Panorama, A World History

Praise for second edition:

Panorama: A World History is a timely work that incorporates multiple disciplines in its examination of human interconnectedness and exchange. It is a vital examination of the ties that have bound humanity together and will be of great use in the classroom and beyond.

-- Ian Abbey * Prairie View A&M University, USA *
Panorama represents the best recent thinking in world history, and the authors have crafted a book which feels both comprehensive and grounded, covering major moments and themes without losing sight of individuals and their social context. The text feels written with the instructor in mind, and almost seems to anticipate what is needed – there is always a case study, map, artefact or provocative question in the book right when you would want it for your students. -- Jack Bouchard * Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USA *

Panorama seamlessly navigates global, regional, civilizational, local, and individual scales of time and space, offering clear signposts to help readers put the temporal and spatial pieces together. Designed with exceptional learning features to help students make sense of the past, it’s a “considerate” text—including marginal notes, guiding questions, comparative charts, primary sources, and an engaging narrative to enable historical thinking. Ideal for college-level surveys, it will be a valuable resource to prepare world history teachers.

-- Bob Bain * University of Michigan, USA *
Panorama is an innovative textbook that uses an environmental approach to make the daunting field of world history more manageable for undergraduates. Each chapter includes valuable resources that illustrate key themes and pushes students to make important connections across time and place. Panorama is an engaging and timely introduction to the field, and it has my highest recommendation! -- David Eaton * Grand Valley State University, USA *
The study of world history has never been more important, as humanity faces a growing threat to our global environment. The authors of Panorama—leading authorities in the field of world history and world history pedagogy—are well equipped to guide the student through the complexity of our common past. They move from multiple early human species to the present using a reasoned chronology. Geography, a weakness in our public knowledge, is stressed throughout. -- Edward L. Farmer * University of Minnesota, USA *
Panoramasucceeds where many world history textbooks fall short—the narrative is rigorous and detailed, yet also engaging and easy to follow. From big history to microhistory, the story of our global past is told at different scales and by different methods. Impressively, somehow it all hangs together. Attractive learning features, like primary source insets and critical thinking questions, invite reflection and build skills. -- Timothy J. Fitzgerald * James Madison University, USA *
In Panorama, one of the doyens of world history – Ross Dunn – and a young star – Urmi Engineer Willoughby – weave a grand narrative. They do so without losing sight of the things that make world history so rich: stories of individuals (both well-known and obscure), debates over the evidence, and the enduring questions that connect us to our shared human past. -- Trevor R. Getz * San Francisco State University, USA *
This stunning new edition of Panorama achieves a truly global vision of the past. Both accessible and probing, it will promote comparison and critical thinking while connecting readers to a world of individuals and shared humanity. -- Candice Goucher * Washington State University, USA *

This second edition of Panorama is, in my opinion, the best world history textbook on the market. It provides a uniquely unified story of human history, integrating world regions and peoples while recognizing their discrete accomplishments and complexities. The strong thread of environmental history that runs throughout the book avoids deterministic traps whilst making clear how the physical world has influenced, and been influenced by, human activity. The writing is clear and straightforward without being simplistic; the coverage is thorough and meaningful; and the primary sources and Individuals Matter features provide points of discussion that enhance student understanding.

-- Sarah Renee Hamilton * University of Bergen, Norway *
This outstanding textbook has a thoughtful pedagogical design that encourages historical analysis and lively classroom dialogue. Comprehensive and engaging, the narrative style makes complex histories accessible for college-level students—whether they are history majors or encountering the subject for the first time. -- Anupama Mande * Fullerton College, USA *
The Panorama volumes provide a wonderful framework for tracing change in our world at multiple scales: they convey empires but also the experiences of colonies, while revealing the perspectives of individuals and struggles within communities. The “Thinking history” questions encourage readers to link historical events at each level to multi-scale patterns.” -- Patrick Manning * University of Pittsburgh, USA *
Dunn and Willoughby have written an insightful, student-centered text that successfully presents a truly global narrative. The inclusion of environmental change as a theme is innovative and particularly welcome. Overall, Panorama is an indispensable resource for the world history classroom. -- Eliza Martin * Georgia State University, USA *
This fascinating, beautifully illustrated overview of world history is truly global in its approach—taking readers on a voyage across time and place, inviting them to explore events and developments around the world. The authors integrate discussions of the peoples and states that came and went over the millennia with thought-provoking explorations of the long-distance contacts that thrived among them—migration, trade, diplomacy, and warfare—in addition to the environmental and demographic shifts. All of these transformed the world. Panorama also introduces us to real people in the past, with individual stories and primary source accounts interwoven into the epic sweep of events. It is a pleasure to read and a reminder of the vastness and intimacy, interconnectedness, and deep humanity of world history. -- Amanda H. Podany * California State Polytechnic University Pomona, USA *
“I think I’ve finally found a world history textbook that is truly “world” in an intelligent and useful way. It’s readable, its coverage is very good, and it has a clear analytical framework. I particularly like its environmental perspective.” * P. Jestice, College of Charleston, USA *
Finally, a world history text that puts human history on world time! Focused on humankind as a whole and its interactions over time, Panorama provides a conceptually organized and integrative approach to the human past. -- Edmund Burke * University of California, Santa Cruz, U