The forces that have shaped the twentieth century. ( )

a little outdated but interesting because of that. we have new problems now that the writer hadn't thought of. ( )

This is probably the most difficult period of human history to summarize adequately, as it seems more densely packed with events of great power and influence than any other. Yet the editors managed fairly well, and this final volume contains an index to the whole series. It is impossible to summarize all the important aspects and events of human history in these slim volumes, yet the editors made a reasonable go of it, and these books are probably most useful to the beginning history student attempting to get an overall perspective on human events. ( )