This illustrated encyclopedia takes the reader through time, showing the reality of what it was like to live in the past. It investigates the whole of the human era, from prehistoric times to life in the modern world. The development of human civilisation is explained in a lively and accessible style, from great cities built and destroyed, and wars lost and won, to the birth of new religions, and advances in science and exploration. The high spots of human achievement are brought to life with illustrations, maps and photographs.