Until this book was written

1.
Once upon a time
2.
The greatest inventors in history
3.
The land of the Nile
4.
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
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There is only one God
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The birth of the alphabet
7.
Weapons of Heroes
8.
Fight with the Giant
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Sparta and Athens
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Land of the Enlightened
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Great teacher of a great nation
12.
The world's greatest adventurer
13.
The fight of new warriors
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The emperor who hated history
15.
Western rulers
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Good news
17.
Life in the Roman Empire and on the Frontier
18.
The era of thunder and lightning
19.
Starry Night
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There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is God's prophet.
21.
Wise Conqueror
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The fight for dominance of Christendom
23.
A knight worthy of being called a knight
24.
Emperor of the Age of Knights
25.
City and Citizens
26.
new era
27.
New world
28.
new faith
29.
The struggle between churches
30.
A time of tragedy
31.
The Unhappy King and the Happy King
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Changes in Eastern Europe
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Age of Enlightenment
34.
French Revolution
35.
The Last Conqueror
36.
Human and Machine
37.
The World Beyond the Sea
38.
Two New Empires in Europe
39.
Division of the world by the great powers
40.
A Part of World History I Experienced - A Retrospective

Ernst H.
Gombrich's life and works
List of illustrations
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The History of Gombrich's World History, Special Edition, Yale University

『Gombrich's World History』 was written in 1935 by Ernst H., a 26-year-old who received his doctorate in art history in Vienna, Austria.
This book was written in six weeks by Gombrich at the request of the author to write a world history for young readers.
I wrote one page every day, then read it to my fiancé every Sunday and revised it until it was complete.
Thus, 『Weltgeschichte von der Urzeit bis zur Gegenwart』, published in 1936, was banned by the Nazis for its “pacifist viewpoint,” but was lifted after the end of World War II.
The second edition was published in 1985, and has been translated into over 30 languages ​​to reach countless readers around the world.
In his later years, Gombrich took up the task of translating the book into English himself, making minor revisions and additions to the manuscript, resulting in the 2004 revised edition, A World History for Young Readers.
The English version was published by Yale University Press in 2005, and the Korean version was published in 2010 under the title Gombrich's World History (Biryongso).


In particular, the English version was selected by Yale University Press as a world history textbook, and has become a popular book for everyone from teenagers to adults, selling over 500,000 copies in the English-speaking world alone.
In 2011, an additional illustrated edition was released, featuring approximately 200 selected historical visual materials, including relics, ruins, paintings, and photographs.
Since its first publication in 1936, Gombrich's A History of the World has consistently reflected the changing times, making it the perfect introduction to world history for young readers.
It is characterized by a friendly writing style, like an old story, that is told so affectionately that even readers who do not know much about world history can easily understand it.
It is also a book that provides many insights into how to view and understand history and humanity.


Author Ernst H.
Who is Gombrich?

Ernst H.
Gombrich taught students at the University of London, Oxford University, Cambridge University, Harvard University, and other institutions, and actively conducted research. He is also the author of A History of Western Art, which has been translated into 32 languages ​​and sold over 6 million copies worldwide.
He was recognized for his contributions to human intelligence by receiving the Erasmus Award in 1975, the Austrian Cross of the Order of Honor in Science and Arts, the Hegel Prize in 1976, the German Order of Merit in 1977, the Balzan Prize in 1985, the British Order of Merit and the Wittgenstein Prize in 1988, and the Goethe Prize in 1994.


Starting with the simple question, "Which events of the past have had the greatest impact on the lives of the majority of human beings, and which remain most deeply in our memories?" Gombrich weaves history with extraordinary insight and humane perspective.
It unfolds thousands of years of history in 40 chapters, focusing on significant events of historical significance, including the emergence of primitive humans, the birth of writing, the development of various religions, the development of cities and citizens, the discovery of the New World, the Industrial Revolution, and two World Wars.
It helps readers discover the meaning of history by explaining how historical events have influenced humanity and changed the course of world history.
Gombrich, who was a young doctor when he first wrote this book, spent nearly 70 years studying the arts and humanities, becoming a respected master as a world-renowned intellectual. He gathered the wisdom of his life and refined this book into a book for today's youth.

World history that is fun to read like a storybook and doesn't require memorization.

“I hope readers can read with a relaxed mind, without the burden of taking notes or memorizing names or dates.
And I promise I won't ask you any questions to make sure you read it correctly." ―Ernst H.
Gombrich (book, p. 18)

Gombrich did not initially intend to write a book to replace the history textbooks used in class.
“I believed that most problems could be explained in simple terms, not complex technical jargon, and in terms that any intelligent child could understand,” and so I wrote this book to make it easy to read.
He emphasizes that it is more important to understand how a historical event has impacted the lives of countless people and why its meaning is still felt today than to memorize names and years.
I encourage readers to read this book without the burden of taking notes or memorizing names or dates when reading a history book.
Gombrich hopes that readers will understand what history is and what the history of mankind has been like through Gombrich's World History.


A world history book that examines the major trends of history from a balanced perspective.

Among the numerous events in world history, Gombrich, who wrote the book based on the impact they had on humanity and the historical value they still evoke today, praised the achievements of humanity that developed civilization, while clearly criticizing the mistakes made by people in the past.
While mentioning how the creation of the alphabet and the development of religion and learning had a great impact on humanity, it also criticizes the atrocities committed against the natives by Spanish adventurers out of greed for gold following their achievements in discovering the New World, and the inhumanity of the atrocities committed against Indians by Portuguese, English, and Dutch merchants.


Gombrich acknowledges that throughout history, humans have continued to make many mistakes.
However, it is also acknowledged that people live in a better environment than before.
Gombrich argues that while it is not true that the "better future we all hope for" has truly arrived, as there are still countries struggling with poverty today, there is hope for a better future, as many countries are making efforts to help each other survive.
Through Gombrich's world history, readers will feel a sense of historical mission and dream of creating the future.