Voyages in World History, Volume 1: To 1600

The authors of VOYAGES IN WORLD HISTORY never forget that history is made up of the stories of people. Each chapter of the text centers on a story--a traveler's account that highlights the book's main theme, the constant movement of people, goods, and ideas. The travelers include merchants, poets, rulers, explorers, soldiers, missionaries, and scholars, and their voyages provide a framework for each chapter that will draw you into the stories of world history. For the second edition of this text, the authors added broad global connections to every chapter, which will help you understand events in a larger context. VOYAGES IN WORLD HISTORY helps you make sense of the range of people, places, and events crucial to comprehension of world history. Available in the following split options: VOYAGES IN WORLD HISTORY, Second Edition Complete, Volume 1: To 1600, and Volume 2: Since 1500.

About the Author :
Valerie Hansen received her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1987. She is Professor of History at Yale University, where she teaches courses in East Asian history, especially pre-modern China. Her many scholarly publications include CHANGING GODS IN MEDIEVAL CHINA, 1127?1276 (Princeton UP, 1990) and NEGOTIATING DAILY LIFE IN TRADITIONAL CHINA: HOW ORDINARY PEOPLE USED CONTRACTS, 600-1400 (Yale UP, 1995). She is also author of THE OPEN EMPIRE: A HISTORY OF CHINA TO 1600 (WW Norton, 2000) and THE SILK ROAD: A NEW HISTORY (Oxford UP, 2012). As co-author of the Cengage Learning text VOYAGES IN WORLD HISTORY, she contributes Chapters 1-15. Kenneth R. Curtis received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in African and Comparative World History. His research focuses on colonial to postcolonial transitions in East Africa, with a particular focus on the coffee economy of Tanzania. He is Professor of History and Liberal Studies at California State University Long Beach, where he has taught world history at the introductory level, in special courses designed for future middle and high school teachers, and in graduate seminars. He has worked to advance the teaching of world history at the collegiate and secondary levels in collaboration with the World History Association, the California History/Social Science Project, and the College Board's Advanced Placement World History course.

Review :
"The premise of the book drew me in immediately--and I am a very hard sell on a world civ book! . . . I think that the theme established creates a sense of cohesion. . . . I love the approach. My department has recently taken a more global history approach to world civ and this book seems well suited to this approach. . . . I can see this book engaging many students." "This is one of the latest entries into the field of World History texts and it is one of the best. It takes a lot of the solid features of some of the better texts out there and adds some very cool and unique features like fine maps, an excellent pronunciation guide and a cool traveler's component."