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The Story of the World #2
The Middle Ages: From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of the Renaissance
This second book in the four-volume narrative history series for elementary students will transform your study of history. The Story of the World has won awards from numerous homeschooling magazines and readers' polls―over 150,000 copies of the series in print! Now more than ever, other cultures are affecting our everyday lives―and our children need to learn about the other countries of the world and their history. Susan Wise Bauer has provided a captivating guide to the history of other lands. Written in an engaging, straightforward manner, this revised edition of The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child, Volume 2: The Middle Ages weaves world history into a story book format. Who discovered chocolate? What happened to the giant Fovor of the Mighty Blows? Why did the Ottoman Turks drag their war ships across dry land?
The Story of the World covers the sweep of human history from ancient times until the present. Africa, China, Europe, the Americas―find out what happened all around the world in long-ago times. Designed as a read-aloud project for parents and children to share together, The Story of the World includes each continent and major people group. Volume 2: The Middle Ages , is the second of a four-volume series and covers the major historical events in the years 400 to 1600 CE, as well as including maps, illustrations, and tales from each culture.
Each Story of the World volume provides a full year of history study when combined with the Activity Book, Audiobook, and Tests―each available separately to accompany each volume of The Story of the World Text Book. Volume 2 Grade Recommendation: Grades 1-6. Illustrated throughout with black-and-white drawings and maps
The Story of the World covers the sweep of human history from ancient times until the present. Africa, China, Europe, the Americas―find out what happened all around the world in long-ago times. Designed as a read-aloud project for parents and children to share together, The Story of the World includes each continent and major people group. Volume 2: The Middle Ages , is the second of a four-volume series and covers the major historical events in the years 400 to 1600 CE, as well as including maps, illustrations, and tales from each culture.
Each Story of the World volume provides a full year of history study when combined with the Activity Book, Audiobook, and Tests―each available separately to accompany each volume of The Story of the World Text Book. Volume 2 Grade Recommendation: Grades 1-6. Illustrated throughout with black-and-white drawings and maps
424 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2003
About the author
Susan Wise Bauer
133 books983 followersSusan Wise Bauer is an American author, English instructor of writing and American literature at The College of William and Mary, and founder of Well-Trained Mind Press (formerly Peace Hill Press).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
April 25, 2019
We enjoyed reading this aloud this year. I was sometimes disappointed that this book was less inspiring than say, Hillyer's Child's History. The last chapter on the Spanish Armada was unnecessarily boring.
November 8, 2018
I'm noticing that the closer we get to modern times, the more there is to argue about in the historical record. I assure you, I didn't agree with all of Susan Wise Bauer's presentation of the Middle Ages, but the only way to be perfectly satisfied would be to write a history myself and I don't have the time for that. Besides, I'm sure there are parts of it that frustrate Susan herself. Such is the nature of flawed humanity's attempts to document our past and - even more controversial - teach it to our children.
Some examples: Why are rulers and conquerors of ancient empires seldom censured while the Spanish conquering of new world is looked up so negatively. I don't think Alexander the Great offered peace treaties to everyone he encountered before battle, and neither did Julius Ceaser (who once sold thousands of captives from battle into slavery). Catholics and Protestants alike will surely find something to dislike in Bauer's presentation of the Reformation, and the introduction of Islam is sure to be controversial in today's age.
Even with these flaws, this is an excellent program and I can see why most home school programs use Story of the World in some way, shape or form. We continue to listen to these on audio in the car, supplementing with images and stories as we have time (sometimes I intentionally look for something to provide balance where I feel Bauer is not quite where i'd have been). We have enjoyed many discussions about characters, cultures and history, including the parts of the presentation that make Mommy or Daddy uncomfortable. Students develop interest in favorite stories and characters. This is an outstanding resource for our preschool exposure to the story of the world. We will happily use it again for elementary education.
