What a stone pillar can tell us about a great Indian ruler who preaches tolerance to his people, what Spanish ducats tell us about the beginnings of the global currency, or what a Victorian tea service reveals to us about the power of the British Empire - Neil MacGregor not only describes all these objects, but also reveals to us a piece of world history through their observation. Whoever encounters the things gathered here - from the African hand axe to the solar lamp made in China - in this way sees history as a great kaleidoscope - circling, connected in many ways, incessantly full of surprises. An intellectual and aesthetic pleasure from the first to the last page and one of the most exceptional historical books of recent years.