The Story of Mankind
by Henrik Willem van Loon
The Story of Mankind (1921) was the first book to win the Newbery Medal for its contribution to children's literature in 1922. It is a summary of western civilization especially for children (though adults will also appreciate the history refresher; a few paragraphs summarize each major event). It is dedicated to his children, Hansje and Willem. We feature it in our collection of Books for Young Readers.
"HIGH Up in the North in the land called Svithjod, there stands a rock. It is a hundred miles high and a hundred miles wide. Once every thousand years a little bird comes to this rock to sharpen its beak. When the rock has thus been worn away, then a single day of eternity will have gone by.'
Table of Contents
Prehistoric Man Begins to Make Things for Himself
Hieroglyphics - The Egyptians Invent the Art of Write and the Record of History Begins
The Beginning of Civilisation in the Valley of the Nile
Mesopotamia - The Second Centre of Eastern Civilisation
The Story of Moses, the Leader of the Jewish People
The Phoenicians Who Gave Us Our Alphabet
The Indo-European Persians Conquer the Semitic and the Egyptian World
The Greek Cities That Were Really States
The Greek Theatre, The First Form of Public Amusement
The Rise of Rome: How Rome Happened
The Story of Joshua of Nazarath, Whom the Greeks Called Jesus
An Historical Reading List for Children
Return to the Henrik Willem van Loon library.