World History Reference

No matter who you are, there are gaps in your knowledge of world history. Whether they're big ones (when did World War II take place? who were the Sassanids? what nationality was Genghis Khan?) or obscure ones (where did the ancients consider the seat of thought and emotion to be? who tried to find the Fountain of Youth in Florida? did Richard III kill his nephews?), filling those holes can only help your understanding of the big picture.

Reference works are easily the best way to do this. While you could just read every massive historical tome you can find, getting a compendium of information is much more time- and cost-effective, and more likely to yield the information you want. We carry overall guides, lists of resources (All Through the Ages is the best of these), encyclopedias, timelines, atlases, etc., covering both the spectrum of world history and specific periods.

Don't think these have to be strictly school-related books, either—facts have a fascination of their own, and both kiddos and adults can be drawn into a good reference book for hours. Some of these are beautifully illustrated and make excellent coffee table books, while others are hilarious, theme-related, or just plain interesting. Learning ought to be fun, and world history reference books are one of the best ways to make it so.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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41 Items found Print
Active Filters: 5th grade (Ages 10-11)
Africa's Vanishing Wildlife
by Chris & Tilde Stuart
1st edition from Smithsonian Books
for 5th-10th grade
in Africa (Location: HISMC-AFR)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
All Through the Ages
by Christine Miller
3rd edition from Nothing New Press
World History Reference for All grades
in World History Reference (Location: HISW-REF)
Awakening of Europe
Story of the World Series #3
by M. B. Synge
from Yesterday's Classics
History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in History Spines & Surveys (Location: HISRF-SPINE)
$13.95 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Awakening of Europe
Story of the World Series #3
by M. B. Synge
from Living Book Press
History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in History Spines & Surveys (Location: HISRF-SPINE)
$9.99
Calendar Quest
by Jennifer Johnson Garrity
from Brimwood Press
for 4th-6th
in Tools for Young Historians (Location: BIBWV-TYH)
$15.00
Color the Western World
by Marcia Harris Brim
from Brimwood Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Tools for Young Historians (Location: BIBWV-TYH)
$19.00
Cultural Atlas for Young People: Africa
by Jocelyn Murray
3rd edition from Facts On File
African History Reference/Atlas for 4th-8th grade
in Africa (Location: HISMC-AFR)
$35.00
Discovery of New Worlds
Story of the World Series #2
by M. B. Synge
from Yesterday's Classics
History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in History Spines & Surveys (Location: HISRF-SPINE)
$13.95
Discovery of New Worlds
Story of the World Series #2
by M. B. Synge
from Living Book Press
History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in History Spines & Surveys (Location: HISRF-SPINE)
Explorers & Discoverers - 4 Volume Set
from UXL Publishing
biographical encyclopedia for 5th-8th grade
in World History Reference (Location: HISW-REF)
$30.00 (1 in stock)
Glorious Age in Africa
by Daniel Chu, Elliot Skinner
from Africa World Press, Inc.
for 5th-10th grade
in Africa (Location: HISMC-AFR)
$4.00 (5 in stock)
Growth of the British Empire
Story of the World Series #5
by M. B. Synge
from Yesterday's Classics
British History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in History Spines & Surveys (Location: HISRF-SPINE)
$13.95 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Growth of the British Empire
Story of the World Series #5
by M. B. Synge
from Living Book Press
British History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in History Spines & Surveys (Location: HISRF-SPINE)
$10.99
Guide to Egypt
by Michael March
from Highlights for Children
for 1st-6th grade
in Near & Middle East (Location: HISMC-NME)
$1.50 (2 in stock)
Guide to South Africa
