Time in History

A study of the evolution of our general awareness of time and its significance from earliest times, ranging from Ancient Egypt and Persia, Greece, and Israel, to the Islamic world, India and China, and Europe and America, showing the different ways time has been perceived by various civilizations.

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It seems the more accurately we are able to measure time, the more we worry about it and the more it dominates our lives. However, most of us are so accustomed to the ideas of time, history, and evolution that we forget that these concepts have not always been perceived in the way they are today. This fascinating book traces the evolution of our general awareness of time and its significance from the dawn of history to the present day. G. J. Whitrow's absorbing narrative examines not only the development of our methods of measuring time, from the formulation of early calendars to the standardization of time-keeping throughout the world, but also discusses the way in which our changing concept of time has influenced history itself. 'No one is better qualified than G. J. Whitrow to review ideas of time down the ages ...an admirable survey, authoritative and readable, of the evolution of our awareness of time and our methods of measuring it.' TLS.