There are over 60 books included in the Heritage History Christian Europe
Classical Library.
About half of these books
are part of a series, produced either by a single author or by a group of authors under
the direction of a specific publisher. Some of these series focus mainly on
European history, while others cover a broad range of civilizations.
All the series in the Christian Europe library are included in the table below.
A short description of each series is followed by a list of book titles.
In some cases, all of the books in the series relate to European history, but
in others cases, most of the books pertain to other civilizations.
Titles that pertain to European or Christian History are highlighted, but all other titles
are listed as well, along with the Compact Library on which they can be found.
We have provided this information because when a student finds a book
he enjoys, he often desires to locate similar titles.
Although an overall description
of each series is provided, the content of specific books is not indicated.
To see a short synopsis of individual books included in the Christian Europe
library, see the Book Summaries page.
Our Little Cousin of Long Ago Series
The Our Little Cousin series was introduced by the Page Company in the early 1900's.
It was based on the idea of introducing world geography through the stories of children who
live in various countries. After its initial success, a new series was initiated, entitled
Our Little Cousin of Long Ago. These books differed from the original in that they
were centered on ancient civilizations instead of modern ones. Most were set in the midst
of important historical events, but the central drama is always fictional, and the historical
events and characters play out in the background, rather than the foreground of the story.
Like the original series, the books are intended to focus on the every-day life, beliefs,
customs, and livelihoods, of the characters rather than to tell a particular historical tale.
In many cases however, the character is present at an important battle, or during the
sacking of monastery, or during some other key historical event. But the main plot typically
involves the curious adventures of a ten-year-old boy rather than a particular historical
incident.
Our Little Cousin of Long Ago by various authors
| Title | Compact Library | size |
|---|
| Our Little Viking Cousin by Johnston | Christian Europe, Young Readers | 49 |
| Our Little Norman Cousin by Stein | British Middle Ages, Young Readers | 41 |
| Our Little Crusader Cousin by Stein | Christian Europe, Young Readers | 48 |
| Our Little Spartan Cousin by Cowles | Ancient Greece, Young Readers | 43 |
| Our Little Athenian Cousin by Cowles | Ancient Greece, Young Readers | 36 |
| Our Little Roman Cousin by Cowles | Ancient Rome, Young Readers | 37 |
| Our Little Carthaginian Cousin by Winlow | Ancient Rome, Young Readers | 36 |
| Our Little Saxon Cousin by Cowles | Christian Europe, Young Readers | 34 |
| Our Little Celtic Cousin by Stein | British Empire, Young Readers | 37 |
Stories from History Series
The Stories from History series, in common with the Children's Heroes series from the same publisher,
is a short, nicely illustrated series of books that introduce elementary readers to some of the most
famous stories from history.
The series features tales from the history of Greece, Rome, France and England, as well as stories
from the Vikings and Crusades during the middle ages.
Instead of attempting to tell the entire history of each country in such a short book, the authors
selected between six and ten especially famous stories to tell with enough detail to be of interest.
By carefully selecting their stories, each writer manages to get across the most important events
and characters of their subject civilization in a manner that is appealing even for young children.
The books are short enough to be read in only a few hours by an older elementary school student,
or read aloud to a younger one.
Stories from History Edited by John Lang
| Title | Compact Library | size |
|---|
| Stories from the Crusades by Kelman | Christian Europe | 31 |
| Stories from French History by Dalkeith | Christian Europe, Young Readers | 35 |
| Stories of the Vikings by Macgregor | Christian Europe, Young Readers | 43 |
| Stories from Roman History by Dalkeith | Ancient Rome, Young Readers | 37 |
| Stories from Greek History by Lemon | Ancient Greece, Young Readers | 36 |
| Stories from English History by Skae | British Middle Ages, Young Readers | 39 |
Told to the Children Series
The object of the Told to the Children series, published by E.C. and T.C. Jack in Great Britain
in the early 1900’s, was
to take well-known classics from both the western canon and 19th century English literature and
retell the stories in a simple manner for children age 9-12.
The books themselves are short, well written, and beautifully illustrated. An upper elementary
age child can sometimes complete an entire book in only a few hours, and even younger children
can read them independently.
A great deal of the complexity of the original is left out, but in most cases the author focuses
on telling a few stories well rather than trying to cover every aspect of the original at a
superficial level.
