The Growth of the British Empire

Story of the World #5

by Margaret Bertha Synge, Millington Henry Synge

Book V in The Story of the World series, by M. B. Synge, "The Growth of the British Empire," treats the revolutions in South America and Mexico, the Boer War in South Africa, and the exploration of Central Africa, the Greek and Italian wars for independence, the Crimean War, the American Civil War, the opening of trade with Japan and China, and the rebellion in India. Suitable for children ages 13 and up to read to themselves and for children as young as 10 as a read-aloud. The Story of the World series, by M. B. Synge, comprises a set of five volumes, written at a middle school reading level, that cover all major events in the history of Western Civilization, from earliest recorded history to the close of the nineteenth century. With fifty or so short chapters in each volume, the series links the great eras in time and place together by a chain of stories of individuals who played principal parts in the events related. While statesmen and military commanders figure heavily in the narrative, stories of explorers, scientists, artists, authors, and religious figures are also presented. The author writes in an engaging fashion, using dialog frequently to bring scenes to life. She juxtaposes events happening at the same time in different parts of the world in a style reminiscent of the books of Genevieve Foster. This series is an excellent introduction to world history for adult readers as well as for children.

Genres: History

284 pages, Paperback

First published January 8, 2006

About the author

D 1939

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in preparation for my son’s homeschool year in Revival to Revolution through Heart of Dakota. This is a strange book. First published in 1904, written by a Briton, it is patriotically pro-imperialism. The author emphasizes Britain’s need to expand her empire in the name of peace, prosperity, and justice for all. I suppose at the time, this was a strongly-held belief. Yet today, we disparage that mindset, knowing that Britain’s empire crumbled in the face of native resistance and many times outright hatred of their conqueror. The redeeming factor: this book was written for children and can be read by children, and it goes into depth on how many areas of the world were conquered and modernized (even if against their will) - information that is hard to come by in a world that is ashamed of imperialism and would rather pretend it never happened. I will definitely talk with my son about the importance of context, of understanding who wrote this book and when it was written, and how that context influences the attitude portrayed in the book.

[Erica Donoho · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF
Not our favorite history series. Rough to read aloud, choppy

[Cristine Braddy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's really hard to rate this book. It could be read as a semi-primary source, giving us a glimpse into the attitudes and perspectives of the time. But the attitude towards the countries that the British take into their empire is appalling. If reading with kids, this requires adequate discussion of context and what we know now about how harmful imperialism turned out to be for many nations.

[Megan Garbe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Is it me?

I found this almost unreadable. It feels like it is a poor translation, but I think it was originally published in English. DNF