A Picturesque Tale of Progress: The Story of Humankind for Readers Young and Old: Beginnings I

Angelico Press is pleased to offer a reprint of a most remarkable work on world history by Olive Beaupré Miller. It was brought to our attention repeatedly over the years by teachers of history in public and private middle and high schools, many of whom referred to the books astheir “trade secret.” The set is truly the gold standard in the field, and nothing short of providential as a resource for homeschoolers. A Picturesque Tale of Progress: The Story of Humankind for Readers Young and Old was written by Miller with the assistance of Harry Neal Baum, former professor of history at the University of Wisconsin. It consists of nine volumes (including a separate index) divided into four themes—Beginnings, Conquests, New Nations, Explorations—with two volumes devoted to each theme. The “Picturesque” in the title refers, not to quaintness, but to the three hundred or more carefully chosen illustrations and mapsgracing each volume. The books are available in both paperback and durable hardback editions. In a world where the level and quality of education has so grievously deteriorated, may this Angelico Press reprint edition shine as a beacon to a new generation of young (and not-so young) scholars.• Beginnings I sets out from the earliest traces of human culture, followed by the rise and fall of Ancient Egypt.• Beginnings Il covers Babylonia, the Assyrian empire, and Biblical History fromAbraham to the Fall of Jerusalem.• Conquests I follows the trajectory of Ancient Crete and Greece to the audaciousconquests of Alexander the Great.• Conquests II opens with the early history of Rome, followed by the story of early Chris-tianity, Paul’s missionary journeys, and the peaceful conquest of Rome by Christianity.• New Nations I covers the Fall of the Roman Empire, followed by the Byzantine Empire, the Medieval Church, the Vikings, and the Feudal Age.• New Nations II reveals the glory of the Byzantine Empire, the Crusades, Spain and the Moors, the development of England, France as a monarchy, Germany and the HolyRoman Empire, and Italy and the Renaissance.• Explorations I covers Marco Polo, Genghis Khan, the conquests of the Mongols, and Africa and India.• Explorations Il brings us to the New World. The voyages of Leif Ericsson and Columbus introduce the peoples of the Americas, with special focus on the civilizations of Mexico, Central America, Southwestern America, and their conquest by the Spanish. The series ends here—with the discovery of America.• Finally, the comprehensive Index offers an excellent reference for further study and projects.Olive Beaupré Miller put it best: “To bring history to life for children, to present to them a fascinating historical panorama, to let them travel up the path of time with the men and women who had made history—that was my purpose in writing A Picturesque Tale of Progress.” Read more