The ultimate popular history book, History's Greatest Hits brings together, in one highly readable, handsomely illustrated volume, the most famous episodes in history. Ranging from Hannibal's wars against ancient Rome to the calamitous attack that triggered today's "War on Terror," these pages portray in vivid detail the events that have claimed a permanent place in our collective memory, including: The assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC, later masterfully dramatized by Shakespeare, which not only brought about the demise of one of Rome's most remarkable leaders but also of the Roman Republic, precipitating the rise of the Roman Empire. The Black Death, the terrifying plague that swept through fourteenth-century Asia and Europe, killing millions and decimating entire communities. Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas in 1492, which momentously united two worlds, bestowing disease and oppression on one and glory and riches on the other. In one fell swoop, human understanding of geography and the global balance of power was transformed. The unforgettable moment in July 1969 when astronaut Neil Armstrong took "one small step" out of the Apollo 11 lunar module, the Eagle, onto the surface of the Moon, entirely altering our perspective of our planet and its solar system. Book jacket.