This book takes the reader back through time, showing what it was like to live in the past. It investigates the whole of human history in a lively and accessible visual style, using detailed text and dramatic images to show how great cities were built and destroyed, how wars were lost and won, how new religions were born, and how advances in science and exploration transformed everyday life and the living environment. The high spots of human achievement are all brilliantly brought to life in this fascinating volume.