1925 The Outline of History by H.G. Wells Illustrated Antique Book Four Volume Set - Being a Plain History of Life & Mankind 4th Edition

$128.24 $170.99

Shipping to United States: Free

January Special: 35% off when you buy 3 Items —Discount is Automatically Applied

1925 The Outline of History by H.G. Wells Illustrated Antique Book Four Volume Set - Being a Plain History of Life & Mankind 4th Edition

<Condition is Good+ as Pictured> (normal wear with markings, visible edge-wear, corners bumped/rubbed, age appropriate toning to interior pages, some page corners/edges are folded, previous owners bookplate is present inside the front covers of all 4 volumes)

—The Outline of History, subtitled either "The Whole Story of Man" or "Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind", is a work by H. G. Wells chronicling the history of the world from the origin of the Earth to the First World War.
It appeared in an illustrated version of 24 fortnightly installments beginning on 22 November 1919 and was published as a single volume in 1920. It sold more than two million copies, was translated into many languages, and had a considerable impact on the teaching of history in institutions of higher education. Wells modeled the Outline on the Encyclopédie of Denis Diderot.
In the years leading up to the writing of The Outline of History Wells was increasingly preoccupied by history, as many works testify. (See, for example, The New Machiavelli, Marriage, An Englishman Looks at the World, The Wife of Sir Isaac Harman, Mr. Britling Sees It Through, etc.) During World War I, he tried to promote a world history to be sponsored by the League of Nations Union, of which he was a member.
But no professional historian would commit to undertake it, and Wells, in a financially sound position thanks to the success of Mr. Britling Sees It Through and believing that his work would earn little, resolved to devote a year to the project. His wife Catherine (Jane) agreed to be his collaborator in typing, research, organisation, correspondence, and criticism. Wells relied heavily on the Encyclopaedia Britannica (11th ed., 1911), and standard secondary texts.
He made use of the London Library, and enlisted as critical readers "a team of advisers for comment and correction, chief among them Ernest Barker, Harry Johnston, E. Ray Lankester, and Gilbert Murray. The sections were then rewritten and circulated for further discussion until Wells judged that they had reached a satisfactory standard." The bulk of the work was written between October 1918 and November 1919.



Be sure to check out the NomadTraders Etsy shop: https://nomadtraders.etsy.com






->All Items are used, we do our best to accurately list each items condition. We do miss minor details from time to time, we are consistently working on our accuracy. If you have any questions regarding the condition of an item, or would like additional photos, please feel free to ask before making your purchase.
Thank you, NomadTraders

Shipping from United States

Processing time

1 business day

Customs and import taxes

Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.

Payment Options

Secure options
  • Accepts Etsy gift cards

Returns & Exchanges

I gladly accept returns

Just contact me within: 3 days of delivery

Ship items back to me within: 7 days of delivery

I don't accept exchanges or cancellations

But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.

The following items can't be returned or exchanged

Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:

  • Custom or personalized orders
  • Perishable products (like food or flowers)
  • Digital downloads
  • Intimate items (for health/hygiene reasons)

Conditions of return

Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.

Legal imprint