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English
Bloomsbury Academic
02 April 2026
How did the Columbian Exchange transform diets around the world? Why did expanding global trade hurt textile workers in India? In what circumstances did the COVID-19 virus become a global pandemic?

Panorama explores these questions by following the journey of humankind in a global context, weaving a world-scale narrative with a single chronological thread. It empowers you to connect the regional histories of particular states, empires, and cultural traditions to larger patterns of change on hemispheric and global scales—examining migratory movements, networks of trade, the spread of religions, pandemics, and environmental transformations.

Richly illustrated with 120 images and 48 maps, this new edition is organized into three chronological parts, each covering a defined era in world history. Volume 2 starts in the mid-fifteenth century CE and surveys up to the present day.

Each chapter includes dedicated learning features:

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“Individuals Matter” presents biographical sketches of individuals, both notable historical figures and ordinary people, whose lives in some way illuminate the chapter’s main developments. ·

“Weighing the Evidence” asks you to analyse and interpret primary sources, either texts or visual artifacts. ·

“Thinking about the Past with Global and Comparative Themes” encourages you to examine the threads of change that cut across global space and time.

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“Thinking History” questions help consolidate your knowledge, and “Reflecting on the Past” questions invite you to contemplate broader chapter themes.

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In-margin definitions of words and phrases help you build key vocabulary.

