The Story of Mankind facts for kids
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| Author | Hendrik Willem van Loon |
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| Illustrator | Hendrik Willem van Loon |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | H. Liveright |
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Publication date
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1921 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 529 pp (hardback) 280 pp (paperback) |
The Story of Mankind is a famous book written and illustrated by Hendrik Willem van Loon. He was a Dutch-American journalist, professor, and author. The book was first published in 1921.
In 1922, The Story of Mankind made history. It was the very first book to win the Newbery Medal. This award is given to the best book for children published in the United States.
Van Loon wrote this book for his own children, Hansje and Willem. It tells the story of human history in short, easy-to-understand chapters. The book starts with early humans and covers many important topics. It talks about how writing, art, and architecture developed. It also explains the rise of major religions and how modern countries were formed.
Van Loon had a special way of deciding what to put in the book. He only included people or events that changed history in a big way. He asked himself: "Would the entire history of civilization be different without this person or event?"
Contents
Updates to the Book
After its first release in 1921, The Story of Mankind was updated a few times.
Early Updates by Van Loon
In 1926, Van Loon added a new part called "After Seven Years." This section discussed the effects of World War I. He updated the book again in 1938 with a new "Epilogue."
Later Editions and New Authors
After Van Loon passed away in 1944, his son, Gerrit van Loon, added more to the book. The most recent version came out in 2014. It was updated by Robert Sullivan and covers events up to the early 2010s.
Film Adaptation
In 1957, a movie was made based on the book. It was also called The Story of Mankind. The film starred famous actors like Ronald Colman. It also featured the funny Marx Brothers.
