The Story of Mankind
Hendrik Van Loon
Read by LibriVox Volunteers
Relates the story of western civilization from earliest times through the beginning of the twentieth century, with special emphasis on the people and events that changed the course of history. Portrays in vivid prose the achievements of mankind in the areas of art and discovery, as well as the political forces leading to the modern nation-states. Richly illustrated with drawings by the author. Winner of the first Newbery Award in 1922, The Story of Mankind has introduced generations of children to the pageant of world history. (Summary from mainlesson.com) (13 hr 30 min)
Chapters
| Foreward | 8:25 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| The Setting of the Stage | 9:08 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| Our Earliest Ancestors | 5:06 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| Prehistoric Man | 5:24 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| Hieroglyphics | 10:19 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| The Nile Valley | 7:10 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| The Story of Egypt | 4:28 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| Mesopotamia | 2:28 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| The Sumerians | 7:20 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| Moses | 5:10 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| The Phoenicians | 3:13 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| The Indo-Europeans | 4:07 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| The Aegean Sea | 6:35 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| The Greeks | 3:50 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| The Greek Cities | 6:07 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| Greek Self-Government | 5:51 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| Greek Life | 7:41 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| The Greek Theatre | 6:15 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| The Persian Wars | 8:51 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| Athens vs. Sparta | 4:40 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| Alexander the Great | 4:07 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| A Summary | 5:28 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| Rome and Carthage | 23:42 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| The Rise of Rome | 5:27 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| The Roman Empire | 19:20 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| Joshua of Nazareth | 9:07 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| The Fall of Rome | 10:27 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| The Rise of the Church | 13:36 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| Mohammed | 11:22 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| Charlemagne | 10:04 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| The Norsemen | 4:30 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| Feudalism | 6:58 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| Chivalry | 5:01 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| Pope vs. Emperor | 12:06 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| The Crusades | 8:54 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| The Mediaeval City | 19:25 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| Mediaeval Self-Government | 9:28 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| The Mediaeval World | 15:03 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| Mediaeval Trade | 12:02 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| The Renaissance | 27:27 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| The Age of Expression | 9:04 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| The Great Discoveries | 27:03 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| Buddha and Confucius | 17:07 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| The Reformation | 22:47 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| Religious Warfare | 28:41 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| The English Revolution | 33:12 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| The Balance of Power | 9:15 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| The Rise of Russia | 13:47 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| Russia vs. Sweden | 7:55 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| The Rise of Prussia | 8:46 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| The Mercantile System | 7:15 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| The American Revolution | 13:30 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| The French Revolution | 28:12 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| Napoleon | 24:04 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| The Holy Alliance | 21:45 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| The Great Reaction | 16:30 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| National Independence | 41:24 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| The Age of the Engine | 19:35 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| The Social Revolution | 10:00 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| Emancipation | 15:50 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| The Age of Science | 10:17 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| Art | 28:54 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| Colonial Expansion and War | 18:09 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
| A New World | 20:00 | Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) |
| As It Ever Shall Be | 1:32 | Read by Michelle Crandall |
Reviews
A Not to Be Missed Book--Or Left Behind, Even 'When Worlds Collide'
forprogress
The two readers do a wonderful job of conveying van Loon's warm and humanistic history of mankind for children of all ages. The book The Story of Mankind was featured as one of the few books thought worthy of being salvaged from an earth about to be destroyed by colliding planets in the George Pal sci-fi classic 'When Worlds Collide', for good reason. Many of the lessons that van Loon conveys from the dawn of time to the Modern World (I know he vehemently disagrees with the latter term, since he considers man only a little removed from the cave, is used for reference purpose only). I find his discussion of the circumstances surrounding The French Revolution and The Ship of State at the end, particularly edifying. I personally enjoyed his discussion of the Marquis de Condorcet who he brings up in both time periods. As well as his use of Irony and Pity at the end to be our assessors and judges for a humanist society. This makes a good bed timing hearing for all those whose historical knowledge may be sketchy at spots (again for children of all ages), bravo to the two readers! Sorry, it took so long for someone to applaud their great selection choice and very pleasant and inviting, humanistic, family-friendly reading.
missing 12 chapters
Cindy’s
Thank you for recording this book. However, it’s missing the last 12 chapters.
good book well read
Thiago Coelho
I must also congratulate the heroic efforts to describe the illustrations
Hussain Burhan
loved most of the book untill it came to Mohammed the author is obviously a baisd chritian and im suprized how ignorant he is calling muslims "Mohammedian" and doesn't even use respectful words towards the prophet and when he says that his religion didn't contribute to anything like railroads and stuff that couldn't be further from the truth study the islamic golden ages you will know how much muslims have contributed to science for example algebra, algorythms the very scientific methods even the gravity was Discovered by muslims way before isaac newton so he is clearly very wrong about muslims and the religion of islam
excellent book and very much well read!! thank you very much!
A LibriVox Listener
APPLAUD !
A LibriVox Listener
Well done - I listened to this over again and enjoyed the narrators as much as I did the book.
concise and to the point, provided the reader is clear this pret
Bridget Laurence
Bob Jones
poor speaking and noisy background by Michelle