by Michael March
from Highlights for Children
for 1st-6th grade
in Africa (Location: HISMC-AFR)
$1.50 (3 in stock)
Guides to History Plus
by Kathryn Stout
from Design-A-Study
for All grades
in Design-A-Study (Location: HSR-DAS)
$14.00 $6.00 (3 in stock)
History Helps
by Bonnie L. Dettmer
from Small Ventures
for 4th-6th grade
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$2.00 (4 in stock)
History of the World
by Plantagent Somerset Fry
from DK Publishing
for 5th-9th grade
in History Encyclopedias & Fact Books (Location: HISRF-ENC)
$39.99
Kenny Kwiz
by Kenny Abegglen
from Brimwood Press
for 4th-6th
in Tools for Young Historians (Location: BIBWV-TYH)
$15.50
Kingfisher Young World Encyclopedia
by Larousse
from Larousse
for 4th-6th grade
in Encyclopedias (Location: REF-ENC)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Last 500 Years
by Fiona Chandler, Jane Bingham, Sam Taplin
from Usborne
for 4th-8th grade
in World History Reference (Location: HISW-REF)
Let the Authors Speak
by Carolyn Hatcher
Revised
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in World History Reference (Location: HISW-REF)
Oxford Children's History of the World
by Neil Grant
from Usborne
for 4th-8th grade
in World History Reference (Location: HISW-REF)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Picturesque Tale of Progress - 9 Volumes
by Olive Beaupre Miller
from Book House for Children
for 4th-9th grade
in Vintage Anthology Collections (Location: VIN-ANTH)
Story of Clocks and Calendars
by Betsy & Giulio Maestro
Reprint from HarperCollins
for 3rd-8th grade
in Time & Clocks (Location: MATM-TIME)
$9.99
Story of Mankind
by Hendrik Willem Van Loon, updated by John Merriman
from W. W. Norton and Co.
for 5th-8th grade
1922 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Story of Mankind
by Hendrik Willem Van Loon
from Yesterday's Classics
for 5th-8th grade
1922 Newbery Medal winner
in History Spines & Surveys (Location: HISRF-SPINE)
$19.95 $12.00 (1 in stock)
Story of Mankind
by Hendrik Willem Van Loon, updated and introduced by Robert Sullivan
from W. W. Norton and Co.
for 5th-8th grade
1922 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$18.95
Story of Mankind - 4 Volume Set
by Olive Beaupre Miller
from Book House for Children
for 3rd-6th grade
in History Spines & Surveys (Location: HISRF-SPINE)
$30.00 (2 in stock)
Story of Mankind Volume 1
by Olive Beaupre Miller
from Book House for Children
for 3rd-6th grade
in History Spines & Surveys (Location: HISRF-SPINE)
Story of Mankind Volume 2
by Olive Beaupre Miller
from Book House for Children
for 3rd-6th grade
in History Spines & Surveys (Location: HISRF-SPINE)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Story of Mankind Volume 3
by Olive Beaupre Miller
from Book House for Children
for 3rd-6th grade
in History Spines & Surveys (Location: HISRF-SPINE)
Story of Mankind Volume 4
by Olive Beaupre Miller
from Book House for Children
for 3rd-6th grade
in History Spines & Surveys (Location: HISRF-SPINE)
Story of the World - M. B. Synge Collection
by Margaret Bertha Synge
from Yesterday's Classics
for 4th-8th grade
in History Spines & Surveys (Location: HISRF-SPINE)
$59.30
Timechart History of the World
6th edition from Chartwell Books
for 4th-Adult
in Timeline Resources (Location: HISRF-TIM)
Usborne Encyclopedia World History from Ancient to Modern Times
by Usborne
from Usborne
for 4th-7th grade
in World History Reference (Location: HISW-REF)
Usborne Illustrated Atlas of World History
by Lisa Miles
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Historical & Cultural Atlases (Location: HISRF-ATLAS)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Usborne Time Traveler
by Tony Allen
from Usborne
Ancient/Middle Ages History Reference for 3rd-8th grade
in World History Reference (Location: HISW-REF)
$20.69
World History
from Arcturus
for 3rd-6th grade
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$2.00 (2 in stock)
World History Made Simple
by Ruth Beechick
from Mott Media
Non-fiction for 9th-Adult
in Practical Home Schooling (Location: HSR-PRAC)
$13.95
World History the Easy Way Volume One
by Charles A. Frazee
from Barron's
for 4th-8th grade
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)