This book contains H. G. Wells's 1922 non-fiction historic work, "A Short History of the World". It constitutes a comprehensive summary of contemporary scientific knowledge concerning the history of life on Earth - that starts with its origins and goes on to explore the development of humankind and the birth of civilisation. This fascinating text is recommended for those with an interest in the history of human existence and the development of related scientific theory, and it is not to be missed by fans of Wells's seminal work. The chapters of this volume include: "The World in Space", "The World in Time", "The Beginnings of Life", "The Age of Fishes", "The Age of the Coal Swamps", "The Age of Reptiles", "The First Birds and the First Mammals", The Age of Mammals", etcetera. Herbert George Wells (1866 - 1946) was a seminal English writer whose notable works include "The War of the Worlds" (1897) and "The Time Machine" (1895). Many vintage texts such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive, and it is with this in mind that we are republishing this book now, in an affordable, high-quality, modern edition. It comes complete with a specially commissioned biography of the author.