This is a history of humanity like it's never been told before. Historian Alvin Finkel builds on the work of archaeologists, anthropologists and historians to present the very long view of the history of the human species. His focus is not on the leaders whose exploits are recounted in traditional histories, but rather on the experiences of ordinary people, the 99%, whose experiences and activities are often overlooked.

In the extensive research of many contemporary scholars, Alvin Finkel notes a common thread which most historians have ignored: the constant efforts of ordinary people throughout history to create and sustain societies based on equality of all individuals. Contrary to traditional historical writing, he finds that the earliest human communities usually treated all individuals as equals. In the histories of societies all around the world, he records how individuals who found ways to gain wealth and power have faced constant, often successful, resistance from the rest.

From the first recorded communities in Mesopotamia to the COVID-19 pandemic, this book features the resistances, uprisings, struggles, and solidarities of the majority against those seeking to dominate. The result is a fresh and challenging interpretation of the history of our species, one that casts a new light on the true nature of humans.

ALVIN FINKEL is a founding member of the Alberta Labour History Institute, an emeritus professor of History at Athabasca University where he taught for 36 years and the past president of the Canadian Committee on Labour History.

He was the book review editor for the journal Labour/Le Travail for 11 years and is still a member of that journal’s editorial board. A prolific author, Alvin’s 13 books have sold over 150,000 copies. They include textbooks on Canadian history and the history of social policy as well as labour history and the history of the events leading to World War II. On the latter topic, he co-wrote The Chamberlain-Hitler Collusion with Clement Leibovitz (Lorimer 2011). He lives in Edmonton Alberta.

Alvin Finkel's profile page

Finkel's accessible, straight-talking account exposes the cruelties of power that developed over time, but also humanity's long history of struggling for a more equitable world.

Joan Sangster, Vanier Professor Emeritus, Trent University

Finkel's compelling and lively global history ends with hope that humanity can return to the compassionate and sustainable societies that characterized Indigenous worlds.

Sarah Carter, Professor, University of Alberta

A venturesome tour de force covering tens of thousands of years of world history.

Bryan Palmer, author Colonialism and Capitalism

he has written a lively global history offering ample evidence from the deep past to the
present showing that ordinary people often seize the initiative to challenge their oppressive
conditions. Instead of great men dominating the narrative, colonized peoples, racial and
religious minorities, and women take centre stage in this masterful survey of humans changing
the world. Not only does this book provide a much-needed focus on popular movements, it also
offers a glimmer of hope in our troubled times that we can bend the arc of history in life-affirming
ways. This is exactly the elixir we need to help us put shoulder to the wheel one more time.

Margaret Conrad

An informative, erudite manifesto that shows what we might learn from history!

Jonathan Parker, Professor of Society and Social Welfare, Bournemouth University

A manifesto, a synthesis, a positive statement about our capacity for empathy, Finkel offers consolation in troubled times.

Gerald Friesen, Professor Emeritus, University of Manitoba

This is a people's global history -- one that sets the record straight and offers models of collaboration and redistribution that can save our planet.

Laurie Mercier, Professor of History, Washington State University

Finkel’s story is global in reach with a discussion of societies on all five continents. This breadth of vision is matched by his in-depth argument for our desire to live freely and equitably. A must-read.

George Melnyk, Professor Emeritus, University of Calgary