

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.
