"A Short History of the World" by H. G. Wells is a historical account published in 1922. Drawing from his fuller work "The Outline of History," Wells condenses humanity's grand adventure for busy readers. The book traces Earth's origins through the development of life, early civilizations, and human thought, concluding with World War I and the League of Nations. Albert Einstein later recommended it as essential reading for understanding civilization's progress. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
These books are free to read. Each is in the public domain in the United States; check your own country's rules before you copy or share one.