Greece, Rome, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Reformation!
Just what you need to introduce your children to the history of Western Civilization!
Teaching history using biographies matches the pattern of the Bible (which gives us the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, etc). Children are naturally interested in stories about people! Your younger children will enjoy hearing these books read out loud. Older children can read them on their own.
The Famous Men series was originally published in 1904. The authors were the superintendents of the New York City and Newark school systems. The impetus was a desire to give children in the elementary grades good history and good biographies in a form that let them practice and refine their reading skills.
In 1989, Greenleaf Press was founded in order to make these book available once again.
The books have since been republished by several other publishers, but the Greenleaf editions were the first and continue to have several advantages:
First, they have been extensively edited in order to improve their clarity and readability.
Second, some of the editorial judgments on famous men have been adjusted to more formally evaluate them by biblical standards
Third, additional chapters have been added on famous men who were overlooked in the originals. There is a chapter on Diocletian in Famous Men of Rome which is not in the original and there are chapters on Augustine, Patrick, Benedict, St. Francis, and St. Dominic in the Middle Ages book that are not in any other edition.
Second, some of the editorial judgments on famous men have been adjusted to more formally evaluate them by biblical standards
Third, additional chapters have been added on famous men who were overlooked in the originals. There is a chapter on Diocletian in Famous Men of Rome which is not in the original and there are chapters on Augustine, Patrick, Benedict, St. Francis, and St. Dominic in the Middle Ages book that are not in any other edition.
And, of course, the Famous Men of the Renaissance and Reformation, is an entirely new volume, written by Rob Shearer. If God gives me time, I intend to write four more volumes: Famous Men of the 16th & 17th Century, Famous Men of the 18th Century, Famous Men of the 19th Century, and Famous Men of the 20th Century.
For all these reasons we recommend me that you purchase books in the Famous Men series from Greenleaf, rather than other editions.
The Famous Men series from Greenleaf is one of Cathy Duffy's "100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum."
- Rob Shearer
