Felipe Fernandez-Armesto

"There has never been nationhood without falsehood."

Felipe Fernández-Armesto is currently the William P. Reynolds Professor of History at Notre Dame University, and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Global History. Fernández-Armesto is also a member of the history faculty at Queen Mary College, University of London.

The author, coauthor, or editor of more than twenty-five books, Fernández-Armesto's work has been translated into twenty-two languages. His books include Before Columbus; The Times Illustrated History of Europe; Columbus; Millennium: A History of the Last Thousand Years (the subject of a ten-part series on CNN); Civilizations: Culture, Ambition, and the Transformation of Nature; Near a Thousand Tables; The Americas; Ideas That Changed the World; Humankind: A Brief History; The Times Atlas of World Exploration; Reformations; Truth; and The Times Guide to the Peoples of Europe.

What subjects and genres does Felipe Fernandez-Armesto write in?

He writes history and non-fiction, focusing on global history, exploration and discovery, civilizations, the Americas, human history, and major historical transformations such as the Reformations.

Are his books academic or suitable for general readers?

His work combines scholarly research with accessible narrative. He is an academic historian, but many titles are written for a broad readership and some have been adapted for wider audiences.

Which book is a good place to start with his work?

For a broad overview try Civilizations or The Oxford Illustrated History of the World. For exploration and the Age of Discovery start with Before Columbus or 1492. For concise human-focused accounts try Humankind or So You Think Youre Human?

Is there a recommended reading order for his books or themes?

There is no single required order. Read by theme or chronology: for example, follow exploration-focused works chronologically (Before Columbus, then 1492, then books on Columbus or Amerigo), or begin with a general survey like Civilizations before moving to specialised studies.