With its unique global narrative, chronological storytelling and exceptional features, Panorama provides a clear framework to analyse and engage with the changes, continuities, and anomalies in our world’s past—and their impact on the present.
By:   , ,
Imprint:   Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Edition:   2nd edition
Dimensions:   Height: 250mm,  Width: 196mm,  Spine: 28mm
Weight:   1.280kg
ISBN:   9781350434257
ISBN 10:   1350434256
Pages:   592
Publication Date:  
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Primary
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Introduction: The Earth, World History’s Theater The Big Land Masses: The Main Stage of History Moving Land Masses Seven Continents, or Only Five? Afroeurasia The Tropical Belt The Northern Latitudes of Temperate Climate Afroeurasia’s Mountain Spine The Eleven Seas Rivers Australia North and South America Connecting the Americas The America’s Long Cordillera Rivers and Seas The Oceans Conclusion Chapter 15: Calamities and Recoveries across Afroeurasia, 1300-1500 Environmental Crises of the Fourteenth Century Downpour and Drought The Great Pestilence Crises in the Political and Social Realms China: The Collapse of Mongol Rule Political and Economic Troubles in the Central Muslim Lands Europe in the Aftermath of the Black Death Fifteenth-Century Recuperation Technologies for the Future Ming China: New Prosperity and a Maritime Thrust South Asia: A Steadier Course of Change Astronomy and Empire Building in the Central Muslim Lands The Meaning of Recovery in Europe Conclusion Chapter 16: Oceans Crossed, Worlds Connected, 1450-1550 On the Eve of the Great World Convergence Changes in the Afroeurasian Trade Network The Eastern Atlantic Rim States in the Americas The Birth of the Atlantic World Changing Maritime Technology Europeans and Tropical Africans: Early Encounters Crossing and Connecting Oceans American Catastrophes American Death and the Columbian Exchange The End of the Aztec Empire Assault on the Inca Empire The Europeans have a “labor problem” Spanish Empire-Building The Portuguese Claim to Brazil New Power Relations in the Southern Seas To Capture the Spice Trade The Trans-Pacific Link Conclusion Chapter 17: Afroeurasia and Its Powerful States, 1500-1600 Afroeurasia’s Political Panorama The Big Three Muslim States The Ottoman Empire’s Dramatic Growth The Safavid Empire of Persia Mughal Power in South Asia Russia: From Principality to Empire Japan and the Tokugawa Strong Monarchies in Southeast Asia The European States The Songhay Empire Firearms and State Power New and Deadly Armies The Military Revolution The Limits of Central Power Trends in Religion, Language, and Culture Intellectual and Moral Ferment in China Tension between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims Religious Crisis in Europe Vernacular Languages and the State Languages of Cultural Prestige Conclusion Chapter 18: The Expanding Global Economy: Expectations and Inequalities, 1550-1700 Three Major Global Developments The Worldwide Network Takes Shape Maritime technology and global convergence The new Atlantic and Pacific networks: why only Europeans? The Continuing Columbian Exchange Climate Change in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries Afroeurasia and the Expanding World Economy Western Europe’s Economic Thrust Centuries of Silver in East Asia Asians and Europeans in the Southern Seas The Inner Eurasian Overland Trade The Atlantic Economy: Land, Capital, and Slave Labor The Atlantic Economy and African Slavery Change in Atlantic Africa Central African states and Portuguese intruders West African states Conclusion Chapter 19: The Changing Balance of Wealth and Power, 1650-1750 Empires and Big States Chinese Prosperity and Imperialism Russia from Poland to the Pacific The Spanish Empire in America Europe: Successes and Failures of Absolutism European Settlement and the Fate of Indigenous Peoples Early European Settlers in North America Russian Settlement of Siberia Europeans and Khoisan in South Africa Alternative Visions of God, Nature, and the Universe Scientific Advances The Enlightenment: Rethinking Human Nature and Society The Continuing Growth of Islam and Christianity Conclusion Chapter 20: Waves of Revolution, 1720-1830 World Economy and Politics, 1720-1763 A Commercializing World Troubled Empires in Asia Global Sea Trade and the Eighteenth-Century “World War” Revolutions on the North Atlantic Rim The Global Context of Popular Revolt The War of Independence in North America The French Revolution The Idea of Nationalism The Birth of Haiti The Second Wave: Revolutions in Latin America Colonial Society on the Eve of Rebellion The Wars of Independence Many Young States Conclusion Chapter 21: Energy and Industrialization, 1750-1850 The Energy Revolution The Fuel That Lies Beneath The End of the Biological Old Regime Industry on a New Scale Cotton and the Drift to Industrialization Mines and Machines Working in Factories Was There Something