The series involves over 30 books by a number of authors, but we have not attempted to republish
the whole series. The books we have published represent the best of the series and focus mainly
on legendary classics rather than those adapted from Victorian era originals.
Only the books in the series which we have published are listed here. There are several more pending.
Told to the Children Edited by Louey Chisholm
| Title | Compact Library | size |
|---|
| Stories of Siegfried by Macgregor | Christian Europe, Young Readers | 37 |
| Stories of Roland by Marshall | Christian Europe, Young Readers | 33 |
| Stories of William Tell by Marshall | Christian Europe, Young Readers | 31 |
| Stories from Dante by Macgregor | Christian Europe, Young Readers | 41 |
| Stories from King Arthur by Macgregor | British Middle Ages, Young Readers | 36 |
| Stories from Pilgrim's Progress by Macgregor | British Middle Ages, Young Readers | 37 |
| Stories of Beowulf by Marshall | British Middle Ages, Young Readers | 29 |
| Stories of Robin Hood by Marshall | British Middle Ages, Young Readers | 38 |
| Stories of Guy of Warwick by Marshall | British Middle Ages, Young Readers | 31 |
| Stories from Ballads by Macgregor | British Middle Ages | 36 |
| Stories of Wagner by Smith | Modern Europe | 35 |
| Stories from the Old Testament by Chisholm | Young Readers | 36 |
| Stories from the Life of Christ by Kelman | Young Readers | 44 |
| Stories from the Arabian Nights an Nights by Steedman | Young Readers | 42 |
| Stories from the Iliad by Lang | Ancient Greece, Young Readers | 36 |
| Stories from the Odyssey by Lang | Ancient Greece, Young Readers | 37 |
| Celtic Tales by Chisholm | British Empire | 42 |
| Stories from Gulliver's Travels by Lang | British Empire, Young Readers | 33 |
| Stories from Uncle Tom's Cabin by Marshall | Early America, Young Readers | 48 |
Children’s Heroes Series
The Children's Heroes series was published in the early 1900’s by T.C. and E.C. Jack, and has many of the same
positive attributes as their well-known Told to the Children Series. Instead of focusing on literature however,
it is a series of biographies, primarily about historical English men-of-action. Several of the "heroes" dealt
with in this series were not unambiguously good men, but all lived important and action filled lives that
are of great interest to young people.
A few of the heroes introduced in these tales, such as Lincoln, Columbus, and Joan of Arc, were not figures
related to British history, but most of the others were. This series, therefore, is not only a wonderful collection of
fascinating biographies, but also gives terrific insights into British history. We recommended many of these
books as a supplement to older students who are undertaking a comprehensive study of England and the British Empire.
Children's Heroes by Various Authors
| Title | Compact Library | size |
|---|
| The Story of Joan of Arc by Lang | Christian Europe, Young Readers | 35 |
| Story of Robert Bruce by Lang | British Middle Ages, Young Readers | 44 |
| Story of Columbus by Imlach | Spanish Empire, Young Readers | 34 |
| Story of Francis Drake by Elton | British Middle Ages, Young Readers | 37 |
| Story of Raleigh by Duncan | British Middle Ages, Young Readers | 36 |
| Story of Lord Clive by Lang | British Empire, Young Readers | 32 |
| Story of Captain Cook by Lang | British Empire, Young Readers | 34 |
| Story of Napoleon by Marshall | Modern Europe, Young Readers | 34 |
| Story of Nelson by Sellar | British Empire, Young Readers | 40 |
| Story of Abraham Lincoln by Hamilton | Early America, Young Readers | 37 |
| Story of Livingstone by Golding | British Empire | 32 |
| Story of H. M. Stanley by Golding | British Empire | 32 |
| Story of Lord Roberts by Sellar | British Empire | 39 |
| Story of General Gordon by Lang | British Empire | 38 |
| Story of Chalmers of New Guinea by Kelman | Unavailable | |
| Story of Cromwell by Marshall | Unavailable | |
| Story of Bishop Patterson by Paget | Unavailable | |
Famous Men of the Ages
As an introduction to World History, for students of any age, one can hardly do better than the well
known Famous Men Series, by John H. Haaren and A. B. Poland. These are exceptionally well written and
beautifully illustrated works which very simply introduce the main characters of Western Civilization,
beginning in Ancient Greece and ending in the mid 19th century. The first two volumes in the series are
Famous Men of Greece and Famous Men of Rome. Although these books are organized as a collection
of biographies, they can be read as an introductory history because the characters are part of a single civilization,
and their lives are woven together in a fairly seamless manner. The latter two books, Famous Men of the Middle Ages
and Famous Men of Modern Times, provide excellent portraits of many of the most important characters in British
and European history. They are just as well written and interesting as the former two, but are unable to weave the
lives of the characters into a coherent narrative simply because they occur over such disparate times and societies.
