The Story of Mankind (The Bestsellers of 1922)

Rating:
Summary: A book you have to read!!
Review: While I appreciate the daunting task of putting all that history into one volume, you'll find this book to be like the old adage more "His story" than history. The writer's personal value system shines through the book as he interprets his view of history. One interesting rant about his major premonition about the Roman Empire and how it was defeated by a child in Bethlehem. Other than a giving us a few vague moral lessons, Van Loon gave us no insight of what Jesus Christ did that was so revolutionary to topple the largest superpower ever. Could you give us a bit of depth? I don't get it.

Rating:
Summary: A bit much?
Review: While I appreciate the daunting task of putting all that history into one volume, you'll find this book to be like the old adage more "His story" than history. The writer's personal value system shines through the book as he interprets his view of history. One interesting rant about his major premonition about the Roman Empire and how it was defeated by a child in Bethlehem. Other than a giving us a few vague moral lessons, Van Loon gave us no insight of what Jesus Christ did that was so revolutionary to topple the largest superpower ever. Could you give us a bit of depth? I don't get it.

Rating:
Summary: Really a story!
Review: Writers of history could pay attention to this master story-teller. Yes, there are many offensive opinions expressed, so I call the book more "artifact" than "fact." My children (born in the 70s) could not read it, his language was too dense and his humor foreign to them.

The book gave me, reading it in 2004, great insight into my father's generation. I felt the great despair of Americans and Europeans after the Great War (WW I) and I forgave the un-PC parts for the sake of this message.

I hope that everyone will follow the guidance of the parent who recommended one underline passages and discuss with their children. I hope that all will find/discuss passages they agree with as well as those that offend. This education in history can protect and defend your children in all their adventures in storyland.

I also recommend the same treatment for another Van Loon experiment: Van Loon's Lives. In that book, his treatment of Nansen the Norweigian gives his ideas on true leadership. See how his Napoleon and Robspierre foreshadow Hitler.