Tan Books The Story of Civilization, Volume 1: The Ancient World

Awesome book! Susan Wise Bauer move out of the way. At last, a really great story teller with accurate information, beautifully drawn illustrations (could use more), and well organized. My child and I have really enjoyed learning about the ancient world. If only schools could use more books like this. My child loves to read through the book and do the activities. Campbell has inspired us.

I ended up really liking this book- the first few chapters didnt impress me, but gradually I got pulled into it as a story line developed... and i guess thats the thing I like best about it, it has a thread running through it that connects all the stories, humankind's thirst for God. Unlike Story of the World, which a wonderful collection of largely independent stories, the Story of Civilization is one story with many chapters. I prefer a pretty writing style, maybe more old fashioned, but the writing is clear and steady. I was sorry there weren't more women, but to be honest that isnt a criticism just of this book, and he did try, I appreciated that. Any history spine needs to be fleshed out with other reading and I didnt expect this one to be everything! Overall I'm very happy and will buy the others, too.

I use it to homeschool my 7, 8, and 10 year-olds. It's interesting enough to hold their attention, but full of enough information that I learn something new every time we read from it. I'm not sure about the rest of the series, but I see other religious beliefs treated with respect in this first volume (and I expect that it continues to be true). I like that it includes history that my kids also learn about from the Bible, which helps to create a fuller picture for them. My only complaint is that it doesn't contain very much history outside of eastern Europe and western Asia. There is some, but not much. At least half of the book is dedicated to Greek and Roman history. I wouldn't hesitate to use it for high school level with a little supplementation. I have also read Story of the World (the whole series) and taught using History Quest (volume 1 and 2). Story of the World was a little too simple, and I struggled to find it interesting. History Quest was a bit too wordy, and my ADHD kiddo had trouble staying focused, even when I broke it down into reading for just a few minutes each time. Story of Civilization is a nice middle ground. It has the same type of immersive story telling that you find in History Quest's "history hops" but without dedicating half the book to it. I'm very pleased with this book!

We are thoroughly enjoying this text so far. It is the spine for Ancient History studies this year for our Year 5 and Year 7 boys; so far they are enjoying both listening to the text, and doing the comprehension and craft assignments suggested in the Teacher's Manual (separate book). I reserved one star, because I think the text could do with some colour photographs (especially of primary evidence, archaeological sites, etc), and key points/an overview for each chapter. I prefer that follow-up questions and tasks be included in the text, rather than in a separate Teacher Manual - but this is merely personal preference, and may not be a drawback for other users.

Bought as a gift,( 11 year old boy), had quick look through it and am so impressed that I'll be buying the Author's other titles