Resumen
Resumen de La historia de la humanidad
Go deeper: the whole of La historia de la humanidad
About 8 h 20 min to read.Para quién es
For curious readers who love a clear path through world history, and for parents and teachers who enjoy a warm guide. Young readers will meet ideas, tools and revolutions through plain language and the author's own drawings.
De qué trata este libro
Imagine climbing a mountain so high that all of human history spreads out below you like a map. That is the picture Hendrik Willem van Loon offers in The Story of Mankind, which appeared in 1921. He was a Dutch-born journalist and teacher who settled in the United States. He wanted young people to meet history as a living story and not as a heap of dates. He drew the maps and sketches himself and speaks to you in a lively, personal voice. The book won the first Newbery Medal in 1922.
En este resumen
- 1Climb high to see all of timeFree
- 2Writing and river valleys begin civilization
- 3Greek cities trade and debate
- 4Rome builds order and Christianity spreads
- 5The Middle Ages hold knowledge together
- 6Renaissance, Reformation and the opening of the world
- 7Kings, wars and the fight over belief
- 8Revolutions and machines remake daily life
- 9Tolerance as the lesson
Idea clave 1 de 9
Climb high to see all of time
Van Loon asks you to picture history as a great tower. Below, the busy streets seem confused. From the top, the wider view brings order to the scene.
The earliest humans live in a world of ice, hunger and danger. Speech, fire and tools are the first great steps.
The lesson is about scale. Written history is only a short stretch at the end of a very long road. Keep that in mind and later empires and kings feel more like recent news.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
- Nothing to pay today · Renews every year
- We email you before you pay
- Cancel online in two clicks
Go deeper: the whole of La historia de la humanidad
About 8 h 20 min to read.About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 129,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 8 h 35 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 13 other languages
Questions about La historia de la humanidad
What is The Story of Mankind about?
It is a one-volume history of the world from early humans to the years after the First World War. Van Loon covers Egypt, Greece, Rome, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the age of kings and the great revolutions in a lively style.
Did The Story of Mankind win an award?
Yes. It won the first Newbery Medal in 1922, the award given for outstanding American children's literature. It had been published in 1921 and was soon read widely in schools and homes.
Who wrote The Story of Mankind and who was it written for?
Hendrik Willem van Loon, a Dutch-born American writer and illustrator, wrote it. He aimed it at young readers, but its plain voice and clear sweep have also attracted many adults who want an easy way into world history.
Is The Story of Mankind accurate and up to date?
Its outline of events is mostly sound, but it centers heavily on Europe. Later editions by other hands have updated it.
What is the main message of The Story of Mankind?
Van Loon argues that fear, cruelty and narrow belief have caused much of history's suffering, while curiosity, learning and tolerance have driven its progress. He hopes young readers will think for themselves and judge people fairly.
Cite this edition
Van Loon, Hendrik Willem. The Story of Mankind. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-story-of-mankind.
Van Loon, H. W. (2026). The story of mankind. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-story-of-mankind (Original work published 1921)
Van Loon, Hendrik Willem. The Story of Mankind. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-story-of-mankind.
@book{vanloon2026story,
author = {Van Loon, Hendrik Willem},
title = {The Story of Mankind},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-story-of-mankind},
note = {First published 1921}
}