The Story of Mankind

"History is a giant tower of experience, built up by time in an endless wilderness of passing years. It is not easy to get to the top of this ancient building and gain the advantage of a full panoramic view. It does not have a lift, but young feet can always climb it if they are strong enough. Now, I give you the key to open the door to the great tower of history." Fannon's original intention was clearly to show children the selfishness, stupidity and evil of human nature in history before it is too late, and to teach them the importance of kindness and tolerance. He writes in a way that is suitable for children all the way to the fall of the Roman Empire, but after the Reformation, the direction of his writing is not his own. From the Reformation and the wars of the 16th century to the various revolutions of the 17th and 18th centuries, from politics to industry, the history of Europe cannot be told in a few words. I love Fann Wong's humour, and I find it bittersweet to watch him spouting off about historical figures or events. For example, after the First World War, the League of Nations initiated by US President Wilson was a sham, and Fannon said, "The baby League of Nations was casually dumped on the threshold of Europe by President Wilson. It did not die, but it lived a precarious life and grew into a weak and timid man, too weak to make its influence felt in any decisive way, and able only to provoke those who were actually friends by the occasional useless scolding and the wagging of an index finger as a warning."