Famous Men of History by John Haaren and A. B. Poland
| Title | Compact Library | size |
|---|
| Famous Men of the Middle Ages | British Middle Ages and Christian Europe | 98 |
| Famous Men of Greece | Ancient Greece | 93 |
| Famous Men of Rome | Ancient Rome | 96 |
| Famous Men of Modern Times | Modern Europe | 119 |
Mediaeval Builders of the Modern World
This series was originally intended to have six volumes, but the final three
were never completed. The available texts however, are quite excellent, and
tell fascinating stories of events during the early middle ages that are often left
out or rushed over quickly in comprehensive studies of Europe. For example, Barbarian
and Noble, contains numerous stories about the first German invaders of the Roman Empire.
The history of the Visigoth nation is given, and the Visigoth invasion of Italy is related
from the Visigoth point of view. Other semi-barbaric heroes dealt with in this volume are
Theodoric the Ostogoth; Roderic, the last king of the Visigoths; Rollo the Viking, first
Duke of Normandy; Clovis, king of the Franks; and Saint Winfred, Apostle to the Saxons.
The second book, Patriots and Tyrants, continues to focus on the early middle ages,
and the barbaric Germans who clashed with the Romans, but features those heroes who are most
well-known for fighting for their liberty, such as Hermann, who drove the Romans out of Germany;
Hereward the Saxon, who resisted the Norman invasion; Robert Bruce of Scotland; Simon of Montfort,
who established the English Parliament, and the fascinating rise of the Independent city of Venice.
Page - Esquire - Knight focuses on some of the legendary heroes of the early middle ages,
including King Arthur and his knights; Roland and the Peers of Charlemagne; Godfrey, the hero of
the First Crusade; and Chevalier Bayard, the French knight of renown.
Mediaeval Builders of the Modern World by Marion F. Lansing
Story of the World
The Story of the World series comprises a set of five volumes, written at an
introductory reading level, that cover all major events in the history of Western
Civilization, from our earliest recorded history to the close of the nineteenth
century. With fifty or so short chapters in each volume, the series links the
great eras in time and place together by a chain of stories of individuals who
played principal parts in the events related. While statesmen and military commanders
figure heavily in the narrative, stories of explorers, scientists, artists, authors,
and religious figures are also presented.
M. B Synge writes in an engaging fashion, using dialog frequently
to bring scenes to life. She juxtaposes events happening at the same
time in different parts of the world in a style reminiscent of the books
of Genevieve Foster. This series is an excellent introduction to world
history for older readers as well as for children.
The first volume of the Story of the World series, Shores of the Great Sea,
focuses on the civilizations surrounding the Mediterranean from the time of
Abraham to the birth of Christ. Discovery of New Worlds covers the rise and
fall of the Roman Empire, the middle ages in Europe, the rise of Islam and
the Crusades, and finally the age of exploration, and the establishment of
trade with the Far East, concluding with the discovery of the New World by
Columbus. Awakening of Europe, covers the Reformation in
various countries in Europe, and the settlement of colonies in America. The
rise of the great nations of Europe, including England, the Netherlands,
Russia, France and Austria, is also covered.
The fourth volume, Struggle for Sea Power, focuses
on the age of empires and world colonization. The histories of European colonies
in America, Australia, South Africa, and India are related. Also covered are
the Revolution in America, the French Revolution, and campaigns of Napoleon.
Growth of British Empire focuses on the nineteenth century,
which was dominated by the British Empire, and corresponding ideas of progress
and modernism. It also treats the revolutions in South America and Mexico, the
Boer War in South Africa, and the exploration of Central Africa, the Greek and
Italian wars for Independence, the Crimean War, the American Civil War, the opening
of trade with Japan and China, and the rebellion in India. The final volume in the
Series, The World at War, was completed sometime after the earlier five
and considers the dramatic changes wrought by the First World War.
