Easygoing and Interesting World History is a good reference book which explains major historical, cultural, technological events in Europe and the rest of the world from the beginning of the Modern Age to the break-up of the Soviet Union.
A specially created translation of difficult words in French, German, Russian and Spanish brings fluency and smooth reading even for the reader with limited proficiency in English language.
Its detailed but practical approach allows the reader to gain both an overview of history as well as a broad understanding of the underlying issues. The text is easy to understand.
The maps at the end of the book further help in developing historical knowledge.