The Cartoon History of the Universe Vol. 8-13: From the Springtime of China to the Fall of Rome (comics)

The first "Cartoon History of the Universe" won raves from book critics and general readers alike and became a smash bestseller. Now Larry Gonick's back, with six more hilarious volumes in one tremendous package. Hip, multicultural, and funny, it has something for absolutely everyone.

Here's a new installment of the phenomenal bestseller that Publishers Weekly selected as one of the twelve graphic books of all time. Spanning ages and continents from Ancient India to Rome and China in A.D. 600, Volume II is hip, funny, and full of useful information.

Black & White illustrations throughout.

Continuing right where the first book left off, "The Cartoon History of the Universe II" once again combines Larry Gonick's superb cartooning with the lessons of history. Find out what Lynn Johnston, creator of "For Better of Worse", calls "a gift to those of us who love to laugh and who love to learn." Part II contains volumes 8 to 13, from the Springtime of China to the Fall of Rome (and India, too!).

Larry Gonick has done it again with a diffuse but deep excavation into early civilizations from ancient China to the Germanic tribes. In some ways, Larry Gonick asks a lot of American readership's occidental training by detailing every dynastic hotshot from the Orient. This also being a fertile time for the development of religious cults, Gonick spends much time on Christ (whom he insists on calling "Jeshua ben Joseph"), Confucius, (not, one might note, Lao Tsu or K'ung fu-tsze), Buddha and the like.

Larry Gonick's main focus is not to outline the contributions that allowed their teachings to survive the centuries, but rather to humanize them, and some come across as fanatical seekers simply looking for a following, a good meal, a wicked battle, a girlfriend or a shower. The artist's style is versatile and engaging, and his asides, puns and parenthetical references do much to keep the reader's attention throughout this tome, but that cannot entirely make up for the fact that some of this history is just plain dry. However, aficionados of cartoon blood, backstabbing, sex and history will love this volume, and might find a place for it near their encyclopedias.