Story of the World by M.B. Synge
| Title | Compact Library | size |
|---|
| Awakening of Europe | Christian Europe | 90 |
| Discovering of New Worlds | Christian Europe | 85 |
| On the Shores of the Great Sea | Ancient Greece | 78 |
| Struggle for Sea Power | Modern Europe, British Empire | 93 |
| Growth of the British Empire | Modern Europe, British Empire | 94 |
| The World at War | Modern Europe | |
Guerber's Historical Readers
Helene Guerber was an American author whose series of historical readers
provides an excellent introduction to the major societies of Western Civilization.
She writes specifically for an early middle school audience and every book
is divided into short chapters, each of which deals with a specific character or event.
Guerber is an excellent writer who tells her stories with great interest. She understands her
students' mindset well, and states in one of her introductions:
This elementary history of Greece . . .is made up principally of stories about persons; for,
while history proper is largely beyond the comprehension of children, they are able at an early age
to understand and enjoy anecdotes of people, especially of those in the childhood of civilization. At the
same time, these stories will give a clear idea of the most important events that have taken place in the
ancient world, and, it is hoped, will arouse a desire to read further.
Guerber wrote around the turn of the century, primarily for the American Book Company, which
at the time supplied a great many textbooks for use in American public schools. Her histories were
very popular with American students in the early decades of the twentieth century.
Classical Histories for Young People by Helene Guerber
| Title | Compact Library | size |
|---|
| Story of Old France | Christian Europe | 165 |
| Story of the Greeks | Ancient Greece | 116 |
| Story of the Romans | Ancient Rome | 114 |
| Story of the English | British Middle Ages | 145 |
| Story of Modern France | Modern Europe | 142 |
| Story of the Thirteen Colonies | Early America | 141 |
| Story of the Great Republic | Early America | 151 |
Peeps at History
The Peeps at History series, in spite of its frivolous name, is a well done,
nicely illustrated, set of clear and succinct histories. Each book is less than
100 pages, well-organized, and written in a clear and helpful fashion.
Obviously, there is little room in such a short book to develop many of the
most interesting characters of history in detail, but as a quick overview, that
covers the major developments in each nation, the Peeps series, is quite useful.
Peeps at History Edited by John Finnemore
| Title | Compact Library | size |
|---|
| Peeps at History: France | Christian Europe | 37 |
| Peeps at History: Germany | Christian Europe | 40 |
| Peeps at History: Barbary Rovers | Intermediate Readers | 44 |
| Peeps at History: Japan | British Empire, Intermediate | 55 |
| Peeps at History: India | British Empire, Intermediate | 45 |
| Peeps at History: Canada | British Empire | 41 |
| Peeps at History: Ireland | British Empire | 44 |
| Peeps at History: Scotland | | |
| Peeps at History: Holland | | |
The Lake History Series
This series of introductory history readers is directed at sixth
and seventh graders, but might be enjoyed by students of any age.
The series includes brief, introductory histories of Greece, Rome,
the Middle Ages, and England, assumes no previous knowledge of world
events, and relates interesting and informative stories of many of
the most important characters and events of western history. Its
author was a well-known writer of histories for both children and
adults.
The series was published by a company that specialized in school
textbooks, and later versions of each of the books include study
questions and outlines that might be helpful for formal instruction.
Even without these aids however, the books read very well, cover important
topics, and can easily hold the interest of most students. The series was
very popular in public schools throughout the United States in the early
years of the 20th century.
The Lake History Series by Samuel Harding
| Title | Compact Library | size |
|---|
| The Story of the Middle Ages | Christian Europe | 100 |
| Greek Gods, Heroes and Men | Ancient Greece | 59 |
| The City of the Seven Hills | Ancient Rome | 116 |
| The Story of England | British Middle Ages | 170 |
Life Stories for Young People
The Life Stories Series is a collection of short biographies,
originally published in Germany, that were written
for middle school aged students.
At the time, the German national school system was widely admired by
educational reformers in the United States, and many of its features
were incorporated into the American public school system.
The subjects of these books are mostly European, but they cover a wide
variety of personalities and interests. There are a number of famous national
heroes, of course, such as William the Silent, Frederick the Great, and
Eugene of Savoy. But there are also explorers, musicians, and legendary heroes.
