The Cartoon History of the Universe III: From the Rise of Arabia to the Renaissance

This book is more than a comic. It imparts knowledge minus the yawns. History is one subject which is thought of as dry, boring and eminently put-down-able. Not so with Larry Gonick and his collection of 'The Comic History of the Universe' comic books.Though this comic book is great for laughs, it also teaches us factually correct, unbiased versions of events that happened centuries ago. This book ( and others in this series) should be included in the syllabus of all educational institutions who need to make education fun.The author has respect and the right amount of sympathy for those individuals and societies which fell behind or were pushed there. There is no unwanted hero worship and exaggerated tales about history's winners.Caravans: A Novel of Afghanistan

The best way to learn history. This should be used in college to teach students. Better yet, Junior year in high school, so the young will have greater awareness of history.

I love Larry Gonick's books. He makes history accessible to the average person, and yet his history is well-researched and well-written, in detail.....and funny! I have read lots of history books and his are some of the most enjoyable. In a way they are almost subversive, because you think you are reading a really funny comic, but in reality you are getting educated about the world we live in. Considering the appalling lack of historical knowledge of most Americans, these should be snuck into every house in America in the guise of entertainment. I highly recommend Larry Gonick's books to anyone who wants to be entertained AND educated.

Larry Gonick's Cartoon History of the Universe III, is a wonderful read. His humor is sharper than ever, or perhaps humanity just got more ridiculous with age. Whatever the reason it's still the most amusing history book you'll ever read. This book unfortunately does feel a bit rushed. Plenty of time is given to the rise of Islam and the decline of the Byzantine/"Roman" Empire, while some other events in Southeast Asia were overlooked as is history in North and South America (however some South American history is covered in the next volume, The Cartoon History of the Modern World Part 1: From Columbus to the U.S. Constitution (Pt. 1)). However, that's really a minor complaint, as Gonick crams nearly 800 years of world history in 300 pages and for the most part does a damn fine job. So for any history buffs, comic book fans, or pseudo intellectuals consider this book a must own.

The usual quick and interesting trip through many years and areas. With the usual Gonick quirky take on key points. Very thorough and persuasive, but with a tinge of the author's bias, but not much. Key take away. The old adage about learning history to avoid repeating mistakes is so wrong. We should learn history to understand what will happen in almost all cases. In my case that means less government, even possibly benevolent ones. Never works out over the long run.

In all my years of studying history, I have never come across a better, more even-handed survey than Gonick's "Cartoon History" series. He minimizes what should be minimized (Europe in the Dark Ages), and he emphasizes what has been neglected (the role of the Byzantine Empire, the rise of Islam and the Turks). He gets more out of his carefully drawn panels than many authors get out of 500 more pages. Out of the series, I'd rate this installment second, right behind the first volume. The second volume got a bit too bogged down in India for my tastes. I'd recommend this third volume to anyone, regardless of whether you've read the first two or not, because of its illumination of Islam's roots, as well as the root cause of so many of the middle east's conflicts (Muslim vs. Jew, Muslim vs. Christian, Muslim vs. Hindu, Shiite vs. Sunni, Turk vs. Greek, etc.).

I don't know why there was such a long gap between volumes II and III of Gonick's opus, but the research clearly paid off. Mr. Gonick covers parts of history that many of us with Western educations are less than familiar with: the Arab world (timely!), the African empires of Ethiopia and Ghana, and the central asian mongol and turk conquerors.You'll find the birth of Islam here, as well as the ongoing cultural competition between Buddhism and Hinduism. All supported by a wonderful bibliography, and Gonick's trademark humour, behind which lurks the melancholy and, dare I say it, cynicism that a serious study of history necessarily engenders. The book is dedicated to all skeptics, everywhere, and this is an essential part of any skeptic's library. Don't focus on the cartoon aspect: this is history, alive and vivid, and worth reading today.

We have six world and US history books by Gonick. Over the past few years our son, now 12, has read and re-read them many times. He finds them funny and interesting.

Un buen libro para disfrutar de la historia con mucho sentido del humor. Divertido y con dibujos que reflejan el mejor arte de Gonick

Brilliant book , well written and illustrated . Educational a good read for children and adults .

This is the third and final instalment of Larry Gonick's Cartoon History of the Universe. This is the best way to learn about history. It's impartial, unbiased and hilarious. He finds the humor in even the most gruesome historical event. I wish that this was how they taught history in schools. Highly recommended.

Comediest cartoonist saying history in more cartoonist way

Super, comme d'habitude avec cet auteur.