From the law courts of ancient Iraq to bloody Civil War battlefields, explore the daily lives of people from major world cultures throughout history, as presented in their own words. This collection of historical documents and illustrations provides insight into major cultures from all continents. Hundreds of thematically organized, annotated primary documents, and over 100 images introduce aspects of daily life throughout the world, including domestic life, economics, intellectual life, material life, politics, religion, and recreation, from antiquity to the present. Document selections are guided by the National Standards for World History.-- from publisher's description.

V.1. The ancient world / David Matz, volume editor : Chronology -- Part I. Historical overview : Sumeria ; China ; India ; Egypt ; Israel ; Greece ; Rome --Part II. Domestic life : Families and households -- Old age and retirement -- Travel -- Making a living -- Part III. Economic life : Urban life -- Rural life -- Slavery -- Trade and commerce -- Part IV. Intellectual life : Education -- Respect for writing, language, and literature -- Health and medicine -- Oratory -- Part V. Material life : Food and drink -- Houses and furniture -- Clothing -- Part VI. Political life : Government -- Justice and legal system -- Warfare -- Part VII. Recreational life : Sports and games -- Fishing and hunting -- Vacations, celebrations, and festivals -- Part VIII. Religious life : Deities -- Priests and religious rituals -- Death and the afterlife -- Glossary of individuals and terms -- Appendix : Biographies of document authors. V.2. The Middle Ages and Renaissance / Lawrence Morris, volume editor : Chronology -- Part I. Historical overview : The early middle ages (410-1066) -- The later middle ages (c. 1066-1492) -- The Renaissance and early modern era (1492-1660) -- Part II. Domestic life : Life cycles -- Women's roles -- Children -- Part III. Economic life : Urban life -- Rural life -- Trade and monetary systems -- Slavery -- Part IV. Intellectual life : Education -- Science and medicine -- Language and literature -- Part V. Material life : Food and drink -- Housing and furniture -- Clothing and personal appearance -- Part VI. Political life : Government and hierarchy -- Legal systems -- Warfare -- Part VII. Recreational life : Games and sports -- Performing arts -- Visual arts -- Part VIII. Religious life : Deities and doctrines -- Priests and rituals -- Death and the afterlife -- Glossary of individuals and terms -- Appendix : Biographies of document authors -- V.3. The modern world / David M. Borgmeyer and Rebecca Ayako Bennette, volume editors : Chronology -- Part I. Historical overview : The eighteenth century: 1700-1815 -- The nineteenth century: 1915-1914 -- The twentieth and twenty first centuries: 1914-present -- Part II. Domestic life : Women's roles -- Children -- Old age -- Part III. Economic life : Urban life -- Rural life -- Trade and migration -- Part IV. Intellectual life : Education -- Science -- Health and medicine -- Language and literature -- Art -- Part V. Material life : Food and drink -- Houses and furniture -- Clothing and personal appearance -- Technology -- Part VI. Political life : Social hierarchy -- Government -- Justice and legal systems -- Warfare -- Part VII. Recreational life : Games and sports -- Travel -- Music and dance -- Part VIII. Religious life : Religions in contact -- Forms of worship -- Systems of belief -- Death and the afterlife -- Glossary of individuals and terms -- Appendix : Biographies of document authors.