The Cartoon History of the Universe II, Volumes 8-13: From the Springtime of China to the Fall of Rome

Among the comic strips for little ones and the graphic books (which are not 'comics' ... nothing comical in or about these) about well muscled super-heroes in tights for young readers in the US, this series is a gem. A class apart in style ... considering the content, especially. Again, in a country where ignorance is celebrated and knowledge is shunned (in general ... exceptions are there, of course), an overview of the vast history of humankind, in a palatable, interesting and humorous form, is a gem unlooked-for. As one critic said (and quoted somewhere on the book cover), it is better than most (all?!) school text books. And considering a comic strip, it has veritable gold mine of references of published history and research papers showing the fantastic effort and the extent of knowledge of the author. I would say it's the best gift that can be given to a school-age boy or girl (and any adult on any day). At a time of unrest and intolerance as the one we live in especially, a book like this that shows the connections and varieties human civilizations on different parts of the globe is a fantastic first step that can help one appreciate the variety and common grounds of humans all over the mother earth.

Good general purpose book for classroom library. This is a great set of books in cartoon form. Easy to understand. Good condition. Arrived quickly.

Bought this for my husband off of his wishlist for his birthday… he was very pleased. Condition of used book was very good, a couple of small bent corners but no writing inside or out and binding intact (not broken). Very happy with purchase.

We have six world and US history books by Gonick. Over the past few years our son, now 12, has read and re-read them many times. He finds them funny and interesting.

Kids love the author. Great humor and educational. Lot of copy cats out there none come close to this classic

This one isn't quite as good as the cartoon history of the United States, but almost. I think it's not as good simply because of the time period it covers and not because it's not just as hilarious and informative. After buying the Cartoon History of the United States and it helping my son so much with understanding and processing his US history class, I saw this one used at a good discount and picked it up. It's mostly been read by me, but it's on our keeper shelf just in case one of the kids ever needs it. It's a good investment.

I'll start this by saying I absolutely love history. The first book (volumes 1-7) was amazing and it really captures the important things through time and explains them in a way that is both memorable and fun. My wife who isn't a big fan of your typical non-fiction history books really enjoyed this as well. Larry Gonick has done a tremendous job making cartoon history relate-able and interesting for even your casual history buff. I plan on completing my journey through history by getting the rest of Gonick's collection.

This guy makes me laugh and lkearn at the same time. I was always able to remember most of the history stories but I couldn't remember the names or sequence. These books help with both. The artwork is great. I really enjoy the background parts of the pictures. The footnotes and bibliographies are well worth reading too.

A brilliant book , educational well written and well illustrated , suitable for children and adults

Colour more appreciative.

Loved it ! A must for anyone who would like to brush up his or her knowledge of history in a fun and very well-informed way.

Just like the first book, this too, is great ! Absolutely loved it ! I am going to see this series through to the end.

Always funny and informative.