At least five of the books in the collection are written primarily from the point
of view the queen or Empress of a prominent European monarch, rather than principle
ruler himself. A number focus on the childhood of famous personages, rather than
their political career. In all cases, an effort has been made to maximize the
interest for younger students in the lives of the subjects, rather than to
emphasize political lessons.
The original German for many of these books were published in the 1880's and 1890's
but the American translations, done by the Chicago Music critic, George P. Upton,
were not completed until 1907 through 1914. The collection was very well received,
and was gaining popularity in children's libraries when the First World War broke
out. Because of anti-German sentiment, however, publication was stopped during the
First World War and never resumed.
The original series was written by a variety of authors in German, but the translator
of the entire series was George P. Upton, a well-known music critic and self-taught
expert on European culture.
Life Stories for Young People Translated by George P. Upton
| Title | Compact Library | size |
|---|
| Gudrun | Christian Europe | 46 |
| Nibelungs | Christian Europe | 64 |
| Herman and Thusnelda | Christian Europe, Ancient Rome | 41 |
| Barbarossa | Christian Europe | 55 |
| The Great Elector | Christian Europe | 53 |
| Prince Eugene of Savoy | Christian Europe | 50 |
| The Swiss Heroes | Christian Europe | 43 |
| William Tell | Christian Europe | 36 |
| William of Orange | Christian Europe | 41 |
| Charlemagne | Christian Europe | 30 |
| The Swiss Heroes | Christian Europe | 43 |
| Undine | Modern Europe | 46 |
| The Little Dauphin | Modern Europe | 46 |
| Elizabeth - Empress of Austria | Modern Europe | 48 |
| Eugenie - Empress of the French | Modern Europe | 50 |
| Frederick the Great | Modern Europe | 50 |
| Joseph Haydn |
Modern Europe | 57 |
| Louise - Queen of Prussia | Modern Europe | 39 |
| Maximilian in Mexico | Modern Europe, Spanish Empire | 42 |
| Mozart's Youth | Modern Europe | 36 |
| Maria Teresa | Modern Europe | ** |
| Emperor William First | Modern Europe | 40 |
| Eric the Red | Early America | 40 |
Lives of the Saints
This collection of saint biographies focuses on subjects that were not only
personally holy, but also lived lives of great significance and influence.
In each case their courage, piety, and faithfulness led them to choose a
vocation that greatly impacted not only those around them, but also the whole
course of Christianity. A number of these saints founded, or reformed orders
that continued to serve Christ's mission on earth long after they, themselves
passed on. Several others played a decisive role in restoring Christian unity
after a destructive schism. All are exemplary models of Christian piety.
The biographies in this collection are all written in a story based style
that brings the characters to life. They are long enough to give a meaningful
description of the major events in the lives of the saints, but still very
accessible for intermediate readers. Each book is about 120 to 140 pages,
and includes numerous illustrations.
Lives of the Saints by F.A. Forbes
| Title | Compact Library | size |
|---|
| Life of Benedict | Christian Europe | 36 |
| Life of Vincent de Paul | Christian Europe | 36 |
| Life of St. Athanasius | Ancient Rome | |
| Life of St. Monica | Ancient Rome | |
| Life of St. Teresa | Spanish Empire | 38 |
| Life of St. Ignatius of Loyola | Spanish Empire | 36 |
| Life of Pius X | Modern Europe | 75 |
| Life of St. Columba | | |
| Life of St. Catherine of Siena | | |
Church History
This five book series, written for secondary schools, tells the story of the Catholic
Church from its founding by the Apostles to the opening years of the 20th
century. It provides a fascinating insight into the institutional church and
provides a Catholic perspective on many historical incidents that are
typically presented to school children from a Protestant perspective.
The books assumes a pre-existing knowledge of the major events of
European history, and focuses mainly on issues specifically related to
the church, and the lives of the great saints and martyrs. Important
topics discussed in detail are the founding of the church and the
early church fathers, persecutions under the Roman Empire, the
spread of Christianity throughout Europe, early heresies, the rise of monasticism,
the ongoing conflict between the papacy and the empire, the Crusades,
military and religious orders, the Renaissance and the Western Schism,
the Reformation and the counter-Reformation, the Moslem threat,
the rise of foreign missions, the Jesuits, later heresies, and the
Church during the revolutionary period.
