INTRODUCTION TO CHRONOLOGY OF HISTORY Ambrose's Chronology of History is a history reference & research tool for IBM and compatible PCs that provides information about the major events of world history in a timeline format. The program runs under a simple DOS environment and does not require Windows or a CD ROM drive. This software tool has been developed primarily for aiding in the study and research of world history. However, all students of history, professionals, and history buffs will find this easy-to-use product enjoyable as well as practical. Ambrose's Chronology of History provides information on over 230 countries and world regions in 4 different types of history chronologies: 1. General Chronology List (which covers all aspects of history from 4300 B.C. to A.D. 1900), 2. an up-to-date Rulers & Leaders Chronology 3. an up-to-date War Chronology 4. an up-to-date Facts At a Glance The program is useful for quickly forming an outline of history based on user requirements of time period and type of information (politics, art history, etc.). The different chronology formats allow unneeded information to be weeded out. In addition to the various chronology formats, a large bibliography of history sources is included to help find additional, more in-depth information on a particular history subject. While every effort has been made to provide an exact date for each history entry, some exact dates are unknown. This is especially true of events occurring in the Ancient and Classical time periods. However, several works of history have been consulted to obtain a general consensus on approximate dates so that these important events can be included. SELECTING AN OPTION Selecting an option or menu gives the user access to the Chronology of History information or an additional set of options from which to choose. Every option and menu may be selected either with a mouse or keyboard. There are 3 ways to select options and menus: 1. Using the first method, the user moves the mouse to the area of the screen where the option, line, or menu box is located. Pressing the left mouse button while positioned over the object will select that option. This will be referred to as double-clicking on an item or object. 2. If a mouse is not available, the second method allows the user to type in the letter (either upper case or lower case) that is highlighted in the desired option or menu. 3. The third method of selecting an option is to use the arrow keys followed by the [ENTER] key. For example, at the main menu level, moving the arrow keys will cause the different menu titles to be highlighted. When the [ENTER] key is pressed, the highlighted menu will be displayed. PRINTING AND LOGGING INFORMATION Some screen displays provide an option for either saving information to a log file or sending the information directly to a printer. Any information that can be saved to a log file can be sent to a printer. These screens will include the options [Log] or [Print] at the bottom of the display. It is recommended that log files be used for saving large amounts of data rather than printing out the data one screen at a time. HOT KEYS Hot Keys are single-stroke key sequences that perform actions in the program more quickly than going through the program menus. There are 4 Hot Keys defined. The F1 Key will always provide Help Information applicable to the current program screen. The other Hot Keys will perform different actions based on the current function. HOT KEY SUMMARY F1 Help F2 Display the General Chronology Listing (only from the main screen). or Set all categories & types ON (for Modify Category Status). F3 Display Bibliography for an entry or war or Set all categories & types OFF (for Modify Category Status). F4 Display War Description (only in War Chronology option) BIBLIOGRAPHY A history bibliography is included in Ambrose's Chronology of History. Each entry in the General Chronology List and the War Chronology has an associated reading list of up to 6 titles for aiding in further, more detailed research. MAIN PROGRAM SCREEN The top of the main program screen consists of the 5 main program options: File The File Menu consists of options to open and close log files and to exit Ambrose's Chronology of History and return to DOS. Chronologies The Chronologies Menu provides access to the various chronology listings and user-generation of chronology listings. Modify Parameters The options presented in this menu apply only to the General Chronology List, User Chronology List, and the Rulers & Leaders Chronology (from the Chronologies Menu). The main purpose of modifying program parameters is to provide the user with the ability to filter through the large amount of information provided in the General or User Chronology Listings. Facts At a Glance The information included in Facts At A Glance gives the user a quick look on a single topic at a time. Help Menu The Help Menu provides on-line help for using Chronology of History. The main program screen can be reached by pressing the ESC key 1 or more times, depending on the current screen display. The ESC key will continue to back out of the different program menus and displays until the main program screen is reached. GENERAL CHRONOLOGY LIST The General Chronology List is the most extensive of the chronologies included in this program covering all aspects of history from 4300 B.C. to the year A.D.1900: 1. Presents information on over 230 countries and world regions in a chronology format. 2. Provides an overview of major wars, discoveries, and achievements of the world. 3. Includes information about musicians, artists, writers, and philosophers of each time period. 4. Provides a unique perspective of what events were occurring during the same time period. 5. The General Chronology List contains information from 7 time periods and 10 categories: 7 TIME PERIODS 10 EVENT CATEGORIES Ancient World Politics Music Classical World Wars Art Medieval World Treaties Philosophy Late Middle Ages Religion Science Renaissance World Literature Other Events Era of Kings Early Modern Era ADDITIONAL CHRONOLOGIES Rulers & Leaders Chronology Select a single year or year range to view a list of the rulers and leaders during that year or year range. War Chronology An up-to-date war section displayed in a chronological format provides information about major wars fought from the Babylonian Wars to modern day wars. In addition to a general description and bibliography, a list of the battles and outcomes are provided for each war listed. Generate Your Own Chronology Listing By providing up to 4 key words, up to 20 unique user-defined Chronology listings can be generated, saved, and viewed in the same manner as the General Chronology List. Facts at a Glance Lists up-to-date information on specific topics.