Speechless World History without Words
Author: Polyp
A purely visual, word-free world history, from the Big Bang to Climate Chaos.
Reviews
Read more reviewsPolyp is a political cartoonist whose acutely observed works get straight to the heart of things. His is a leftie-liberal environmental agenda, well-informed, unapologetic and humane. "Speechless" is a history of the world in images alone, although cunning use of symbols in speech-bubbles helps to clarify the author's points. Although certain landmark events are highlighted - the Holocaust, Tiananmen, Columbus - the 'history' is more a record of trends: colonial exploitation, corporate control, the endlessly recurring motif of people in the corner of the picture hoping for food. As such, it's a polemic, rather than an academic work. - Amazon Review.
The best humanist history of humanity I've seen.. and an excellent cartoon too. Polyp at his best! This makes an excellent present for kids (no reading required, and it opens up loads of questions and discussions) or for people whose first language is not English (I took a copy to Nepal..) - Amazon 5-Star Review.
A thought provoking, entertaining read that requires repeated visits to fully enjoy. Nice little "key" at the back too, to explain bits and bobs that you may have missed. - Amazon 5-Star Review.
Speechless is a never-previously-attempted work of cartoonmagic, condensing the whole of world history into a graphic and completely wordless narrative.
Through this very simple, yet intriguing, concept the reader will experience the intensely real but often ignored political and environmental truths of our era. It’s funny, poignant and painfully true. Tracking everything from the very beginning of evolution to the industrial revolution, from the Cold War to the oil wars, no aspect of world history is too challenging for Polyp.
Published in association with Friends of the Earth International, this is a celebration of human resistance, ingenuity and bravery in the face of war, greed, and environmental pillage. And the full-colour cartoon novel contains a hidden internal book – a further distillation of world history into a penetrating parable.
About the Author:
Radical political cartoonist and activist Polyp has been working with
campaigning organizations around the world for over 15 years, and is the
author of Big Bad World - Cartoon molotovs in the face of corporate rule. He
lives and works within a large Co-Operative housing block in Manchester UK.
| Format: | Paperback |
|---|---|
| Dimensions: | 230mm x 210mm |
| Page extent: | 128 |
| Publication date: | September 2009 |
| ISBN-13: | 978-1-906523-19-0 |
Date added: June 4, 2009
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