Books with author Hendrik Willem: Van Loon

PREHISTORIC MANTHE WORLD GROWS COLDEND OF THE STONE AGETHE EARLIEST SCHOOL OF THE HUMAN RACETHE KEY OF STONETHE LAND OF THE LIVING AND THE LAND OF THE DEADTHE MAKING OF A STATETHE RISE AND FALL OF EGYPTMESOPOTAMIA--THE COUNTRY BETWEEN THE RIVERSTHE SUMERIAN NAIL WRITERSASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA--THE GREAT SEMITIC MELTING-POTTHE STORY OF MOSESJERUSALEM--THE CITY OF THE LAWDAMASCUS--THE CITY OF TRADETHE PHOENICIANS WHO SAILED BEYOND THE HORIZONTHE ALPHABET FOLLOWS THE TRADETHE END OF THE ANCIENT WORLD

PREHISTORIC MANTHE WORLD GROWS COLDEND OF THE STONE AGETHE EARLIEST SCHOOL OF THE HUMAN RACETHE KEY OF STONETHE LAND OF THE LIVING AND THE LAND OF THE DEADTHE MAKING OF A STATETHE RISE AND FALL OF EGYPTMESOPOTAMIA--THE COUNTRY BETWEEN THE RIVERSTHE SUMERIAN NAIL WRITERSASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA--THE GREAT SEMITIC MELTING-POTTHE STORY OF MOSESJERUSALEM--THE CITY OF THE LAWDAMASCUS--THE CITY OF TRADETHE PHOENICIANS WHO SAILED BEYOND THE HORIZONTHE ALPHABET FOLLOWS THE TRADETHE END OF THE ANCIENT WORLD

PREHISTORIC MANTHE WORLD GROWS COLDEND OF THE STONE AGETHE EARLIEST SCHOOL OF THE HUMAN RACETHE KEY OF STONETHE LAND OF THE LIVING AND THE LAND OF THE DEADTHE MAKING OF A STATETHE RISE AND FALL OF EGYPTMESOPOTAMIA--THE COUNTRY BETWEEN THE RIVERSTHE SUMERIAN NAIL WRITERSASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA--THE GREAT SEMITIC MELTING-POTTHE STORY OF MOSESJERUSALEM--THE CITY OF THE LAWDAMASCUS--THE CITY OF TRADETHE PHOENICIANS WHO SAILED BEYOND THE HORIZONTHE ALPHABET FOLLOWS THE TRADETHE END OF THE ANCIENT WORLD

First published in 1921 and awarded the first ever Newbery Medal of 1922 for its contribution to children’s literature, “The Story of Mankind” follows the history of western civilization from prehistoric times to the early 20th century. Originally written for his children, Hendrik van Loon, a Dutch-American journalist and historian, both wrote and illustrated this classic for children to learn about world history in an entertaining way. From the very beginning of mankind, the development of writing and art, the rise of world religions, to the formation of nation-states and modern politics, van Loon emphasizes the people and events central to the monumental changes and achievements of human history. Beautiful and detailed, van Loon’s epic work has withstood the test of time with its lively illustrations and warm and accessible prose, making these famous figures and grand world events relatable and interesting to children of all ages. A remarkable, accurate, and enduring work, “The Story of Mankind” is a masterpiece of children’s literature and continues to engage and inspire young readers to this day. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

It was intended for children, and of course much of the science is hopelessly out of date, but this ambitious, even audacious attempt to offer an overview of the entirety of human history remains a breathtaking work today. A 1921 bestseller, The Story of Mankind won the first Newbery Medal in 1922, and it is no wonder: the book-which begins with the origin of life itself on our planet and the arrival of the earliest protohumans on the scene and ends with The Last Fifty Years, Including Several Explanations and an Apology-is abundant with an offbeat charm and packed with the author's own beautiful illustrations and maps that are alive with a fresh, delectable humor. As a document of early modern science writing, it is invaluable. As a delightfully entertaining read, it is not to be missed. Dutch-American author and educator HENDRIK WILLEM VAN LOON (1882-1944) sold more than six million books during his lifetime, including The Story of the Bible (1923), Tolerance (1925), and America (1927).

