Audio lectures in World History
AP World History: A Brief History of the World (30 minutes in length)
By Peter Stearns, Provost and Professor of History at George Mason University.
Note: Professor Stearns has worked extensively for the Advanced Placement program and chaired the committee that devised and implemented the AP World history course.
VERY Detailed Descriptions and Outlines of the Lectures
Foundations (8000 BCE-600 CE)
Lecture One - What and Why Is World History?
Lecture Two - The Neolithic Revolution
Lecture Three - What Is a Civilization?
Lecture Four - The Classical Period in World History
Lecture Five - Cultural Change in the Classical Period
Lecture Six - Social Inequalities in Classical Societies
Lecture Seven - The Roman Empire and Han China
Lecture Eight - The Silk Road; Classical Period Contacts
Lecture Nine - The Decline of the Classical Civilizations
Post-Classical Period (600 - 1450)
Lecture Ten - The Postclassical Period, 500–1450
Lecture Eleven - World Religions and Their Consequences
Lecture Twelve - The Impact of Islam
Lecture Thirteen - Postclassical Trade and Contacts
Lecture Fourteen - Postclassical Patterns of Imitation
Lecture Fifteen - Western Civilization in World Context
Lecture Sixteen - The Mongol Years
Lecture Seventeen - Civilizations in the Americas and in Africa
Early Modern Period (1450-1750)
Lecture Eighteen - The World in 1450
Lecture Nineteen - The Early Modern Period, 1450−1750
Lecture Twenty - The World Economy, 1450−1750
Lecture Twenty-One - Transformations in Western Europe
Lecture Twenty-Two - The Rise of Russia
Lecture Twenty-Three - Asian Empires and a Shogunate
The Modern Era (1750-1914)
Lecture Twenty-Four - The Long 19th Century
Lecture Twenty-Five - Abolition of Slavery and Serfdom
Lecture Twenty-Six - Modernization and Nationalisms
Lecture Twenty-Seven - The Formation of Latin American Civilization
Lecture Twenty-Eight - China and Japan: 19th Century Pressures
The Contemporary Period (1914-Present)
Lecture Twenty-Nine - The 20th−21st Centuries as a New Period
Lecture Thirty - The World Economy—Change and Continuity
Lecture Thirty-One - An Age of Revolutions
Lecture Thirty-Two - The United States in World History
Lecture Thirty-Three - Contemporary Democracy
Lecture Thirty-Four - Contemporary Cultural Change
Lecture Thirty-Five - Gender in Contemporary World History
Lecture Thirty-Six - Globalization and World History
AP World History: A Brief History of the World (30 minutes in length)
By Peter Stearns, Provost and Professor of History at George Mason University.
Note: Professor Stearns has worked extensively for the Advanced Placement program and chaired the committee that devised and implemented the AP World history course.
VERY Detailed Descriptions and Outlines of the Lectures
Foundations (8000 BCE-600 CE)
Lecture One - What and Why Is World History?
Lecture Two - The Neolithic Revolution
Lecture Three - What Is a Civilization?
Lecture Four - The Classical Period in World History
Lecture Five - Cultural Change in the Classical Period
Lecture Six - Social Inequalities in Classical Societies
Lecture Seven - The Roman Empire and Han China
Lecture Eight - The Silk Road; Classical Period Contacts
Lecture Nine - The Decline of the Classical Civilizations
Post-Classical Period (600 - 1450)
Lecture Ten - The Postclassical Period, 500–1450
Lecture Eleven - World Religions and Their Consequences
Lecture Twelve - The Impact of Islam
Lecture Thirteen - Postclassical Trade and Contacts
Lecture Fourteen - Postclassical Patterns of Imitation
Lecture Fifteen - Western Civilization in World Context
Lecture Sixteen - The Mongol Years
Lecture Seventeen - Civilizations in the Americas and in Africa
Early Modern Period (1450-1750)
Lecture Eighteen - The World in 1450
Lecture Nineteen - The Early Modern Period, 1450−1750
Lecture Twenty - The World Economy, 1450−1750
Lecture Twenty-One - Transformations in Western Europe
Lecture Twenty-Two - The Rise of Russia
Lecture Twenty-Three - Asian Empires and a Shogunate
The Modern Era (1750-1914)
Lecture Twenty-Four - The Long 19th Century
Lecture Twenty-Five - Abolition of Slavery and Serfdom
Lecture Twenty-Six - Modernization and Nationalisms
Lecture Twenty-Seven - The Formation of Latin American Civilization
Lecture Twenty-Eight - China and Japan: 19th Century Pressures
The Contemporary Period (1914-Present)
Lecture Twenty-Nine - The 20th−21st Centuries as a New Period
Lecture Thirty - The World Economy—Change and Continuity
Lecture Thirty-One - An Age of Revolutions
Lecture Thirty-Two - The United States in World History
Lecture Thirty-Three - Contemporary Democracy
Lecture Thirty-Four - Contemporary Cultural Change
Lecture Thirty-Five - Gender in Contemporary World History
Lecture Thirty-Six - Globalization and World History