Europe

My recent bedtime reading is A Pictorial History of Europe, compiled by the Wuhan Publishing House.

I bought this paperback during my trip to Nanjing last year. Seriously it is an easy read. The structure is well organized; the text is concise and supported by many brilliant illustrations. Although basically meant for the history of Europe, it also covers major events in the rest of the world. If you know very little history to start with, it does give you a good grasp of the fundamental facts. For that very purpose, I used to read JM Roberts’ The New Penguin History of the World, which is twice as heavy and, based on how quick I manage to finish with it, ten times more difficult to read.

You may ask: What is the time to introduce this book to my princesses?

Alas! NEVER.

For amateurs and beginners of studying history, my personal recommendation is Understanding the History of the World in Three Days by Sakurai Kiyohiko (松井櫻彥).