Special about Britain? Social and Environmental Consequences of Early Industrialization Industrialization and Global Exchange in the Early Nineteenth Century The Energy Revolution Takes Hold The Threads of Commerce Free Trade and the New Doctrine of Liberalism Conclusion Chapter 22: Coping with Change in the New Industrial Era, 1830-1870 Waves of Migrants Nineteenth-Century Slave Trade The Outpouring from Europe Neo-Europes and Indigenous Populations South Africa: An Unsuccessful Neo-Europe Migrations from Asia Oceania Connected Groundswells of Political and Social Reform Nationalism and the Power of the People Varieties of Socialism Movements for Women’s Rights Movements for Political Reform and Unification in Europe Modernizing Reforms in Muslim Lands The Limits of Liberalism in Latin America Religion and Reform Global Trends and Religious Change Christian Evangelism Jewish Reform Religious Reform and Revolution in the Muslim World Global Change and the Calamitous Wars of Midcentury The Crimean War and the Industrialization of Violence Paraguay: A War of Annihilation The Taiping Rebellion in China The Great Indian Rebellion The American Civil War Conclusion Chapter 23: Capital, Technology, and the Changing Balance of Global Power, 1860-1914 The Spread of Steam-Powered Industry Wealthy Britain Industrial Hubs in Europe and the United States Smokestacks in Russia The Meiji Restoration and Japanese Industry Industrialization on Smaller Scales: Gains and Disappointments Capitalism’s Global Reach The Worldwide Communication Grid Feeding Industrial Societies Rich Regions, Poor Regions The Lot of the Urban Working Classes Globalizing Business, Technology, and Science European Imperialism and Popular Resistance The Road to Colonialism in Africa and Southeast Asia Why did European Invasions Succeed? Resistance Movements and Their Consequences States That Survived Conclusion Chapter 24: Innovation, Revolution, and Global Crisis, 1890-1920 Turn-of-the-Century Prosperity, 1890-1914 Commerce and Gold Urbanization and Migration Scientific and Technological Advances Global Inequities and Their Consequences Drought and Plague Africa and Southeast Asia under New Colonial Rules Worker Protest and Nationalist Ferment in Europe Five Revolutions The Great War, 1914-1918 Lighting the Fuse A World at War Total War Russia: From War to Revolution Peace and Consequences Conclusion Chapter 25: Turbulent Decades, 1918-1935 Postwar Trends in Society and Culture Population Trends New Ways of Living in the Industrialized World Scientific Challenges to the Knowable Universe Modernity and Moderism Clashing Ideologies in the Political Arena Democratic Hopes The Soviet Union: Communist Authoritarianism Nationalists and Communists in China New Governments on the Political Right Left and Right in Latin America Colonial Rule and its Opponents in Africa and Asia Economy and Society in the Colonial Empires Ways of Ruling Foreign Immigrants in Colonized Lands Colonial Rule Contested The Great Depression and Its Consequences The Steep Descent Depression and the Continuing Trend toward Authoritarian Leaders Conclusion Chapter 26: World War II and Its Aftermath, 1933-1950 Empire Building and Global Crisis Empire of the Sun The Nazi State Italy’s Foreign Aggressions Fascist Dictatorship in Spain The Greatest War The Years of Axis Victory, 1939-1942 The Years of Counteroffensive, 1942-1945 The Second Total War The War beyond the Theaters of War The War and the Global Environment In the Wake of War, 1945-1950 Restoring Stability, Enforcing Justice The Two New Empires World War II and the Challenge to Colonial Empires Communist Victory in China Conclusion Chapter 27: The Global Boom and Its Contradictions, 1945-1975 Population and Economy: An Era of Spectacular Growth Global Population at Its Crest The Postwar Economic Boom Economic Growth in Communist States The Worldwide Lure of Industrialization Cities, Suburbs, and Shantytowns Postwar Consumer Society The Biosphere in Distress The Cold War Wears On The Era of Mutually Assured Destruction The Cold War Goes Global Fights for Freedom and Justice Paths to Independence: Protest and Negotiation Paths to Independence: Insurgency and Revolution Struggles for Stability in Young States High Expectations and Social Protest Conclusion Chapter 28: Countercurrents of Change, 1970-2008 An Electrified World The Era of the Integrated Circuit The Electronics of Transport Computers and the Body Unintended Consequences of Electronic Innovation Countercurrents in the Global Economy The 1970s: An Economic Turning Point Conflicting Capitalist Doctrines Shifting Centers of Economic Power The Persistence of Poverty Migration and the Global Economy Countercurrents in the Search for Global Order The World State System since 1970 A World of Organizations Disorder and Breakdown in an Era of Global Integration Palestinians and Israelis Into the Anthropocene Environment and Environmentalism The Perils of Climate Change Conclusion Chapter 29: 2008-present (In development)

