The Story Of Mankind Illustrated History Of The Human Civilization Retold For Children

The Story of Mankind covers the history of western civilization beginning with primitive man, the development of writing, art, and architecture, the rise of major religions, and the formation of the modern nation-state. Van Loon explains in the book how he selected what and what not to include by subjecting all materials to the question: Did the person or event in question perform an act without which the entire history of civilization would have been different?

Originally written for the author’s children, the book explores the history of civilization beginning with early man and taking the reader through the creation of art, writing, religion, and more. All in short, simple to understand chapters. To qualify for inclusion in the book, Van Loon asked a simple question: ‘Did the person or event in question perform an act without which the entire history of civilization would have been different?’ ‘The Story of Mankind’ (1921) was awarded the Newbery Medal for its outstanding contribution to children's literature. The result is an informative, insightful, and entertaining story of mankind that is suitable for readers of all ages. Hendrik Willem van Loon (1882 – 1944) was a Dutch-American historian, journalist, and author, best known for his young adult novels that famously brought historical events vividly to life. Some of his other notable works include: ‘The Fall of the Dutch Republic’, ‘The Rise of the Dutch Kingdom’, ‘The Golden Book of the Dutch Navigators’ and his 1947 autobiography, ‘Report to Saint Peter’. Loon also famously illustrated his own work and was knighted by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands in 1942.

"The Story of Mankind" by Hendrik Willem Van Loon. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

A book that won the Newberry Prize in 1921 for an Outstanding Contribution in Children's Literature, The Story of Mankind, by Hendrik van Loon is indeed a classic that has been enjoyed by generations of children and adults. The book is an engagingly written work, dedicated to the author Hendrik van Loon's two young son's Hansje and Willem. It was created to convey the history of the human race to young people in a way that was interesting, memorable and would spur them onto further research and reading into the subject. Tracing the origins of mankind from about 500,000 BC into the present era, The Story of Mankind encompasses anthropology, culture, sociology and history. This book creates a vivid portrayal of the development of the human race from the time of the caveman to the intelligent dominate species that it is today. Designed to be read by young readers and perhaps their parents and teachers along with them, it provides valuable lessons in a variety of subjects in a very readable fashion. Modern day readers may find some of the concepts politically incorrect or not quite enlightened. Some critics have also found that van Loon takes Biblical concepts and presents them as proven history. However, aside from these small blips, the book is indeed a treasure trove of information. It also describes the foundations of Western thought and culture. It traces the development of art, music, literature, culture and civilization itself in the Western World. Van Loon was motivated to select the areas of history that he would describe by apparently asking himself whether this particular person or event changed the course of civilization or not. After World War I, the author added one more chapter called "After Seven Years" and in later years, his children and other writers have added more chapters to make the book more contemporary and relevant for modern readers. The original illustrations by the author added to the appeal of the book as he was a talented artist and naturalist. The book was also adapted to film in 1957, in a quirky version starring the inimitable Marx Brothers. As basic reading for anyone interested in the history of the human race, The Story of Mankind provides a great launching pad from which to explore the deep and complex mysteries that are contained in the origin of our species on earth. A book that won the Newberry Prize in 1921 for an Outstanding Contribution in Children's Literature, The Story of Mankind, by Hendrik van Loon is indeed a classic that has been enjoyed by generations of children and adults. The book is an engagingly written work, dedicated to the author Hendrik van Loon's two young son's Hansje and Willem. It was created to convey the history of the human race to young people in a way that was interesting, memorable and would spur them onto further research and reading into the subject. Tracing the origins of mankind from about 500,000 BC into the present era, The Story of Mankind encompasses anthropology, culture, sociology and history. This book creates a vivid portrayal of the development of the human race from the time of the caveman to the intelligent dominate species that it is today. Designed to be read by young readers and perhaps their parents and teachers along with them, it provides valuable lessons in a variety of subjects in a very readable fashion. Modern day readers may find some of the concepts politically incorrect or not quite enlightened. Some critics have also found that van Loon takes Biblical concepts and presents them as proven history. However, aside from these small blips, the book is indeed a treasure trove of information. It also describes the foundations of Western thought and culture. It traces the development of art, music, literature, culture and civilization itself in the Western World.

The Story of Mankind was written and illustrated by Dutch-American journalist, professor, and author Hendrik Willem van Loon and published in 1921. In 1922, it was the first book to be awarded the Newbery Medal for an outstanding contribution to children's literature. Written for his children (Hansje and Willem), The Story of Mankind tells in brief chapters the history of western civilization beginning with primitive man, covering the development of writing, art, and architecture, the rise of major religions, and the formation of the "modern" (for 1921) nation-state. Van Loon explains in the book how he selected what and what not to include by subjecting all materials to the question: Did the person or event in question perform an act without which the entire history of civilization would have been different?

First published in 1921 and awarded the first Newbery Medal of 1922, "The Story of Mankind" follows the history of western civilization from prehistoric times to the early 20th century. Van Loon both wrote and illustrated this book, which he wrote for his grandchildren, in such a way that children would be learning in an entertaining way. From the development of writing and art to the formation of religion and politics, Van Loon emphasizes the people and events central to the changes and achievements of human history. A remarkable, accurate, and enduring work of children's literature, "The Story of Mankind" is an engaging narration of the procession of events in world history.

Man was the last to come but the first to use his brain for the purpose of conquering the forces of nature. That is the reason why we are going to study him, rather than cats or dogs or horses or any of the other animals, who, all in their own way, have a very interesting historical development behind them.