An excellent introductory study, this book belongs in every public library and would be ideal reading for an advanced high school class or university survey course."

Dr. Leslie A. Duram

"This book provides a fascinating geographic perspective on world history, which makes each topic more tangible and relevant. Geography provides the context and underscores why local people, places, and environments matter. This book deftly merges geography and history to make the immense topic of world history relatable to modern readers."

Editorial Reviews

An understanding of geography is critical to the understanding and interpretation of history. Exploring World History through Geography thoughtfully guides the reader through thousands of years of world events, explorers, inventions, progress, and challenges in engaging and exciting ways but always with the consideration of geography. Rather than relegating geographic considerations to a few maps, directions, and distances, Dunbar's book pays close attention to core geographic themes of scale, patterns, relationships, and region. Core to the book is human-environment interaction: How the physical environment influenced people and events, and how people influenced the environments they lived in and explored. Dunbar strikes a readable balance between detail but not letting the details obscure the important take-aways with each of the stories examined. While this book will be valuable to students and instructors in history and geography, it will also appeal to the general public who seeks to discover how these two disciplines provide insight to understanding our fascinating planet.” —Joseph J. Kerski, Education Manager, Esri, and author of Interpreting Our World: 100 Discoveries That Revolutionized Geography

“Dunbar's book is a highly effective synthesis bringing together several important disciplines including history, geography, economics, and world cultures. Presented in a sprightly and informative manner designed to hold the reader's attention, the various themes explored in this work carry great relevance for our contemporary world. An excellent introductory study, this book belongs in every public library and would be ideal reading for an advanced high school class or university survey course.” —Frank W. Thackeray, Emeritus Professor of History Indiana University Southeast

“This book provides a fascinating geographic perspective on world history, which makes each topic more tangible and relevant. Geography provides the context and underscores why local people, places, and environments matter. This book deftly merges geography and history to make the immense topic of world history relatable to modern readers.” —Dr. Leslie A. Duram, Professor of Geography, Southern Illinois University Carbondale

From the Publisher