First, your friend who urged you to read the entire series is a friend, indeed. After doing this twice, may I recommend:
1) get a very good historical atlas (if they ever modify the Sacred Volumes I hope it would be to include excellent maps)...and
2) find a comprehensive textbook on western civilization since Waterloo. I used Vol. 2 of Western Civilization by Langor - an old college text. For better US history see Paul Johnson's History of the American People.
