《人类的故事》上起远古，从埃及和美索不达米亚文明的发端，历数爱琴海文明、印度文明、中国文明以及古罗马文明，并以基督教的兴起为线索论述中世纪社会的发展和演变，勾勒出城市的兴起、文艺复兴乃至近代国家的形成，荤荦大端，各有条理。

在追溯一些主要国家的历史脉络的同时，作者讲述了许多重要历史人物的故事，品评他们的功过得失，给全书增添了不小的趣味性。房龙对东西方各种文明都有深入的研究，而且生当一、二次世界大战的乱世，他始终关注的一个问题便足各种文明之间如何才能破除此疆彼界，达到相互宽容与理解。在这本书中，房龙展示了一幅宏大的历史画卷，请读者站在人类发展的顶点，俯瞰这条奔腾不息的历长河。房龙一生博学多能，他的许多图书都自画插图，图与文相得益彰。

此书为美国鲍德温儿童文学网推荐的优秀青少年读物。此书自问世以来八十余年，在全世界已来八十余年，在全世界已行销数千万册，读者的热情历久不衰。

FOREWORD

Chapter 1

Chapter 2 THE SETTING OF THE STAGE

Chapter 3 OUR EARLIEST ANCESTORS

Chapter 4 PREHISTORIC MAN

Chapter S HIEROGLYPHICS

Chapter 6 THE NILE VALLEY

Chapter 7 THE STORY OF EGYPT

Chapter 8 MESOPOTAMIA

Chapter 9 THE SUMERIANS

Chapter 10 MOS．ES

Chapter 11 THE PHOENICIANS

Chapter 12 THE IND0—EUROPEANS

Chapter 13 THE AEGEAN SEA

Chapter 14 THE GREEKS

Chapter 15 THE GREEK CITIES

Chapter 16 GREEK SELF—GOVERNMENT

Chapter 17 GREEK LIFE

Chapter 18 THE GREEK THEATRE

Chapter 19 THE PERSIAN WARS

Chapter 20 ATHENS Vs．SPlARTA

Chapter 21 ALEXANDER THE GREAT

Chapter 22 A SUMMARY

Chapter 23 ROME AND CARTHAGE

Chapter 24 THE RISE OF ROME

Chapter 25 THE ROMAN EMPIRE

Chapter 26 JOSHUA OF NAZARETH

Chapter 27 THE FALL OF ROME

Chapter 28 RISE OF THE CHURCH

Chapter 29 MOHAMMED

Chapter 30 CHARLEMAGNE

Chapter 31 THE NORSEMEN

Chapter 32 FEUDALISM

Chapter 33 CHIVALRY

Chapter 34 POPE vs. EMPEROR

Chapter 35 THE CRUSADES

Chapter 36 THE MEDIEVAL CITY

Chapter 37 MEDIAEVAL SELF-GOVERNMEN1

Chapter 38 THE MEDIEVAL WORLD

Chapter 39 MEDIEVAL TRADE

Chapter 40 THE RENAISSANCE

Chapter 41 THE AGE OF EXPRESSION

Chapter 42 THE GREAT DISCOVERIES

Chapter 43 BUDDHA AND CONFUCIUS

Chapter 44 THE REFORMATION

Chapter 45 RELIGIOUS WARFARE

Chapter 46 THE ENGLISH REVOLUTION

Chapter 47 THE BALANCE OF POWER

Chapter 48 THE RISE OF RUSSIA

Chapter 49 RUSSIA vs. SWEDEN

Chapter 50 THE RISE OF PRUSSIA

Chapter 51 THE MERCANTILE SYSTEM

Chapter 52 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Chapter 53 THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

Chapter 54 NAPOLEON

Chapter 55 THE HOLY ALLIANCE

Chapter 56 THE GREAT REACTION

Chapter 57 NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE

Chapter 58 THE AGE OF THE ENGINE

Chapter 49 THE SOCIAL REVOLUTION

Chapter 60 EMANCIPATION

Chapter 61 THE AGE OF SCIENCE

Chapter 62 ART

Chapter 63 COLONIAL EXPANSION AND WAR

Chapter 64 A NEW WORLD

AS IT EVER SHALL BE

Appendix CATALOGUE