This one isn't as big, not having quite as long a span to cover, but is just as comprehensive and features the same type of timeline at the end of each chapter. The timelines make it easier to see what's going on in various parts of the world in relation to each other (who was the emperor in the Eastern Roman Empire during Chandragupta's reign?).
In other news, if you are the sort of person who cares who was the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire during Chandragupta's reign, this is your kind of book. Go get the first one, now; I've rarely encountered a history as well-written, and none that were also as comprehensive. Usually, you get one or the other (or neither). This is history for casual history buffs and historians interested in broadening their scopes, not for people who just want to gain enough base overview knowledge to get by in conversation.
