"A History of the World" by Andrew Marr

How do you cover the Big Bang to present day over six continents in under 600 pages? Andrew Marr has tackled the problem brilliantly in this highly readable and insightful popular history. The pace is fast (obviously!) but he still dives into interesting stories, factoids and individual biographies. Furthermore the book has a direction and clear themes that leave you with a new perspective on many aspects of modern world politics. Thoroughly recommended.