The families in this book are African, Asian, European, American, Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Jewish, Christian: ruling kingdoms from Benin and Rome, Mali to Beijing, Cairo to Tokyo, Angkor to Constantinople. It's the story of humanity from prehistory to the present day, and features the lives of an eclectic cast of the unknown and the great, each of whom are connected in a multitude of ways. A magisterial history of humanity viewed through the lens of its most powerful dynasties.