The Penguin Atlases in this collection are fantastic if you like maps, are interested in history (rise and fall of kingdoms, empires etc.), and want a good general overview of events in Europe and the middle East from ancient times to the end of World War Two. They are a good starting point for further reading and specialization )in no means are they detailed enough themselves for scholarly interest. They are more a reference book that give a breif overview and wet your appetite for further reading. Apart from the three in this catalogue there is another in the series covering Modern History from 1815 to 1945. ( )