Young Reader's Guide to World History: From Ancient Egypt to the Magna Carta

Originally published in 1921 as a portion of the author’s larger “A Beginner’s History,” and equivalent in length to a physical book of approximately 50 pages, this Kindle edition describes, in simple language for young readers, the great civilizations and empires of world history—Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Great Britain.

CONTENTS

I. The Oldest Nations
II. Greece, the Land of Art and Freedom
III. How the Greeks Taught Men to Be Free
IV. Spread of Greek Civilization
V. When Rome Ruled the World
VI. Hannibal Tries to Conquer Rome
VII. Rome Conquers the World but Grows Wicked
VIII. The Roman Republic Becomes the Roman Empire
IX. What Rome Gave to the World
X. The Downfall of Rome
XI. The Angles and Saxons in Great Britain
XII. Charles the Great, Ruler of the Franks
XIII. The Coming of the Northmen
XIV. Alfred the Great
XV. The Norman Conquest
XVI. The Struggle for the Great Charter

Sample passage:
The people of Athens, because they made their laws after debating them in the assembly, placed emphasis on public speaking. All the citizens were taught how to speak in public and how to appear before the assembly. It was natural for the best orators to have the most influence. But the people were keen and quick to see the difference between orators who were interested only in winning applause and honor for themselves through their speeches and the ones who were true patriots and spoke for the good of the city.

Yet while the people of Athens trained their citizens to make the laws they saw to it that their young men were trained to be good soldiers. Training began with the schoolboy. There were two schools, one called the music school and the other the wrestling school.

In the music school the Greek boys did not study music alone, but learned to read and write and do simple sums in arithmetic. More than this, their teachers wanted them to learn the poems written by blind Homer, their wonderful old poet. They learned to play and sing. A stringed instrument called a lyre was the favorite among the Greeks.

In the wrestling school the boys learned to run, to jump, to dance, and especially to throw the javelin. At fifteen they attended the gymnasium where they were taught the more difficult athletic games. This led up to the next great event in the young man’s life, his preparation for becoming a citizen.

About the author
William Harrison Mace, Ph.D. (1852-1938), was Professor of History at Syracuse University from 1891-1916. He is the author of several books on history, including “Lincoln, the Man of the People,” “The Story of Old Europe and Young America,” and “A School History of the United States.”