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A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN TIME: Discover surprising stories of the pioneering men and women who ushered the world toward modernity in this continent-spanning slice of world history.

Features 140 full-color reproductions of period artwork, engravings, maps, and drawings, with fascinating sidebars throughout.

The early 17th century was a time of enormous change in most regions of the world. The advent of maritime globalism accelerated the exchange of both goods and ideas, and the first international mega-corporations started to emerge as economic powers.

In Europe, the deaths of Shakespeare and Cervantes marked the end of an era in literature. The discoveries of Kepler and Galileo inspired new attitudes that would lead to an age of revolutions.

Great changes were also taking place in East Asia, where the last native Chinese dynasty was entering its final years and Japan was beginning its long period of warrior rule. Artists there were rethinking their connections to ancient traditions and experimenting with new directions.

Women everywhere were redefining their roles in family and society. Slave trading was relocating large numbers of people, while others were migrating in search of new opportunities. The first tourists, traveling not for trade or exploration but for personal fulfillment, were exploring this new globalized world.