Glimpses of world history

'Glimpses of the World History' is an account of the progress of the world through centuries and ages. This book is a collection of letters that Jawaharlal Nehru wrote to his daughter Indira when he was in various Indian prisons for three years. The letters were meant to introduce her to the world and its history. In the first few letters, Nehru expresses his sadness for not being able to be around his daughter and give her the materialistic gifts that other parents could but he promises to give her a gift that he could afford; in the form of knowledge and wisdom through words that come from the very core of his heart. Nehru wrote 196 letters and covered the history of mankind from 6000 BC to the time he was writing the letters.

A major part of these letters talks extensively about the rise and fall of empires around the world and development of civilizations as well. Nehru talks about the histories of every significant place ranging from Greece in the far West to China in the east. The book talks about the wars that were fought during these years and the greatest revolutions that overthrew established dynasties. Nehru has also written about the legendary leaders and kings who have walked the earth including right from Alexander the Great to Mahatma Gandhi.

Unlike many other books that talk more or less about particular history of specific cultures, this book is a panoramic view of the history of mankind. It talks about the barbarians as well as the well behaved societies in the far west. Nehru has written this book with lot of wit which makes it an interesting read.