As for the audio production, Jim Weise does an excellent job with the narration. True, there are a few tracks that seemed a bit rushed, but these are isolated incidences that can be explained by differences of creative preference.
Overall, highly recommended. On to Early Modern Times!!!!
-----Additional thoughts:
There is a quote, often attributed to Winston Churchill (though I'm not sure it originated with him), "History is written by the victors." What is interesting to me about the current state of education in Western Civilization is that the victors (those of the West) have initiated a systematic mea culpa in Western Civics instruction. This is strange, and seems unprecedented that a culture would censure itself to this degree. I agree we need to look at our history critically, but I don't agree with the tearing down of the foundations of our culture as a form of repentance or even reconciliation.
This trend also emerges in "Early Modern Times" where we are given a graphic story about a young South American boy working in a Spanish mine. The impression is the problem of slavery emerged with the Spanish in the Americas. However, the problem of slavery was indeed present long before Spain entered the Americas (though no one will deny the discovery of the new world gave the practice a new open market). In fact, I am currently reading a book called "Slavery: A World History" that describes the conditions of ROMAN mines in SPAIN and documents how Rome, the greatest civilization our planet has ever known (at least in terms of longevity) maintained the largest slave market in the world. Yet slavery in Rome was never mentioned as a concern.
The Story of the World: Early Modern Times, Wise Bauer, 2004
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Some examples: Why are rulers and conquerors of ancient empires seldom censured while the Spanish conquering of new world is looked up so negatively. I don't think Alexander the Great offered peace treaties to everyone he encountered before battle, and neither did Julius Ceaser (who once sold thousands of captives from battle into slavery). Catholics and Protestants alike will surely find something to dislike in Bauer's presentation of the Reformation, and the introduction of Islam is sure to be controversial in today's age.
Even with these flaws, this is an excellent program and I can see why most home school programs use Story of the World in some way, shape or form. We continue to listen to these on audio in the car, supplementing with images and stories as we have time (sometimes I intentionally look for something to provide balance where I feel Bauer is not quite where i'd have been). We have enjoyed many discussions about characters, cultures and history, including the parts of the presentation that make Mommy or Daddy uncomfortable. Students develop interest in favorite stories and characters. This is an outstanding resource for our preschool exposure to the story of the world. We will happily use it again for elementary education.
As for the audio production, Jim Weise does an excellent job with the narration. True, there are a few tracks that seemed a bit rushed, but these are isolated incidences that can be explained by differences of creative preference.
Overall, highly recommended. On to Early Modern Times!!!!
-----Additional thoughts:
There is a quote, often attributed to Winston Churchill (though I'm not sure it originated with him), "History is written by the victors." What is interesting to me about the current state of education in Western Civilization is that the victors (those of the West) have initiated a systematic mea culpa in Western Civics instruction. This is strange, and seems unprecedented that a culture would censure itself to this degree. I agree we need to look at our history critically, but I don't agree with the tearing down of the foundations of our culture as a form of repentance or even reconciliation.
This trend also emerges in "Early Modern Times" where we are given a graphic story about a young South American boy working in a Spanish mine. The impression is the problem of slavery emerged with the Spanish in the Americas. However, the problem of slavery was indeed present long before Spain entered the Americas (though no one will deny the discovery of the new world gave the practice a new open market). In fact, I am currently reading a book called "Slavery: A World History" that describes the conditions of ROMAN mines in SPAIN and documents how Rome, the greatest civilization our planet has ever known (at least in terms of longevity) maintained the largest slave market in the world. Yet slavery in Rome was never mentioned as a concern.
The Story of the World: Early Modern Times, Wise Bauer, 2004
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
August 17, 2024
Not as great as the first volume, in my opinion, but great! If you have strong feelings about this era of history you may occasionally bristle a bit. We listened to this on a road trip- the kids loved it and I found out that I feel more strongly about how the wives and children of Henry XVIII are characterized than I realized. On the whole, I still appreciate that the book assumes that children will be fascinated by history and treats it as interesting and relevant.
