I have a bachelor's in history, but I found the courses in-depth and focused on specific areas of history. While I obviously understand the reason for this, given that students need to do in-depth analysis of the causes and results of what happened at the time, I feel that I have very little chronological understanding of the whole of human history. I moved to South East Asia two years ago, and while I studied the Vietnam war at University in South Africa, I have very little understanding of the progression of history in the east (and throughout the globe). I'd love to read a book that kind of summarises the progression of various cultures chronologically throughout human history. I feel I have a spotty (but in-depth) understanding of certain periods of history, but I'd like to bring all this knowledge together. I've read Bill Bryson's "A Brief History of Nearly Everything", but that's more scientific. Is there a historical equivalent?