"Cartoon History of the Modern World" is a wickedly funny take on modern history. In two volumes of engaging and witty graphics, Larry Gonick covers the history, personalities, and big topics that have shaped our universe over the past five centuries. Volume I of the "Carton History of the Modern World" picks up where Gonick's bestselling "Cartoon History of the Universe" left off with Christopher Columbus about to set sail on his fateful voyage to the New World. The book also opens with the history of Aztec and Inca, the empires in Asia, and the formation of the first fully global system of trade and ideas. Next comes the Protestant Reformation, the reorientation of Europe and the birth of modern political philosophy and science. The final section covers the competition between France and Britain in North America and culminates with the American Revolution and U.S. Constitution.