[beachwood23]

The History of Western Philosophy, by Bertrand Russell, is a great starting point. It reviews probably 30 prominent philosophers from the Western world, starting with the ancient Greeks and coming to modern day.

It's not comprehensive, and Russell isn't focused on staying completely objective on each subject. But it's a great overview, and in my opinion the subjectivity from Russell adds a bit of personality that makes it easier to read.

[FranzFerdiNaN]

Its also outdated and Russel is sometimes plain wrong in how he represents some philosophers. That book should no longer be recommended as there are plain better books available.