The Expanding World of Man

Although European events dominate the first half of Volume III, the theme of the whole – as the title makes plain – is The Expanding World of Man. Accordingly, milestones in the history of Russia, China, the Americas, and India have been included. And despite Sir Edward Creasy’s assertion…..that all milestones of history are necessarily military or naval actions, no more than seven of the sixteen essays in this book are primarily concerned with warfare….

Dynasties fall, boundaries change, enterprise supplants the chivalric ideal, and written languages take shape in this era. There is a new urgency about man’s quest for fulfillment as he attempts to explore the unknown, exploit his environment, understand the purpose of life and come to terms with reality – and in so doing, “expand” the world of man.

– Neville Williams, editor
(from the introduction)

1215: Agreement at Runnymede – J.C. Holt

England’s King John signs the Magna Carta, and unwittingly speeds the decline of “divine right” monarchs.

1240: The Russian Giant Stirs – Constantine de Grunwald

The victories of Alexander Nevski help a great nation take shape on Europe’s eastern borders.

1275: When East Met West – Ronald Latham

The travels of Marco Polo, recorded in a famous book, arouse Europe’s curiosity about the mysterious Orient

1320: The Divine Comedy – G.A. Holmes

In composing his epic poem, Dante gives expression to new ideologies and helps create the Italian language

1348: The Black Death – Philip Ziegler

Trading vessels returning to fourteenth-century Europe from Levantine ports carry a new and deadly cargo: bubonic plague

1381: Wat Tyler “Captures” London – W.L. Warren

England’s boy king averts civil war, but cannot ignore his subjects’ demands for a larger voice in Parliament

1431: The Maid of Orleans – Regine Pernoud

Saint or witch – a peasant girl from Lorraine sways a nation – and is burned at the stake for fulfilling her mission

1453: The Fall of Constantinople – John Julius Norwich

The inexorable advance of the Ottoman Turks spells the end for the once-brilliant Roman Empire of the East

1492: Landfall at San Salvador – J.H. Parry

Seeking the elusive Orient, Christopher Columbus happens upon America and opens a new world to Europe

1512: Frescoes for Pope Julius – Jean Delumeau

Michaelangelo’s triumphant achievement in painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel marks a high point of the Italian Renaissance

1521: The Conquest of Mexico – John Julius Norwich

Luck, ingenuity, and courage – and the skillful use of firearms and horses – enables Cortes to topple the mighty Aztec empire

1533: A Bible for the Masses – Richard Friedenthal

Martin Luther’s secretly published vernacular translation of the New Testament proves the power of the popular press in Europe

1543: The Earth Dethroned – Colin Ronan

Copernicus’ theory of planetary motion – making the sun, not the earth, the center of the universe – inaugurates a scientific revolution

1571: Cutting the Sultan’s Beard – Jean Descola

Two vast navies – one Christian, one Moslem – engage in a sea duel that determines the course of trade in the eastern Mediterranean

1573: A New Empire for India – J. Burton-Page

By conquering the province of Gujarat, the Mogul Emperor Akbar lays the foundation for a pan-Indian nation

1588: The Invincible Armada – Neville Williams

As Spain’s mighty naval force approaches, England seems doomed – but “God breathes” and the island kingdom is spared