The five volumes are divided as follows: I: Christian Antiquity (to 500 A.D.),
II: Early Middle Ages (500 to 1000), III: Later Middle Ages (1000 to 1500),
IV: Early Modern Times (1500 to 1750), V: Later Modern Times (1750 to 1900).
It is especially interesting to see the Catholic perspective on such controversial
topics as the suppression of heresies, the inquisition, indulgences, the St.
Bartholomew's Day Massacre, the Renaissance Popes, the Netherlands Revolt,
the unification of Italy, and Papal infallability, since these topics are often
presented in a one-sided manner in juvenile history books.
Church History by The Sisters of Notre Dame
Saints and Heroes
This two volume series provides a very good survey of many of the most
important religious heroes in Christian history. The first volume covers
some of the best known saints who lived before the reformation. Included
are many of the fathers of the church, such as Athanasius, Ambrose, Jerome,
and Augustine of Hippo, as well as early mediaeval saints such as Hildebrand,
Becket, and Francis of Assisi.
Almost all of the heroes in the second volume, from Luther to Wesley, are
heroes of the Protestant, rather than the Catholic Church; Sir Thomas More,
and Ignatius Loyola being the sole Catholics. In addition to Theologians,
such as Luther, Calvin, and Knox, other Protestant heroes include William
the Silent, Coligny, Cromwell, Brewster and John Bunyan.
Saints and Heroes by George Hodges
Macgregor's Intermediate Histories
Mary Macgregor was one of the principle authors of juvenile history,
who wrote for the British Publishing House, E. C. & T. C. Jack during
the early years of the twentieth century. She collaborated on several
children's series of books, including Told to the Children and Children's
Heroes. She also wrote storybook histories for middle school children,
focusing mainly on Ancient Civilizations.
At the time Macgregor wrote, her publishing house was the premier producer
of historical and literary works for children in Britain. Many of her books
were widely read classics, republished for many years in both the British
Empire and the United States. Macgregor's histories were beautifully illustrated
with dozens of original color plates, and were in print more or less continually
from the earliest years of the 20th century until the 1960's.
In addition to her well-known histories of Greece and Rome, Macgregor published
two other comprehensive histories of France and the Netherlands. Macgregor’s The
Story of France begins during the age of the Celtic Druids and continues through
the Franco-Prussian War. Her The Netherlands, on the other hand is somewhat different
in scope, focusing almost entirely on the Netherlands' war of independence from Spain.
Macgregor's version tells the whole fascinating story of one of the most important
events in Protestant history, in great detail.
Macgregor's Intermediate Histories by Mary Macgregor
| Title | Compact Library | size |
|---|
| The Story of France | Christian Europe | 226 |
| Netherlands | Christian Europe | 132 |
| Story of Rome | Ancient Rome | 201 |
| Story of Greece | Ancient Greece | 167 |
Makers of History
"I want to thank you and your brother for Abbott’s series of Histories. I have not
education enough to appreciate the profound works of voluminous historians, and if I had,
I have no time to read them. But your series of Histories gives me, in brief compass, just
that knowledge of past men and events which I need. I have read them with the greatest
interest. To them I am indebted for about all the historical knowledge I have."
—Abraham Lincoln
As the quote from above shows, even Abraham Lincoln was a fan of the Abbott Histories.
Their famous series was so well-known and widely read that they were staples of virtually
every American library from the time they were published in the mid-nineteenth century
until after the First World War. Both informative and terrifically entertaining, the
Abbott brothers had an enormous talent for writing biographies, and selecting those
stories and anecdotal episodes from histories that are of most interest to the general
reader.
Jacob Abbott (1803-1879) was possibly the most prolific American writer of juvenile
literature of the nineteenth century. He was born in Maine, the second of seven children.
He and each of his four brothers graduated from Bowdoin College, studied theology, and
became teachers or ministers. Three of the five boys became authors and with his brother
John Steven Charles, Jacob authored the famous and widely read Makers of
History series of biographies.
It was not until about 1848 that he and his brother embarked on the idea of doing a series
of biography aimed at young people. His target audience was age "15 to 25", and the Abbott
brothers eventually produced a set of biographies that were critically acclaimed, and
widely read. Within a few years of their publication, the Abbott biographies became
standard reference works of juvenile history, and were available in libraries throughout
America. They were originally published as the Illustrated History series, but were
republished many times during the next sixty years in various collections, entitled
Famous Characters of History, Famous Queens of History, and others. They were most
recently republished in the early 1900’s as the Makers of History series.
