The Story of Mankind [Paperback]

John Merriman (Adapter), Hendrik Willem Van Loon (Original Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 17, 1999

Winner of the first John Newbery Medal, here is Hendrik van Loon's renowned classic, updated for the twenty-first century.

First published in 1921, The Story of Mankind has charmed generations of readers of all ages with its warmth, simplicity, and wisdom. Beginning with the origins of human life and sweeping forward to illuminate all of history, Hendrik van Loon's incomparable prose enlivens the characters and events of every age. His unique ability to convey history as a fascinating tale of adventure has endeared the book to countless readers and has accorded it a unique place in publishing history. This new version, which retains van Loon's original illustrations, has been brought up to date by John Merriman, professor of history at Yale University. It incorporates the most important developments of the last two decades-including space exploration, the emergence of the developing countries, the Cold War, the Internet, and the astounding advances we have witnessed in medicine and science - and looks forward into the prospect of the twenty-first century.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Anyone who can chronicle world history from 500,000 B.C. to present times--and do so in a lively, entertaining style--deserves a medal. Luckily, the bestowers of the very first Newbery Medal in 1922 thought so, too. The warm, personable tone of Hendrik Willem van Loon's writing lends itself to true learning in a way that stern, dry textbooks never do. In the introduction, he describes climbing a tower in Rotterdam in his youth. Years later, the perspective at the top inspired the author to develop a metaphor of history as a "mighty Tower of Experience, which Time has built amidst the endless fields of bygone ages."

This genuinely enjoyable charmer, for history buffs and the historically challenged alike, covers human history from prehistoric times, when our earliest ancestors were learning to communicate with grunts, right through to the issues of the latter 20th century: gay rights, Arab-Israeli conflicts, and health and fitness. Revised and updated several times since 1921, van Loon's inviting classic is filled with stories (and witty parenthetical asides) that bring history alive. His pen-and-ink illustrations, maps, and animated chronology contribute to the cozy, round the fireplace aspect of the book. (Ages 12 and older) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 674 pages
• Publisher: Liveright (December 17, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871401754
• ISBN-13: 978-0871401755
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #196,276 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Childhood Love, December 23, 2000

By 

"netchild" (Lubbock, TX. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Story of Mankind (Paperback)

All of us have that book which we remember fondly from childhood, that one book we saw in the school library which we wish were ours so we could keep it in our own private place and read over and over again. Van Loon's Story of Mankind is that book for me. Van Loon does a tremendous service to the study of history. Even though this is a childrens book Van Loon does not ignore or alter the facts of history so that he can comfort instead of educate the child who may be reading the book. And even though the book reads like one big bedtime story, Van Loon always tries to remain objective and never force his opinion on the reader. When he talks about Napolean he makes it very obvious that he does not like the man or what he stood for, but he also tells the reader that his grandfather fought alongside the man and that he(Van Loon) would have probably fought alongside him as well, that's just the kind of man Napolean was. At an age where you will believe almost anything told to you, especially by a man who has written a book, Van Loon tries to give the child both an appreciation for history and a sense of objectivity about events. This was one of the first books, if not the first book, that showed me that everything is not always black and white, good and evil, but shades and gradations of good and evil. I read this to all my nephews, and when they don't know what to read I hand them this book, hoping it will make them a wiser person for listening to Van Loon's lessons.

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why Van Loon Is Desperately Needed Today, April 10, 2003

By 

Thomas Shuford (Lenoir, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Story of Mankind (Paperback)

THE STORY OF MANKIND is a delight. Contrast its wit and insight with the typical history textbooks to which our young are routinely subjected--as ably described by education historian Diane Ravitch:

"The dullness of history textbooks is legendary. I am involved right now in a study of history textbooks, and I must say that I have trouble reading them because of their jumbled, jangly quality. I also have trouble lifting them because they are so heavy and overstuffed with trivia and pedagogical aids. With one or maybe two exceptions, most textbooks put more emphasis on visual glitz than on the quality of their text. By the time that these books emerge from the political process that is called state adoption, they lack voice and narrative power. They lack the very qualities that make historical writing exciting. Our history textbooks are distracting, and I don't know how students learn anything from them."

Van Loon's book won the first Newberry Prize, quite an achievement for a book on world history. "The Story of Mankind" remains a great read for any child thirteen and up (and up).

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An overview of all of man's history., May 18, 1999

By 

R. D. Allison ([e-mail]) (Gainesville, Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Story of Mankind (A Liveright Book) (Paperback)

This is a classic history book written for children (probably ages eleven to fourteen) which can be fascinating even for adults. The book still rings true in 1999. In 1922, it won the very first Newbery Medal for best contribution to American children's literature (the Melcher family had just established the John Newbery Medal). It concentrates mostly on European history since van Loon, in the early 1920s, is attempting to explain those factors that were present in the world at that time. His son William has written several new chapters which expand this view (his father had passed away in 1944). And, I have seen editions that are furthur updated. But, the elder van Loon simply had a style of writing history that seems attractive to children. I saw a previous edition of this book by van Loon when I was a kid and always wanted to read it. I'm glad that I finally did.