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The Kingfisher Atlas of the Modern World (2007)

The Kingfisher Atlas of the Modern World

The Kingfisher Atlas of the Modern World carries the subtitle, A Pictorial Guide to the Peoples and Events of Modern Times—from 1800 to the Present. This is an oversize, 48-page book, appropriate for upper elementary grades through junior high, although even high schoolers might find it a useful brief overview of modern world history.

Printed in full color, most pages have information overprinted on maps in brief paragraphs and illustrations. It should serve as a reference book, the type that someone might sit with, reading the “snapshots” of information and referring to the map. There is no orderly way to read through the information as you would for a read-aloud book.

The book progresses through key eras from the 1800s to the present, continent by continent for the most part. Information is presented with single sentences summarizing key events and people. Every so often, a particular event such as the U.S. Civil War or the Holocaust are given a few sentences in larger type. Obviously, few of these events can be done justice in one sentence (or even a few sentences), so this book should be an adjunct to a more complete study. What it does well is to provide a quick overview connected visually with geographical locations that helps students put historical information into context.

The emphasis is mostly upon wars, political changes, and shifts of power although some attention is given to technological changes, and even less to cultures. I picked up some political slants and judgments throughout the book with which some homeschoolers might not agree. For example, “Fundamentalism” is defined in a list with only five other “isms”: capitalism, communism, fascism, Marxism, and Nazism. Treatment of the Cold War era paints the U.S. in a negative light, and includes statements such as, “By the late 1980s, the U.S. had outspent the U.S.S.R. and forced it toward financial ruin,” implying that American military spending was the sole factor in the collapse of the U.S.S. R. Treatment of the Israel-Palestine issue also seems slanted against Israel.

Even if some of the subtly expressed opinions don’t suit you, this book could still be used making sure that it is balanced with information in your core resource or through discussion.

You might want to check out The Kingfisher Atlas of World History, a larger volume by the same author published in 2010.