In Western schools, the standard world history traces a development from Mesopotamia and Egypt, through Greece and Rome, and then to the Dark Ages, which is followed by the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution and the rise of modern democratic nations. Ansary contrasts this to the alternate narrative he learned growing up: world history as seen from the perspective of the Islamic world, a perspective that places Islam at the center of history, regards the Dark Ages as one of the brighter ages, and sees the Crusades as one of history’s pivotal turning points. This lecture explores the relativity of historical narratives and proposes a world historical story from a global perspective.