A history of the world / Hugh Thomas

Includes index.

Bibliography: p. [644]-657.

I. Foundations of history: Birth of the world -- Man as a hunter -- Coming of agriculture -- Early social bonds -- Early dealings between peoples -- History of the innovators -- II. Age of agriculture: Population and its increase -- Population, disease and medicine -- Population, war and battle -- Population, famine and food -- Agriculture techniques -- Agriculture, landlords and labourers -- Agriculture co-operation -- Agriculture, slaves and serfs -- Agriculture, cloths and clothes -- Early history of the soul -- Universal religion -- Law, government and liberty -- III. Intellectual transformation: Renaissance in Europe -- World re-opened -- Revival of commerce -- Slow journeys by land -- Revolution: printing -- City life -- Gunpowder wars -- People, medicine and food of the Renaissance -- IV. Industrial triumphs: Age of machines -- Steam and coal -- New Iron Age -- Age of steel -- Cotton as king -- Industrialisation and modernisation -- New sources of energy -- New communications -- Revolution in information -- Twentieth century mass communications -- Agricultural mechanisation -- Transformation of food -- Great medical improvements -- Population out of control -- Urban man -- Modern capitalism -- British contribution -- V. Political failures: Modern warfare -- Causes of war: monarchy and despotism -- The Great War -- Nazis' war -- Causes of war: racialism -- "Cold" war -- Causes of the "cold" war: class consciousness -- "Class" in power -- Causes of the "cold" war: notions of imperialism -- Democratic alternative -- Democracy: internal anxieties.