Ross Edmunds Dunn is Professor Emeritus of History at San Diego State University, USA, where he taught African, Islamic, and world history. Urmi Engineer Willoughby is an Associate Professor of History at Pitzer College, USA, where she teaches courses on the intersection of health and ecology in North America and the world.

Reviews for Panorama, A World History: Volume 2: 1450 to the Present

“Panorama: A World History is a timely work that incorporates multiple disciplines in its examination of human interconnectedness and exchange. It is a vital examination of the ties that have bound humanity together and will be of great use in the classroom and beyond.” * Ian Abbey, Prairie View A&M University, USA * “Panorama seamlessly navigates global, regional, civilizational, local, and individual scales of time and space, offering clear signposts to help readers put the temporal and spatial pieces together. Designed with exceptional learning features to help students make sense of the past, it’s a “considerate” text—including marginal notes, guiding questions, comparative charts, primary sources, and an engaging narrative to enable historical thinking. Ideal for college-level surveys, it will be a valuable resource to prepare world history teachers.” * Bob Bain, University of Michigan, USA * “Panorama represents the best recent thinking in world history, and the authors have crafted a book which feels both comprehensive and grounded, covering major moments and themes without losing sight of individuals and their social context. The text feels written with the instructor in mind, and almost seems to anticipate what is needed – there is always a case study, map, artefact or provocative question in the book right when you would want it for your students.” * Jack Bouchard, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USA * “Finally, a world history text that puts human history on world time! Focused on humankind as a whole and its interactions over time, Panorama provides a conceptually organized and integrative approach to the human past” * Edmund Burke, University of California, Santa Cruz * In Panorama, A World History, Dunn and Willoughby have produced an engaging and comprehensive course-book covering the span of human existence from pre-history to the present. Judiciously incorporating the history of societies and cultures around the globe and weaving these into a coherent narrative, it balances the broad-brush approach inevitable in world history with accounts of exemplary individuals, objects and events, and invites the student to consider how historians approach their subject. Comprehensive without being overly dense, and generously illustrated in color with images, maps and tables, it is both visually and intellectually engaging. The new edition of Panorama, A World History is a boon to both instructors and students. * Brian Aivars Catlos, University of Colorado Boulder, USA * “Panorama is an innovative textbook that uses an environmental approach to make the daunting field of world history more manageable for undergraduates. Each chapter includes valuable resources that illustrate key themes and pushes students to make important connections across time and place. Panorama is an engaging and timely introduction to the field, and it has my highest recommendation!” * David Eaton, Grand Valley State University, USA * “The study of world history has never been more important, as humanity faces a growing threat to our global environment. The authors of Panorama—leading authorities in the field of world history and world history pedagogy—are well equipped to guide the student through the complexity of our common past. They move from multiple early human species to the present using a reasoned chronology. Geography, a weakness in our public knowledge, is stressed throughout.” * Edward L. Farmer, University of Minnesota, USA * “Panorama succeeds where many world history textbooks fall short—the narrative is rigorous and detailed, yet also engaging and easy to follow. From big history to microhistory, the story of our global past is told at different scales and by different methods. Impressively, somehow, it all hangs together. Attractive learning features, like primary source insets and critical thinking questions, invite reflection and build skills.” * Timothy J. Fitzgerald, James Madison University, USA * “In Panorama, one of the doyens of world history – Ross Dunn – and a young star – Urmi Engineer Willoughby – weave a grand narrative. They do so without losing sight of the things that make world history so rich: stories of individuals (both well-known and obscure), debates over the evidence, and the enduring questions that connect us to our shared human past.” * Trevor R. Getz, San Francisco State University, USA * “This stunning new edition of Panorama achieves a truly global vision of the past. Both accessible and probing, it will promote comparison and critical thinking while connecting readers to a world of individuals and shared humanity.” * Candice Goucher, Washington State University, USA * “This second edition of Panorama is, in my opinion, the best world history textbook on the market. It provides a uniquely unified story of human history, integrating world regions and peoples while recognizing their discrete accomplishments and complexities. The strong thread of environmental history that runs throughout the book avoids deterministic traps whilst making clear how the physical world has influenced, and been influenced by, human activity. The writing is clear and straightforward without being simplistic; the coverage is thorough and meaningful; and the primary sources and Individuals Matter features provide points of discussion that enhance student understanding.” * Sarah Renee Hamilton, University of Bergen, Norway * “I think I’ve finally found a world history book that is ‘world’ in an intelligent and useful way. It’s readable, its coverage is very good, and it has a clear analytical framework. I particularly like its environmental perspective.” * Phyllis Jestice, College of Charleston, USA * “This outstanding textbook has a thoughtful pedagogical design that encourages historical analysis and lively classroom dialogue. Comprehensive and engaging, the narrative style makes complex histories accessible for college-level students—whether they are history majors or encountering the subject for the first time.” * Anupama Mande, Fullerton College, USA * “The Panorama volumes provide a wonderful framework for tracing change in our world at multiple scales: they convey empires but also the experiences of colonies, while revealing the perspectives of individuals and struggles within communities. The “Thinking history” questions encourage readers to link historical events at each level to multi-scale patterns.” * Patrick Manning, University of Pittsburgh, USA * “Dunn and Willoughby have written an insightful, student-centered text that successfully presents a truly global narrative. The inclusion of environmental change as a theme is innovative and particularly welcome. Overall, Panorama is an indispensable resource for the world history classroom.” * Eliza Martin, Georgia State University, USA * “This fascinating, beautifully illustrated overview of world history is truly global in its approach—taking readers on a voyage across time and place, inviting them to explore events and developments around the world. The authors integrate discussions of the peoples and states that came and went over the millennia with thought provoking explorations of the long-distance contacts that thrived among them—migration, trade, diplomacy, and warfare—in addition to the environmental and demographic shifts. All of these transformed the world. Panorama also introduces us to real people in the past, with individual stories and primary source accounts interwoven into the epic sweep of events. It is a pleasure to read and a reminder of the vastness and intimacy, interconnectedness, and deep humanity of world history.” * Amanda H. Podany, California State Polytechnic University Pomona, USA * Panorama, A World History is a sweeping global story, and its strength is the authors’ attention to narrative at huge scales. Its structure and excellent maps are great, but what will really hook students are the people. From Babylonian priestesses to 19th-century telephone operators, Panorama centers the experience of individuals within the structures of world history, reminding students that this is a big story, but they are part of it. * Bennett G. Sherry, University of Pittsburgh, USA * Panorama’s new edition marks an impressive contribution to world history textbooks – the new co-author, Urmi Engineer Willoughby, brings valuable new perspectives to the already remarkable contributions of Ross Dunn. Revisions and updates reflect current scholarly approaches as well as attentiveness to students’ learning experiences. Teaching world history can be hard; but Panorama helps make it engaging, understandable, and digestible for students who may be new to this way of thinking about their place within the larger human story. * Jesse Spohnholz, Washington State University, USA * Ross Dunn and Urmi Engineer have created an impressive synthesis of human history, ranging from the emergence of hominids to the present. Panorama, A World History, interspersed with questions that invite reflections on historical patterns and processes, is an engaging and innovative contribution to the field. * James L.A. Webb, Jr., Colby College, USA *


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