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.

This reprint of Henrik Willem van Loon's "Story of Mankind", winner of the 1922 Newberry Award (first awarded) is a treasure chest of history spiced throughout with van Loon's delightful pen and ink drawings. Modern editors have tried to bring the book up to date by including major world events since van Loon originally wrote the book, but their writing doesn't have the insight that made van Loon's writings what they are. Van Loon traces the history of mankind from the beginning, starting with a brief geologic description of planet earth. His writing makes it seem as if you are reading a docu-drama, and you'll keep wishing that he could spend more time on each topic. I especially enjoyed the sections on the middle ages and renaissance, and this book serves as a good introduction to history for children with writing that brings history to life. At times, given when this book was originally written, you may be struck by van Loon's eurocentric flavor, but overall, he does a remarkable job in providing a well balanced presentation of all major world events. He does a great job of looking at major world religions. This is not an exhaustive epic of the history of humanity, rather it is an excellent introduction to history. Sadly, not many histories can claim to be as entertaining as this volume. Perhaps if more were, history would not be viewed with dread.

As a history minor and professional journalist I've read my share of history books but by far this book is the best I've ever read. Sure there are more scholarly volumes written on the rise of humanity but the author takes our collective tale and puts it in a form in which children can understand and adults can draw joy from. By all means this is a kids book but when you consider how many of us have been pushed away and unknowingly punished by history professors who thought it more important to tell us dates and not the story of the people making the dates significant, this book can be a valuable asset to adults. In a world which is being dumbed down this story, written on a childs level, may even be more apperciated. However to say this text is "DUMB" or lacking intelligence and well crafted words would be an injustice.. It's an incredible book. I have the hard back volume and it will stay in my family for the rest of time. I look forward to the day when my youngest son returns it to me after reading it and says, "Thanks dad". Yes this book is that good.. God Bless.. Ross Guidotti..

This was a good attempt at trying to write a text book on such a large span of time. However, in the process some topics were glazed over. An example of this would be Merriman's treatment of the first World War where the battles of Dieppe and Vimy Ridge were not mentioned. There was also a definite American slant in the treatment of the same topic. For example, the role of Canada in the war was ignored. Instead the role of the United States in the war was highlighted.

This book covers the very basics of motion picture photography: lenses, framing, some blocking, lighting, cameras and more. Neat diagrams, pictures (demonstrations) and easy to read text. This book is also good for the professional who just needs to get back to basics!

I am a graduate student at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC and I am trying to add the European concentration, and the one book they recommend studying from to pass the comprehensive exams, is this book. The department head is David Calleo, who writes extensively on European subjects, and if David Calleo requires it, then the book must be worth the small fortune charged for it.

This is a well-wrought text, written from a modern perspective. The sentences are somewhat choppy and terse, but this is mainly to establish an objective tone. This survey covers a huge range of concepts, people, events and countries, but puts them together in a cohesive way. The author has a modern, fairly well-cultured personality judging from his style and presentation. The text itself is rather biased; the author seems to assemble facts together such that conclusions drawn from them constitute the framework of a "modern" late-20th-century post-Berlin-wall perspective and paradigm for evaluating, in hindsite, 20th century European history. Now, this paradigm that he subtly promotes is a fairly responsible and professional one, but one should keep in mind, in spite of its objective and reasonably-fair tone, this book reflects the views of a dissident late-20th century intellectual. Judging by Merriman's inclusion (and, by implication, promotion) of Picasso, Klimpt and Munch paintings in the color illustrations in the book, he harbors an intense contempt at the "savagery" of 20th century history, and tries to instill such views in his reader, to the extent that he can, while still creating an objective-sounding, fairly well-balanced history book.

you only have to read the preface of this book to know how much john merriman loves history: reading it, writing it and teaching it. I'm a history major at Yale, and i am thankful for the opportunity to have taken a class with him. His book reads like he teaches--full of interesting anecdotes, thoughtful analysis of greater trends, and an abundance of knowledge

The book appears to be the authors justification for spending time in this village. It's amazing he found a publisher for this.