Almost every great historical event has its roots in preceding events. Therefore, if you want to understand history, the place to start is with a general overview of world history. The Former Things is exactly that. It is particularly designed as a textbook suitable for students in their teen years. History is here followed by covering the most powerful empire of each age. Nevertheless, the focus is not power thirsty conquerors. Rather, the emphasis that is maintained is how those empires affected and interacted with God's people. The author frankly accepts the Holy Bible as an accurate historical record. This is not assumed upon blind faith. Rather, proof and explanation for this position are regularly provided in order to demonstrate that this is the only way to correctly document history. History is a record of what happened on this planet. It is regularly startling, frequently thought provoking, sometimes terrifying, on occasion humorous, at times mysterious, but almost always fascinating. Everyone ought to know something of what happened in history. So dive in and be amazed at the events of antiquity and at the marvels of what others have accomplished. But even more so, stand in awe of God and what he has done in his role as the "governor of the nations" (Psalm 22:28).