Book excerpt: This entry-level textbook for students covers the heartland of modern world history, including World War I, Nazi Germany, international relations between 1919 and 1939, World War II, and the Cold War. Each topic is pared down to its essentials and memorable key ideas. There are tasks which are designed to get students thinking about the key ideas in the ways that examiners expect. The text concentrates on human stories, which bring the topic to life.