The Famous Men series:
Famous Men of Rome, Famous Men of Greece, and Famous Men of the Middle Ages
by John H. Haaren and Addison B. Poland
Reviewed by Martha Robinson
Purchase details: The Famous Men series: Famous Men of Rome, Famous Men of Greece, and Famous Men of the Middle Ages, $16.95 each. Please support HomeschoolChristian.com by buying these books from our Christian Book Distributors link.
Written by John H. Haaren and Addison B. Poland, the Famous Men series was first published in the early 1900's. These books were designed to give the student an interesting overview of the lives of great men of European history. They were meant to offset the movement of studying only American history in the elementary years, because, in the authors' words, "Beginning the detailed study of American history without any previous knowledge of general history limited the pupil's range of vision, restricted his sympathies, and left him without material for comparison."
While the series (in the public domain) is available on several websites, the Memoria Press versions add many useful features. Famous Men of Rome and Famous Men of the Middle Ages have been updated with beautiful, color prints from oil paintings commissioned by Memoria Press. While there are still some black and white illustrations, every story has at least two pages of full color artwork relating to the events of the tale. A glossary of people and places in the back of the book serves as a summary and review of the topics. Memoria Press already has a study guide for Famous Men of Rome and one on Famous Men of the Middle Ages is in the works.
Famous Men of Greece has been updated with color prints, but it has not been reviewed.
Recommendation: The Famous Men series is a good introduction to people and important events in history and is suitable for a wide age-range of students. While some stories will be more appealing to certain children than others, there is enough material to spark the interest of everyone in the family!
Our Experience: I had my older children read Famous Men of Rome aloud to the younger children. The boys especially enjoyed the stories, and reading aloud gave the older ones valuable practice with uncommon names.
Famous Men of Modern Times
Memoria Press continues its series of "Famous Men" history studies with Famous Men of Modern Times which features brief biographies of thirty-three men who were leaders in the history of western civilization. Beautiful color paintings and black-and-white illustrations help bring the stories to life in this book of men who lived from the 1400's to the early 1800's.
In the study guide for Famous Men of Modern Times, Tanya Charlton lays out a systematic plan to work through the book in thirty-nine lessons and reviews. Each of the famous men has one lesson in which study terms, vocabulary, comprehension questions, and extra activities are included. Map work, literature and poetry, art, and timelines are some of the activities suggested. At least one quotation from each famous man is included in the lesson. A "Who said that?" worksheet, a comprehensive timeline, and a section of copybook passages conclude the study guide.
The teacher guide for Famous Men of Modern Times reproduces the student book in its entirety with answers filled in. Additionally, it has a section of writing prompts for each lesson. It also includes tests for use after each of the six review lessons and a final exam.
Recommendation: Memoria Press's reprint of the classic Famous Men of Modern Times is enhanced by the lovely color prints. This book is bound to generate interest in history because the men featured were all leaders and adventurers with bold stories. Famous Men of Modern Times can be used as a stand-alone "living" book. For those families who prefer workbooks or a more systematic approach, the student guide will be invaluable.
HomeschoolChristian.com resources related to this review:
HomeschoolChristian.com's History Section where you will find many "living" history resources!
Review of Horatius at the Bridge
Review of Child's History of the World by Hillyer
Review of Child's History of the World CD-ROM
Review of Ancient Greece CD-ROM by Calvert School
Review of Guided Course for Famous Men of Rome
Review of The Gods of Greece by Calvert School
Review of The Story of the World audio by Susan Wise Bauer
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