Includes index.

Introduction -- The world in 323 BCE -- The world in 200 BCE -- The world in 1 BCE -- The world in 400 CE -- The world in 600 CE -- World religions -- The Persian wars and Greece -- The Peloponnesian war and Macedon -- Alexander the great -- The Hellenistic world -- Parthian and Sasanian Persia -- Early Rome and the Punic wars -- Growth of the Roman empire -- Crisis and recovery of Rome -- Fall of the Roman empire Justinian and the Byzantine empire -- The Celts -- The Steppe Nomads -- The early states of Africa -- Mauryan and Gupta India -- China -- China and the rise of Japan -- The Pacific and Southeast Asia -- South America and Mexico -- The ancient Maya.