A History of the World in 100 Objects

 

A few years ago, my dear  friend Finnbarr O'Driscoll highly recommended a series on BBC Radio 4 called A History of the World in 100 Objects. written and narrated by Neil MacGregor, the former director of the British Museum. The central idea was to take a man-made object from the museum's collection and, not so much to describe it as to show how it contributed to the history of the world.

As usual with me, it is only now that I have got around to listening to it, and somewhat to my surprise find it extraordinarily fascinating. Although one can listen to the series for free on the BBC Sounds app, it is in some ways more convenient to follow it in book or e-book form.

If this approach to history appeals to you, you might also like: Germany, Memories of a Nation by the same author.