One of the first history books I encountered, it was read to me as a child. ( )

audio version ( )

Update 11/09/08

I finished this book some time ago and I still love it, though I'll need to re-read it so I can remember things. As with any overview, the book decribes many events, and moves rather quickly, so by the time you finish one section, you're already 500 years later. I recommend taking notes while reading along, and I think it would make a great read aloud for homeschoolers .



I bought the first version of this book (I think 1911) on line and I LOVE IT. It is a great read. I wanted to have it as a sort of spine book for the kids history. It starts out w/evolution stuff, so we skip through that, but Hillyer gives a very entertaining, story like explanation of events, from the beginning to World War I or so. He gives little interesting tidbits about things, like how we got to call boarding houses and the expression 'room and board' (It came from the days of chivalry, when lords would eat in their castles, on large tables made of long boards hoisted up on supports; then they would take the boards down).. Now I never knew that! This book is loaded w/little facts like that.

I never paid attention in history class in elementary school; history was presented in text books, dry as dust and it was so b-o-r-i-n-g. This book is just the opposite. I only wish the nuns at catholic schools used this book. I might have remembered something! I highly recommend this book for all of you who day dreamed during history class and feel ignorant of past events. It gives a great overview. This is a fun read and enlightening. ( )

When I was a child a friend of the family loaned me their childhood copy of this book. I believe it probably ended after WWII. This edition has been updated and edited.

It is still almost dangerously simplistic, not to mention very Euro/Christian-centric. Although as a child I didn't notice those things and it did spark my interest in history. It was interesting to go back and read as an adult. ( )