November 7, 2022
We use these history curriculum for our homeschooling, and they are fantastic. They cover across the whole world and all different countries. I appreciate that they come from a Biblical world view without forcing or preaching. In that, I appreciate that it shows other religions and the beliefs or legends of those religions too. But in turn, I believe it's important to know other religions and other cultures in knowing our own. Not only for history but also for the present. This is a great historical resource!
February 4, 2013
A lot of information in this book. A bit choppy on the flow but the author explains why she put it together the way she did.
My child still had a big chore keeping it all together. But it IS a good book and appropriate for the late elementary, early middle school age.
My child still had a big chore keeping it all together. But it IS a good book and appropriate for the late elementary, early middle school age.
March 24, 2023
We are really enjoying this series. A very interesting walk through history.
Second time through.
Second time through.
March 30, 2021
~Okuması oldukça eğelenceliydi! Ortaçağda gerçekleşen önemli olayların hepsine (aşırı detaya girmeden) değinmiş. Orta okul seviyesinden itibaren herkes okuyabilir. Hikayeleyici anlatım kullanıldığı için hiç sıkılmadan merak içinde okudum.
~Olaylara objektif yaklaşmış. Milliyetçi anlatımı yoktu bu açıdan da beğendim.
~Bence tarihte olan olaylarla ilgili her şeyden azar azar bilgilenmek istiyorum derseniz okumanız gereken bir kitap.
~mel <3
~Olaylara objektif yaklaşmış. Milliyetçi anlatımı yoktu bu açıdan da beğendim.
~Bence tarihte olan olaylarla ilgili her şeyden azar azar bilgilenmek istiyorum derseniz okumanız gereken bir kitap.
~mel <3
February 4, 2021
A wonderful spine/additional spine for the Middle Ages. 😍
May 9, 2024
So long, but so great. 😻😻😻😻😻😻😹😹😹😹😹😹😹😹🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀😺😺😺😺😺😺😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻
January 16, 2023
Exceptionally well written. Our edition was the revised edition from 2007 and my one gripe is that it is quite Eurocentric. Still gave us lots of jumping off points for discussion together as we read out loud.
July 14, 2020
As noted by other readers, I love this series, but not how they are treating the US narrative.
Slavery in times and places all throughout human history (that she writes chapters on, never lamenting how horrible it was, just mentioning it as fact) and now we get to African slavery in colonial America and “oh my gosh it was so horrible and unfair — those bad whities” No mention of enslaved Irish, no mention of Ottoman slavery of whites going on at the same time and far longer, nope, just the same old white people are bad and black people are victims narrative.
Same with Native Americans. Endless chapters and books filled with peoples conquering other peoples and then we get to the conquering of America and suddenly it’s the greatest tragedy to have ever occurred, Whites are bad and Native Americans are victims.
So... hoping she does a new edition where she lets go of the white guilt narrative.
Slavery in times and places all throughout human history (that she writes chapters on, never lamenting how horrible it was, just mentioning it as fact) and now we get to African slavery in colonial America and “oh my gosh it was so horrible and unfair — those bad whities” No mention of enslaved Irish, no mention of Ottoman slavery of whites going on at the same time and far longer, nope, just the same old white people are bad and black people are victims narrative.
Same with Native Americans. Endless chapters and books filled with peoples conquering other peoples and then we get to the conquering of America and suddenly it’s the greatest tragedy to have ever occurred, Whites are bad and Native Americans are victims.
So... hoping she does a new edition where she lets go of the white guilt narrative.
August 19, 2021
Just finished reading this one to my youngest for school, and we loved it! These books are such a great retelling of history, so interesting, and perfect for children to understand. All of my kids love hearing history read aloud from the Story of the World books!
