Book Introduction: World History: Portraits of Humanity Through the Flow of Events

As the title chosen for the Vietnamese version suggests -World History: A Portrait of Humanity Through the Course of EventsThe book is divided into seven main chapters, vividly portraying the history of the world, starting from the earliest human ancestors living in Africa, through the periods of development of nations and cultures, to the prominent events of the contemporary world. Alongside the summary and description of historical developments, at the bottom of each page is a timeline summarizing the important milestones of each period. Chapter 8 concludes world history through typical figures and events, important figures and achievements of humanity in many fields – politics, exploration, scientific invention, culture and education… Therefore, the book is very useful for readers who want both a comprehensive overview of world history and a deeper understanding of typical historical issues and events through different facets of time.

The book coverWorld History: A Portrait of Humanity Through the Course of Events"

What particularly attracts readers to this book is its rich and vivid illustrations. Leveraging its advantage as the world's largest complex of research institutes and museums, comprising dozens of member museums, research institutes, and branches worldwide, the Smithsonian Institution has amassed a vast collection of materials and artifacts for this book. Large-format color photographs, detailed maps, and impressive charts contribute to creating an engaging and lively presentation of historical events that are often dry and complex.

With the desire to better address the interests of domestic readers, the translation and editing team has added several significant historical events of Vietnam to the Vietnamese edition. These events have been carefully selected, adhering to the general spirit of the original text to ensure consistency with the overall picture. It is hoped that this will provide readers with a comparative perspective on the level of development and historical progress of Vietnam compared to other countries in the region and around the world.

Having been familiar with the book for quite some time and having actually used its content in our teaching and research, we are delighted and honored to be invited to edit and write the introduction for this Vietnamese edition. We would like to express our gratitude to Dong A Publishing Company, the team of translators, editors, and others for their efforts and for facilitating the early release of this book. Despite our best efforts, due to the vast volume and scope of knowledge in the book and the complexity of the translation, the translation undoubtedly still contains some shortcomings. Therefore, we sincerely hope to receive feedback from readers near and far so that the book can be improved in future editions.Reprinted later.

We are pleased to introduce this to our readers!