Table of Contents

1. Prehistoric Times 2. Ancient and Classical Periods, 3500 b.c.e.-500 c.e. 3. the Postclassical Period, 500-1500 4. The Early Modern Period, 1500-1800 5. The Modern Period, 1789-1914 6. The World Wars and The Interwar Period, 1914-1945 7. The Contemporary Period, 1945-2000 Appendixes Maps Genealogical Tables

About the Author

Peter N. Stearns is provost and professor of history at George Mason University and is the author or editor of more than seventy books, most recently the Encyclopedia of European Social History. Among his other works are Gender in World History and Teaching, Learning and Knowing History. He lives in Virginia, USA. Contributing Editors to the 6th Edition Joshua A. Fogel, Sandria Freitag, William Harris, Bennett Hill, Brij V. Lal, Abraham Marcus, Richard Roberts, Joseph W. Trotter, John Voll, Barbara Weinstein. Contributing Editors to Earlier Editions Crane Brinton, Geoffrey Brunn, George Busalla, Robert S. Chamberlain, Carleton Coon, Paul P. Cram, Frank M. Cross Jr, Sterling Dow, Robert H. Dyson Jr, John K. Fairbank, Charles S. Gardner, Hans W. Gatzke, Marija Gimbutas, Madeneine Gleason, Mason Hammond, Carol R. Harting, Stephen N. Hay, James B. Hedges, Halil Inalcik, Michael Karpovich, Melvin Kranzberg, William L. Langer, Dwight E. Lee, Derwood Lockard, Donald C. McKay, Robert H. Pfeiffer, Edwin O. Reischauer, Penfield Roberts, Robert O. Schlaifer, William Thomson, J.A.B. Van Buitenen, Lauriston Ward.