The Abbotts had a terrific gift for narrative, and their books all read as if they were
high suspense novels. Although the vocabulary level is relatively high, more appropriate
for high school or college than elementary schools, the writing style is not difficult,
and the stories move along at a fast pace. The Abbott biographies have a delightful
combination of action and adventure, along with truly interesting personality portraits,
intriguing subplots, and fascinating secondary characters which should be appealing to
both young men and women.
The complete collection of the Maker's of History Series includes over 32 volumes. Only the
ten related to Ancient History are included here. The complete set of Abbott Biographies
can be found in our Mature Readers collection.
Makers of History by Jacob Abbott
| Title | Compact Library | sheets |
|---|
| Henry IV | Christian Europe | 97 |
| Louis XIV | Christian Europe | 114 |
| Cyrus the Great | Ancient Greece | 77 |
| Darius | Ancient Greece | 78 |
| Xerxes | Ancient Greece | 82 |
| Alexander the Great | Ancient Greece | 75 |
| Pyrrhus | Ancient Greece | 83 |
| Romulus | Ancient Rome | 80 |
| Hannibal | Ancient Rome | 78 |
| Julius Caesar | Ancient Rome | 72 |
| Cleopatra | Ancient Rome | 84 |
| Nero | Ancient Rome | 82 |
| William the Conqueror | British Middle Ages | 80 |
| Margaret of Anjou | British Middle Ages | 91 |
| Richard I | British Middle Ages | 95 |
| Richard II | British Middle Ages | 100 |
| Richard III | British Middle Ages | 94 |
| Mary Queen of Scots | British Middle Ages | 77 |
| Charles I | British Middle Ages | 78 |
| Charles II | British Middle Ages | 83 |
| Queen Elizabeth | British Middle Ages | 74 |
| Genghis Khan | British Middle Ages | 99 |
| Peter the Great | British Middle Ages | 106 |
| Hortense | Modern Europe | 114 |
| Joseph Bonaparte | Modern Europe | 115 |
| Josephine | Modern Europe | 94 |
| Louis Philippe | Modern Europe | 113 |
| Madame Roland | Modern Europe | 86 |
Historical Tales
Charles Morris was a prolific American writer of the late 19th century. After a brief
career in academics, he began publishing a great number of books and articles under
various pseudonyms, but his piece de resistance was his Historical Tales, a collection
of romantic and entertaining stories from history, in fourteen volumes.
Although these tales are organized by civilization, and the stories occur in roughly
chronological order, these books cannot be read as comprehensive histories, as he makes
no particular attempt to tie them together, contenting himself to jump from one fascinating
episode in history to another. For this reason, they are best read after one is already
familiar with the basic outline of the history of a particular civilization.
On the other hand, Morris is an outstanding writing, and he picks fascinating subjects for
his stories. The stories are selected largely for their entertainment value, rather than
purely for historical significance so Morris treats his readers to a fascinating introduction
to some compelling 'secondary' characters and events. He tells all of his stories in enough
depth to make them truly entertaining, even when he is dealing with already well-known events.
The Historical Tales are an entertaining treat, and though they are not recommended for introductory
reading, they are a terrifically rewarding for intermediate or advanced readers of history.
Historical Tales by Charles Morris
| Title | Compact Library | size |
|---|
| Historical Tales: German | Christian Europe | 134 |
| Historical Tales: French | Christian Europe | 136 |
| Historical Tales: Greek | Ancient Greece | 141 |
| Historical Tales: Roman | Ancient Rome | 131 |
| Historical Tales: American I | Early America | 139 |
| Historical Tales: American II | Early America | 138 |
| Historical Tales: Latin American | Spanish Empire | 129 |
| Historical Tales: Spanish | Spanish Empire | 130 |
| Historical Tales: English | British Middle Ages | 142 |
| Historical Tales: Russian | Intermediate Readers | 136 |
| Historical Tales: Scandinavian | Intermediate Readers | 149 |
| Historical Tales: Japanese and Chinese | Intermediate Readers | 143 |
The size listed indicates the number of 8½ by 11 sheets of paper required to print the entire book,
single-sided. This number is about half the number of pages in the original book, since approximately
two "pages" of text are reproduced on every sheet.
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