The aim of this rather dramatically titled hard cover volume is to outline significant
events and developments that have unfolded over the
course of the previous
century. It starts from 2004 and works backwards to 1901 - you would have to ask Peter Murray why he chose to present it this way. This is a book that documents the twentieth century; an incredible period of change on every front - social, political, cultural, technological and economic. After absorbing this back-tracking narrative you realise just how much has happened in the last hundred years. It goes without saying that the world of the
early twenty-first century is a vastly different one to its early twentieth century counterpart. Murray is well aware of this - presumably that was what prompted him to write the fascinating account that unfolds
page by page.
From the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 to the Madrid Train Bombings of 2004, Peter Murray draws the reader's attention to a kaleidescope of events that have affected every corner of the globe. Each topic only scratches the surface of the area it discusses. While everyone who
reads this book will not necessarily
agree that every event listed in this book changed the world, they will at least agree that some of them did. There are obviously numerous other events and developments that could have been included, but the author is of course limited by time and space. In addition to photos, a box of interesting facts and figures accompanies the text under each year. This is the sort of book that is a joy to read - it could be used as an academic reference or it could just as easily grace a coffee table. Either way, anyone who reads this will come away with a much clearer idea of why the world is the way it is now.
More reviews about the Events That Changed The World