Rise of Western Society

Follow four centuries of discovery and change, from the moment people set out to explore the world to turbulent times when it turned upside down—even for the people who stayed home! See how South American gold fueled Spain''s Golden Age, Ivan the Terrible expanded Russia at a terrible cost, a French king and an English king lost their heads (literally), and the United States won independence. Illustrated maps highlight key events and give a bird''s eye view of what was happening when and where—including mind-blowing inventions such as the telegraph, photography, and the car.