The Story of Civilization: VOLUME II - The Medieval World

by Phillip Campbell

Children should not just read about history, they should live it. In The Story of Civilization, the ancient stories that have shaped humanity come alive like never before. Author Phillip Campbell uses his historical expertise and story-telling ability together in tandem to present the content in a fresh and thrilling way. The Story of Civilization reflects a new emphasis in presenting the history of the world as a thrilling and compelling narrative. Within each chapter, children will encounter short stories that place them directly in the shoes of historical figures, both famous and ordinary, as they live through legendary battles and invasions, philosophical debates, the construction of architectural wonders, the discovery of new inventions and sciences, and the exploration of the world. Volume The Medieval World continues the journey, picking up where Volume I left off just after the conversion of Emperor Constantine. Children will watch the seeds of Christendom being planted in the soil of Europe thanks to colossal figures like Sts. Benedict, Patrick and Ambrose. The wonder of the Medieval world comes alive with brilliant tales of knights, crusaders, castles and inventions. The strength of the content lies not only in the storybook delivery of it, but also in the way it presents history through the faithful prism of the Church. Have you always wanted your children to learn about world history from a Catholic perspective? Here, you’ll have the trusted resource you’ve always wanted.

Genres: History, Education, Audiobook

335 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 20, 2017

Reviews

[Damian Mee · Rating 2 out of 5]

EXTREMELY biased. It's basically a propaganda piece for Christianity.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

We listened to the audiobooks for this 4-part series for our homeschooling history class. Our entire family loved it! The 4-yr olds didn't appreciate it as much as the rest of us, but the 6yr and 7yr old boys couldn't get enough of it. They would beg to be able to listen to more each day, whether we were eating lunch or driving in the car. I've never been very interested in history, but I was looking forward to it as much as they were. It's very well-written and the narrator is top-notch! Very impressive. So much of history is one conflict followed by another, and the author does a great job presenting both sides. This is especially apparent when he gets into the world wars and the American revolutionary war and such. It's impressive how he seems to remain neutral and not slant the story one way or another. Kevin Gallagher narrated all of these books and he does a fantastic job making the stories come alive. I highly recommend all of them!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very biased to the Catholic faith. It’s produced by a Catholic printer, and I shouldn’t be surprised. But I would prefer more acceptance/tolerance of other faiths. Even as a Catholic, I don’t see Protestant religions as “wrong” the way this volume presents them. I had a little involuntary cringe every time the narrator started berating Protestants. And trying to present indulgences in a positive light? Come on. It’s healthy to ask questions which lead to revision and refinement. And this volume hasn’t even reached the Reformation yet.

I personally enjoyed volume 1 more than volume 2. Volume 1 was easier to follow. I probably need a reread which means my kids definitely need a reread. But on the whole I am really enjoying this series for our world history curriculum this year even though I’m already planning to flesh it out next year by reading “Story of the World”.

[Leila Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

We listened to this as an audiobook. This whole series is excellent and solidly Catholic. Every age in the family enjoys listening to it. It is like "Warren Carroll lite". I wouldn't be surprised if this series took a lot of inspiration from Warren Carroll, because both series follow nearly the exact same timeline and have a lot of similarities. So if you don't have time to read Carroll's massive history series, just listen to this and get the gist!
My one complaint is that when the narrator is telling stories of saints and heroes, he uses super annoying fake Italian and German accents. Really, we could've been spared that. Otherwise, my kids love the stories.

[Joe Stufflebeam · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is quite a bit of religious focus/slant and from the perspective of history is pretty shallow, but you have to expect some of that when trying to cover 1200 years in a book. It functions as a decent intro to the history of the time. As a first read into the period, it can perhaps point the reader to specific episodes that peek the interest.

[Michelle Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids and I love this history series.
I love how history is told as a story of those who have come before us, with the reminder of how we can and should learn from the achievements and failures of the past. History truly comes alive through this series!

[Emily Sparks · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Catholic supplement to a history program, this works quite well. However, it would be seriously inadequate as a stand-alone history course. We're using it as a supplement for Story of the World, and for that it works quite well. Don't get this thinking it will be all you need, though.

[Breann Burch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this along with the audiobook with my children. The reader and certain dramatized sections with the cast were my children’s favorite. Loved this far more than the story of the world series.

[Hayes Read-Alouds · Rating 4 out of 5]

We loved listening to the audio book and can't wait to start the next one! We especially appreciate the unique Catholic perspective on the history of Christendom.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good addition to our study of the middle ages.