Guns, Germs and Steel

The MILLION-COPY bestselling history of everybody (20th Anniversary Edition)

Jared Diamond author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Vintage Publishing

Published:30th Apr '98

Should be back in stock very soon

Guns, Germs and Steel cover

This Pulitzer Prize-winning work examines the historical forces that shaped civilizations, offering insights into the disparities seen across the globe in Guns, Germs and Steel.

In Guns, Germs and Steel, Jared Diamond explores the profound question of why human history has developed so differently across various continents. He argues that geography and biogeography, rather than racial differences, have played a pivotal role in shaping the destinies of different societies. This perspective challenges traditional narratives that attribute success to inherent superiority, offering a more nuanced understanding of historical events.

Diamond's work is an ambitious synthesis that draws from history, biology, ecology, and linguistics, making it a comprehensive examination of the forces that have influenced the rise and fall of civilizations. Through this lens, Guns, Germs and Steel provides insight into the current global landscape, highlighting how past events continue to inform present-day crises and disparities.

The book has garnered significant acclaim, including the Pulitzer Prize, and is praised for its engaging narrative and depth of research. It presents a compelling case for understanding the interconnectedness of human societies, emphasizing that the divisions we see today are rooted in historical processes rather than simple differences among people. By weaving together diverse disciplines, Diamond crafts a story that is both informative and thought-provoking, inviting readers to reconsider their perceptions of history and its impact on our world today.

The most absorbing account on offer of the emergence of a world divided between have and have-nots... Never before put together so coherently, with such a combination of expertise, charm and compassion * The Times *
A book of remarkable scope... One of the most important and readable works on the human past * Nature *
A prodigious, convincing work, conceived on a grand scale * Observer *
This is the book that turned me from a historian of medieval warfare into a student of humankind -- Yuval Noah Harari * Week *
Fascinating, coherent, compassionate and completely accessible * Sunday Telegraph *

  • Winner of Rhone Poulenc General Prize for Science Books 1998
  • Winner of Rhone-Poulenc Science Books Prize 1998

ISBN: 9780099302780

Dimensions: 197mm x 128mm x 39mm

Weight: 516g

592 pages