Everything you need to know about the world we lived in. What were the first cities of the ancient world like? What really happened to the dinosaurs? How did the secretive work of spies evolve over the centuries? Why was the Terracotta Army found buried beside the tomb of a Chinese Emperor? The How It Works Book of Incredible History is dedicated to answering all these questions and many more. In this edition we journey through the ages and celebrate history’s most intriguing customs, traditions and inventions – ones that changed the world forever. Not only will you traverse time periods, you will tour time zones via our eclectic range of subjects: the ancient world, iconic buildings and landmarks, weapons and warfare, masterful inventions, influential visionaries and prehistoric predators. Packed with fascinating facts and figures accompanied by gorgeous photographs, diagrams and illustrations, be inspired as history is brought to life before your eyes!
Welcome to HOW IT WORKS BOOK OF INCREDIBLE HISTORY
ANCIENT HISTORY
Mesopotamia: The creators of civilisation • Discover how society as we know it began in a small region of modern day Iraq
The world’s first cities • With its reliable source of food, people gathered in Mesopotamia and formed the very first cities
Seven ways Mesopotamia changed the world
How Vesuvius destroyed Pompeii • The catastrophic eruption that buried an entire city
THE GENIUS OF ANCIENT GREECE • How the inventions, discoveries and culture of this great civilisation changed the world
The Acropolis • Athens’ defining citadel became an enduring symbol of ancient Greek architecture
Innovations and inventions • The ancient Greeks devised many clever mechanisms and systems that are still used today
Great Greek minds • Meet some of the most prominent thinkers in all of ancient Greece
What the Greeks did for us • The legacy of ancient Greece in the 21st century
The art of mummification • Mummies have been found in many parts of the world, but Egyptian mummies are the most well-known due to their distinctive appearance and unique embalming process
Britain’s tribal territories • Before the Roman invasion in 55 BCE, Britain was characterised by a large number of ancient tribes, each with its own culture
The Terracotta Army • Learn about China’s ancient warriors for the afterlife
BUILDINGS, PLACES & LANDMARKS
10 WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD • Take a tour of history’s greatest human-made landmarks and discover how they were built
The Washington Monument • Inside the US capital’s iconic marble obelisk that commemorates the achievements of the nation’s first president
Windmills • Find out how these towers have helped harness wind power throughout history
The history of Central Park • How did such a huge area of New York City become a green space?
Florence Cathedral • Crowned with the largest masonry dome in the world, Florence Duomo is a Renaissance masterpiece
How was the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling painted? • Explore the tools and techniques behind Michelangelo’s lofty Renaissance masterpiece
The Globe Theatre’s story • The most famous and historic theatre in Britain – if not the world – the Globe was the original home to William Shakespeare’s greatest plays
What went wrong at Chernobyl? • Learn how a runaway reaction led to a nuclear disaster…
WEAPONS & WAR
HISTORY’S DEADLIEST WARRIORS • Lethal fighters who could strike fear into the hearts of even the most battle-hardened enemy
SPIES THROUGH HISTORY • The secrets of espionage through the ages
Ancient espionage • How intelligence was gathered by ancient civilisations
Elizabethan espionage...