Following in the footsteps of E.H. Gombrich's bestseller A Little History of the World--now with over one million copies sold across all editions--Yale University Press's Little Histories series explores the history of the world's most remarkable people, events, and ideas. With engaging personal insights, our authors will take you on a whistle-stop journey from ancient times to the present--exploring all of life's big subjects from poetry to science.
As Yale University Press director John Donatich emphasizes, a key aspect of the series is their tone, which was set by Gombrich. "The tone of A Little History of the World is very special," Donatich says. "The book's quite accessible, avuncular rather than patriarchal, and has a wonderful way of inviting the reader to learn history."
Donatich noted the book's unusual origins. After receiving his doctorate in Austria in the mid-1930s, Gombrich worked as a reader for a publishing house. One MS that was meant to be a history of the world for young readers he judged as satisfactory but added that he could probably do a better job. The house took him up on the suggestion, giving him less than two months to turn the book around. Published in German in 1936, A Little History of the World was an immediate hit. Gombrich soon after emigrated to England, where he had a long career as an art historian whose major works include The Story of Art, Art and Illusion and Meditations on a Hobby Horse.
The Little Histories series began in 2005 with the publication of Gombrich's book in English translation and includes an illustrated version of A Little History of the World. Altogether Yale University Press has published 10 titles in the series, with more titles on the way. The series has been a steady seller, popular at independent bookstores, and sales have increased annually. The series helped give rise to some of Yale University Press's other series, including Jewish Lives and Why X Matters as well as the upcoming Black Lives and Ancient Lives series.
The Little Histories series start in hardcover and then appear in a high quality paperback, with deckle edges and cover flaps. The costs are relatively low, usually $26 for the hardcover and $15 or $16 for the paperback.
The latest edition in the series is A Little History of Art by Charlotte Mullins (April). Why did our ancestors make art? What did art mean to them and what does their art mean for us today? Why is art even important at all? From the first artworks ever made and early masterpieces such as the Terracotta Army through the turbulence of the 20th century, this little history introduces us to overlooked artists, busts a few art history myths, and celebrates global networks of art, from Japan and India to South America and the Middle East.