I’ve known about a wonderful history site, MacroHistory, for quite some time, and I’ve even posted about it here before. But when I posted about it, it was a tiny note in a post about me essentially being busy with class work, and not having much time to blog. Considering how much I like and use the site, I think a more proper post is needed. So here it is.
MacroHistory covers history from prehistory up to the 21st century. It’s obviously broken down into time periods, but also into geographic regions with a bit of pond-hopping, based on how various areas have affected each other through time. For example, on the page covering the 16th century up to the 19th century, there are sections on:
- Europe, Africa, and the Americas
- The Mid-East and India
- The Far East to 1700
- War and Revolution in Europe and America
… and much more besides. The articles themselves are quite well written, and the author has tried to be neutral in his assessment of things. In the comments, a few history professors have said that they use the site instead of an intro level textbook. I think that says volumes about the quality of the site. Also, if you find that an article has piqued your interest in an era, reign, or what have you, most of the articles have a list of recommended books at the end.
As an aside, the site, which is done as far as I can tell almost entirely by one fellow, is a fine example of what happens when you switch from watching TV to producing something: Clay Shirky on the Cognitive Surplus.