The following computer-generated description may contain errors and does not represent the quality of the book.To Hansje and Willem, My darling boys, You are twelve and eight years old. Soon you will be grown up. You will leave hpnie and begin your own lives. I have been thinking about that day, wondering what I could do to help you. At last, I have had an idea. The best compass is a thorough understanding of the growth and the experience of the human race. Why should I not write a special history for you? So I took my faithful Corona and five bottles of ink and a box of matches and a bale of paper and began to work upon the first volume. If all goes well there will be eight more and they will tell you what you ought to know of the last six thousand years. But before you start to read let me explain what I intend to do.This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally-enhance the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.Tags: ancient people egypt world land stone egyptian time country life home jews nile desert egyptians men lived mesopotamia city built

WHEN I was twelve or thirteen years old, an uncle of mine who gave me my love for books and pictures promised to take me upon a memorable expedition. I was to go with him to the top of the tower of Old Saint Lawrence in Rotterdam. And so, one fine day, a sexton with a key as large as that of Saint Peter opened a mysterious door. "Ring the bell," he said, "when you come back and want to get out," and with a great grinding of rusty old hinges he separated us from the noise of the busy street and locked us into a world of new and strange experiences. For the first time in my life I was confronted by the phenomenon of audible silence. When we had climbed the first flight of stairs, I added another discovery to my limited knowledge of natural phenomena—that of tangible darkness. A match showed us where the upward road continued. We went to the next floor and then to the next and the next until I had lost count and then there came still another floor, and suddenly we had plenty of light. This floor was on an even height with the roof of the church, and it was used as a storeroom. Covered with many inches of dust, there lay the abandoned symbols of a venerable faith which had been discarded by the good people of the city many years ago. That which had meant life and death to our ancestors was here reduced to junk and rubbish. The industrious rat had built his nest among the carved images and the ever watchful spider had opened up shop between the outspread arms of a kindly saint. The next floor showed us from where we had derived our light. Enormous open windows with heavy iron bars made the high and barren room the roosting place of hundreds of pigeons. The wind blew through the iron bars and the air was filled with a weird and pleasing music. It was the noise of the town below us, but a noise which had been purified and cleansed by the distance. The rumbling of heavy carts and the clinking of horses' hoofs, the winding of cranes and pulleys, the hissing sound of the patient steam which had been set to do the work of man in a thousand different ways—they had all been blended into a softly rustling whisper which provided a beautiful background for the trembling cooing of the pigeons. Here the stairs came to an end and the ladders began. And after the first ladder (a slippery old thing which made one feel his way with a cautious foot) there was a new and even greater wonder, the town-clock. I saw the heart of time. I could hear the heavy pulsebeats of the rapid seconds—one—two—three—up to sixty. Then a sudden quivering noise when all the wheels seemed to stop and another minute had been chopped off eternity. Without pause it began again—one—two—three—until at last after a warning rumble and the scraping of many wheels a thunderous voice, high above us, told the world that it was the hour of noon.

My darling boys, You are twelve and eight years old. Soon you will be grown up. You will leave home and begin your own lives. I have been thinking about that day, wondering what I could do to help you. At last, I have had an idea. The best compass is a thorough understanding of the growth and the experience of the human race. Why should I not write a special history for you? So I took my faithful Corona and five bottles of ink and a box of matches and a bale of paper and began to work upon the first volume. If all goes well there will be eight more and they will tell you what you ought to know of the last six thousand years. But before you start to read let me explain what I intend to do. I am not going to present you with a textbook. Neither will it be a volume of pictures. It will not even be a regular history in the accepted sense of the word.

"The Rise of the Dutch Kingdom-A Short Account of the Early Development of the Modern Kingdom of the Netherlands" tells the story of our national usurpation by a foreign enemy during the beginning of the nineteenth century, appears at a moment when our nearest neighbours are suffering the same fate which befell us more than a hundred years ago. I dedicate my work to the five soldiers of the Belgian army who saved my life near Waerloos.