May 19, 2021
These are excellent history books to read out loud or assign for reading for older kids
March 8, 2022
Fantastic survey of Middle Ages/Renaissance history. Covers all areas of the globe in a balanced way.
August 17, 2023
Read this for our school history read aloud. It is a great living book and presents history in a fun story format. The kids enjoying learning history of Middle Ages in this format. I enjoyed reading this to the kids. It did not feel like I was reading a boring history with all the facts. It presented the facts in a fun story way and didn’t stress all the details. We will be reading more in this series and I look forward to seeing what comes next.
August 12, 2023
We enjoyed using this as a read aloud for our homeschool curriculum. I would not use it as a history course on its own because so much is left out completely or is overly simplified. But in conjunction with other books and sources it worked well for us. It is written in a way that the kids enjoyed listening, and we also had fun with the review questions in the corresponding activity book.
April 30, 2021
I’m so grateful for these books. My 5-y-o son is learning so much: history, but geography, religion, culture, literature, architecture, philosophy, science, intellectual history. On to book 3!
August 29, 2023
Every time I read a history book, I become a little more postmil.
May 10, 2024
Used this as our 3rd grade history spine and it went really well. My student even read a few chapters on his own and loved it.
November 7, 2020
Excellent. This is a really enjoyable read. I recommend reading it to your children in order for them to get a comprehensive, yet understandable overview of western civilization.
June 19, 2022
I started in the middle of the book and read to the end. Now, that isn't something I normally do with a book, but with this one it was totally possible!
This is a well-written book that skims over world history without coming across as overly brief or simplistic. I found myself putting this book down many times and researching subjects further.
While this spine claims to be geared toward elementary-age students, it can give all ages a great historical education.
This is a well-written book that skims over world history without coming across as overly brief or simplistic. I found myself putting this book down many times and researching subjects further.
While this spine claims to be geared toward elementary-age students, it can give all ages a great historical education.
September 5, 2024
As with all history books, the trick is in the editing—obviously a person COULD include everything, but then you couldn’t lift the book. I think Bauer did a great job selecting major moments from around the globe to introduce her readers to.
I don’t include all our school books on Goodreads, but since I read the entire thing aloud, I think I definitely get credit for this. 😆 On to the early modern world!
I don’t include all our school books on Goodreads, but since I read the entire thing aloud, I think I definitely get credit for this. 😆 On to the early modern world!
May 23, 2022
In the "Story of the World" volumes, Susan Wise Bower seeks to tell history as a story of events that is interesting to children learning history. She does this well in this volume. I appreciate that she really does tell the story of the world in the middle ages. Often, when I think of the middle ages, I think of Europe, knights, the bubonic plague, etc., but Bower does an excellent job of telling what was going on in all other parts of world during that time period.
I did not, however, think that this volume was as good as the first volume. I found several errors and did not like that she omitted the dates from the end of each chapter. In the workbook companion, I also wish that she had put the instructions for the mapwork on the maps instead of solely in the teacher's edition. It has been more beneficial for me to have my child do the maps on her own, and this omission has created extra work for me to write the directions on each map. I do appreciate that in this volume, there was a map at the beginning of each chapter.
As read this book, I was reminded of many things I had forgotten, and learned some new things as well. This is definitely a good resource for teaching history to young children.
I did not, however, think that this volume was as good as the first volume. I found several errors and did not like that she omitted the dates from the end of each chapter. In the workbook companion, I also wish that she had put the instructions for the mapwork on the maps instead of solely in the teacher's edition. It has been more beneficial for me to have my child do the maps on her own, and this omission has created extra work for me to write the directions on each map. I do appreciate that in this volume, there was a map at the beginning of each chapter.
As read this book, I was reminded of many things I had forgotten, and learned some new things as well. This is definitely a good resource for teaching history to young children.
