The Story of Civilization: Volume I, II and II Set

Children should not just read about history; they should live it. In The Story of Civilization, Phillip Campbell brings the whole sweep of the past alive as narrative rather than as a list of dates, which is why it reads so well aloud with several ages listening at once.

Within each chapter, short stories place children directly in the shoes of historical figures, both famous and ordinary, as they live through legendary battles and invasions, philosophical debates, the raising of architectural wonders, the discovery of new sciences and the exploration of the world.

This complete set carries a child from the dawn of history to the present day:

• Volume I: The Ancient World. From the earliest nomads to the conversion of Constantine. Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Greece and Rome, woven together with the Old Testament story of the Israelites and the coming of Christ. 35 lessons.
• Volume II: The Medieval World. The centuries between, from the fall of Rome through to the Renaissance.
• Volume III: The Making of the Modern World. The Reformation and its fracturing of the Church, then Napoleon, Henry VIII and Louis XIV, through two world wars to present-day Europe. Children meet Sts Pius V, Thomas More, John Vianney and Margaret Mary Alacoque along the way.

The strength lies not only in the storybook telling but in the way history is presented through the faithful prism of the Church. If you have wanted your children to learn world history from a Catholic perspective, this is the resource.

Did you know…

• Archimedes is said to have built a giant heat ray to defend his hometown, setting enemy ships alight with sunbeams?
• Hannibal marched an army of elephants over the Alps to attack Rome?
• Henry VIII was once known as Defender of the Faith?
• Louis XIV was called the Sun King because of the brilliance of his palace at Versailles?
• Columbus called the native peoples of America Indians because he believed he had landed in India?