World History

[theapportioner]

Anything you are interested in particular? Arnold Toynbee describes a history of civilizational growth and decline in his "A Study of History" volumes. Another monster is the "Columbia History of the World" by Garrity and Gay. Something to watch out for is Eurocentrism.

Personally though, I think your time is better spent picking a few areas that are of interest to you. History is much more than a bunch of big wars and notable treaties, and you lose that when you read the sweeping surveys.

A different historiography: texts by Michel Foucault, such as "A History of Sexuality" or "Madness and Civilization". Heavily influenced by Nietzsche's genealogical approach.