December 5, 2015
This book is designed for elementary age students, so it was right up my alley. ;) It was a fun history book to read. My only complaint is that Mrs. Bauer, like many people around the world, incorrectly placed Baptists in the group of "Protestants". Baptist people have been around (by many different names) since the time Christ walked upon the Earth. We never were a part of the Catholic church, therefore, we did not come out from the Catholic church to "protest" it. We never reformed, because we needed no reformation. Other than that common inaccuracy, it is a good book. I enjoyed the chronological view of world history. I would like to read the other volumes in the series.
January 4, 2018
The Story of the World books have been such a wonderful addition to our homeschool days. We look forward to our adventures in history and love building our studies around a timeline of the world. Kiddo and I look forward to beginning volume three this week.
I highly recommend taking your time when reading these books. It takes us about a year to a year and a half to get through them as we stop and read biographies and historical fiction pieces and watch documentaries that fall into the segment of times Bauer discusses. One of our favorite side projects was reading through a set of Shakespeare plays abridged for children.
I highly recommend taking your time when reading these books. It takes us about a year to a year and a half to get through them as we stop and read biographies and historical fiction pieces and watch documentaries that fall into the segment of times Bauer discusses. One of our favorite side projects was reading through a set of Shakespeare plays abridged for children.
October 6, 2020
3 stars. Although I know quite a bit of European history during the Middle Ages, it was mostly that which affected England. I knew very little about the rest of the world’s history, and even about the other countries of Europe. It was interesting to get to learn about the history of Asia, Africa, China, etc. I found that the author didn’t present the Catholic-Protestant struggle or the Catholic Church accurately, but in spite of this and the slightly patronizing tone, I enjoyed this volume and am looking forwards to Volume III!
January 21, 2021
One of our favorite read alouds as a family. We have used this as our history study in homeschooling and the kids love it!
May 12, 2023
I read this with my daughter as part of her 6th grade curriculum. It is an excellent book.
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June 15, 2023We are wrapping up our homeschool year, and last week we finished our history curriculum. I cannot recommend enough The Story of the World books by @susanwisebauer, published by @thewelltrainedmind. We just finished the second volume, which focused on medieval history, and it took us about a year and a half to go through this book and the accompanying workbook. We listened to a lot of it on audiobook narrated by Jim Weiss, but my daughter also read quite a bit of this aloud to us. If you are making plans for your next homeschool year, I highly recommend these books. They’re so readable and interesting, for the kids AND for me, and I am continually amazed at all the history that I never knew or learned prior to reading these books with my children. Even if you’re not homeschooling, these books would be great for an older student to read on his or her own.
My daughter read the Roger Lancelyn Green editions of Robin Hood and King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table in conjunction with our medieval history study and loved them (along with A Door in the Wall and Adam of the Road, which she didn’t love as much). I had big plans to read Green’s translation of King Arthur, since I teach Malory’s Morte D’Arthur in one of my own classes, and I admittedly didn’t accomplish that goal, but I thoroughly enjoyed the chapters I did read. Green’s translation is really enjoyable, so maybe I will get to that this summer!
This fall we will start volume three of this Story of the World series that focuses on early modern history. I have the utmost respect for Susan Wise Bauer as an educator and a scholar, and I’m so grateful for her work in the homeschool community. She has provided a rich feast for us with these history books!
My daughter read the Roger Lancelyn Green editions of Robin Hood and King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table in conjunction with our medieval history study and loved them (along with A Door in the Wall and Adam of the Road, which she didn’t love as much). I had big plans to read Green’s translation of King Arthur, since I teach Malory’s Morte D’Arthur in one of my own classes, and I admittedly didn’t accomplish that goal, but I thoroughly enjoyed the chapters I did read. Green’s translation is really enjoyable, so maybe I will get to that this summer!
This fall we will start volume three of this Story of the World series that focuses on early modern history. I have the utmost respect for Susan Wise Bauer as an educator and a scholar, and I’m so grateful for her work in the homeschool community. She has provided a rich feast for us with these history books!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews