CARTOON HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE III Larry Gonick Ambitious in scope and multicultural in perspective, Larry Gonick's impressive third installation of The Cartoon History of the Universe ---which examines the Middles Ages across the globe -- is a hilarious and irreverent history book children and adults alike will not only learn from, but actually enjoy. It covers key historical events and figures but, more importantly renders the lives of average people crucial to providing a better understanding of human culture as a whole. All too often history is lazily glossed over, in turn hiding the atrocities earth's myriad communities commit upon each other and themselves. But Gonick takes a more no-holds-barred approach, elaborating on the wider contexts often missed, such as the fact that assets of over 100,000 Jews were seized to help fund the historical journey of Columbus. In an era when millions around the world find themselves clashing over every issue from proper female attire to nuclear weapons, this series couldn't be timelier or more necessary.