Contents: The Beginnings of civilization: The rise of civilization -- The First empires -- The Growth of civilization: The Persian and Greek world -- The Hellenistic world and the rise of Rome -- The Roman world -- The Growth of Asian civilizations -- Early African civilization -- Civilizations in the Americas -- The World in transition: Persia, Byzantium, and the rise of Russia -- The Islamic world -- A New civilization in Western Europe -- Transformations in Asia -- New empires in Asia and Africa -- Beginnings of the modern world: Renaissance of reformation -- A New worldview in Europe -- The World in the age of European expansion -- Revolutions of society and state -- Expansion of the modern world: The Industrial revolution in the West -- An Era of expansion and reform -- Nation-States and empires in Europe -- The Imperial world order -- The Modern world in crisis: World war 1 and after 1914-1924 -- Revolution,depression, and totalitarianism -- The Beginnings of colonial Nationalism -- Growing aggression and world war II -- Postwar Europe and North America -- Independent Asia -- Africa and the Middle East After empire -- New directions in Latin America -- From the past to the future.