Noted teachers and scholars William J. Duiker and Jackson J. Spielvogel present a balanced, compelling overview of world history that explores common challenges and experiences of the human past, and identifies key patterns over time. Political, economic, social, religious, intellectual, cultural, and military history -- presented in a chronological framework -- help students appreciate and understand the distinctive character and development of individual cultures in society. Themes (Science and Technology, Art and Ideas, Family and Society, Politics and Government, Earth and the Environment, Religion and Philosophy, and Interaction and Exchange), assist students in placing historical events and the contemporary world in a meaningful context. Available options: WORLD HISTORY, 9th Edition (Chapters 1–30); Volume I: To 1800 (Chapters 1–18); Volume II: Since 1500 (Chapters 14–30).

Part I: THE FIRST CIVILIZATIONS AND THE RISE OF EMPIRES (PREHISTORY TO 500 CE).
1. Early Humans and the First Civilizations.
2. Ancient India.
3. China in Antiquity.
4. The Civilization of the Greeks.
5. The Roman World Empire.
Part II: NEW PATTERNS OF CIVILIZATION (500–1500 CE).
6. The Americas.
7. Ferment in the Middle East: The Rise of Islam.
8. Early Civilizations in Africa.
9. The Expansion of Civilization in South and Southeast Asia.
10. The Flowering of Traditional China.
11. The East Asian Rimlands: Early Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.
12. The Making of Europe.
13. The Byzantine Empire and Crisis and Recovery in the West.
Part III: THE EMERGENCE OF NEW WORLD PATTERNS (1500–1800).
14. New Encounters: The Creation of a World Market.
15. Europe Transformed: Reform and State Building.
16. The Muslim Empires.
17. The East Asian World.
18. The West on the Eve of a New World Order.

Noted teachers and scholars William J. Duiker and Jackson J. Spielvogel present a balanced, compelling overview of world history that explores common challenges and experiences of the human past, and identifies key patterns over time. Political, economic, social, religious, intellectual, cultural, and military history -- presented in a chronological framework -- help students appreciate and understand the distinctive character and development of individual cultures in society. Themes (Science and Technology, Art and Ideas, Family and Society, Politics and Government, Earth and the Environment, Religion and Philosophy, and Interaction and Exchange), assist students in placing historical events and the contemporary world in a meaningful context. Available options: WORLD HISTORY, 9th Edition (Chapters 1–30); Volume I: To 1800 (Chapters 1–18); Volume II: Since 1500 (Chapters 14–30). New and revised material in the second half of the text includes women and witchcraft (Ch. 15); the reasons for the rise and decline of the Ottoman Empire (Ch. 16); British policies in India (Ch. 19); the intense debate over the consequences of Western Imperialism in Asia and Africa (Ch. 21); the social consequences of World War I (Ch. 23); the impact of technology (Ch. 25); new sections on migration crises; nativism and the politics of fear; and the march of women (Ch. 28); and the reasons behind the so-called Arab Spring and the collapse of organized nation-states in the contemporary Middle East (Ch. 29). More critical thinking questions in this edition are focused on comparison across time periods or across cultures. More end-of-chapter "Upon Reflection" questions also reflect the comparative approach. New subsections, identified by the “Historians Debate” label, help provide historiographical emphasis. Some of these debates include “The Shang Dynasty: China’s ‘Mother Culture’?” (Ch. 3); “What was Romanization?” (Ch. 5); “The Mongols: A Reputation Undeserved?” (Ch. 10); “What were the Effects of the Crusades? (Ch. 12); “The Qing Economy: Ready for Takeoff?” (Ch. 17); “Was There an Agricultural Revolution?” (ch. 18); “What is the Future of Africa? (Ch. 29); “What is the Future of India? (Ch. 30). New primary source features have been added. In the first half of the book, these include “The Code of the Assura (Ch. 1); “The Daily Life of an Upper-Class Roman” (Ch. 5); "The Legend of the Feathered Serpent" (Ch. 6); "Ibn Khaldun: Islam's Greatest Historian" (Ch. 7); "The Saintly Miss Wu" (Ch. 10); “The Genius of Michelangelo” (Ch. 13); “Frederick the Great and His Father” (ch. 18) ; The Reality of War: The Views of British Poets (Ch. 23); and “Some Prefer Nettles” (Ch. 24). WORLD HISTORY provides a solid narrative that students can easily read and understand. The authors artfully combine regional and global discussions, and provide a thematic framework to help students make comparisons and connections across cultures and time periods. Seven central themes make the narrative more cohesive while helping students make connections and comparisons across chapters. These themes are: Science and Technology; Art and Ideas; Family and Society; Politics and Government; Earth and the Environment; Religion and Philosophy; and Interaction and Exchange. Each of the book's Comparative Essays, Comparative Illustrations, Opposing Viewpoints, and primary source features are keyed to one of these themes. The book contains over 150 four-color maps and 400 pieces of artwork. "Spot maps" also appear in each chapter, highlighting critical details on smaller areas. Map captions and accompanying questions encourage readers to think beyond the mere appearance of each map and to make connections across chapters, regions, and time periods. "Film & History" features analyze popular films using a historian's perspective to show students how movies represent, and sometimes misrepresent, the past. These features shine the spotlight on films -- from iconic classics to recent blockbusters -- such as: Gladiator (2000, Ch. 5); The Lion in Winter (1968, Ch. 12); Marie Antoinette (2006, Ch. 18); The Young Victoria (2009, Ch. 19); Suffragette (2015, Ch. 20); Passage to India (1984, Ch. 21); Triumph of the Will (1934, Ch. 25); Bridge of Spies (2015, Ch. 26); The Iron Lady (2011, Ch. 28); and Gandhi (1982, Ch. 30). "Opposing Viewpoints" present two or more primary source documents representing differing perspectives on the same or related topics, providing students an opportunity for hands-on analysis. Accompanying critical-thinking questions can be assigned for individual or collaborative study. Topics include "Two Views of Trade and Merchants" (Ch. 12); "Practical Learning or Confucian Essence: A Debate Over Reform" (Ch. 22); "Soviet Repression in Eastern Europe: Hungary, 1956" (Ch. 26); and "Africa: Dark Continent or Radiant Land?" (Ch. 29).