Mankind: The Story of All of Us, Vol. 1

As a companion to the History Channel's series of the same name, this graphic novel presents a sweeping version of history from the dawn of agriculture up to the crusades.  I can't comment on how it compares to the TV series, which I haven't seen.  The art of Mankind is basic, but high-quality comic book style, with nice framing and coloring.

The greatest strength for interest and readability is the personalization of each era:
--A mother passes along to her child the stories her grandmother told about the transition from the nomadic to agricultural life style.
--A father teaches his son about forging steel, and demonstrates steels superiority over bronze in battle.
--A runner carries news of his army's victory, enabling democracy to thrive (this, of course, is Pheidippides, bringing news to Athens of the victory at Marathon.).
--A wise teacher named Jesus is unjustly executed, and his followers establish a movement that persists today.
The Iron Age, the Silk Road, and the Crusades round out the volume.

For a quick, engaging view of history in broad strokes, Mankind is a worthy, if limited, effort.



Here's a sample:

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary review copy!

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