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Vintage History & Biographies

There is a subtle difference between "history" and "current events." At the time of this writing, Russia has invaded Ukraine, and Israel is engaged in a conflict with Hamas. Our world has just resurfaced from the fear spread by COVID-19 and the reactions it spurred, and the United States government is trying to figure out how to combat (or not) a surge of illegal immigration on our Southern border. These are all "historical events" and much is being written about them even as I type. But while facts are facts, we currently don't have them all and lack perspective. 

Two common quotes immediately jump to mind.

The first: "hindsight is 20/20." The idea behind this is that we can see more clearly things that are in our past; as we unearth information and take the time to understand multiple points of view, histories will be written. Many of these will be excellent, though never completely without bias, because of the second saying: "history is written by the victors." The primary sources—and the propaganda—of today will influence the histories of tomorrow.

So vintage history books are a funny thing. Being closer to the original events, some authors had the opportunity to witness the events they write about, or meet their subjects. As such, many of these authors were writing about what, for them, were essentially current events, and thus the books have primary (or secondary) source value. But they are products of their time, and were not immune to propaganda or inaccuracies themselves: the worldviews and prejudices of the authors influenced their work. Others, writing with longer perspective, often had access to sources or witnesses who have since passed away. Either way, views on race, gender, colonization, climate change and many other topics were often vastly different than those of people today; some for the good, and some not so good.

Many of the books here were written in the 1940s-60s, when the USA was fresh from victory in WWII. You might say America was at the peak of her power and glory, though she was then competing for world dominance with the USSR. That isn't to say she was always at her best, but there was a huge drive to educate her youth about her past and her heroes. The Landmark Books, Signature Books, Julian Messner biographies, and many others brought excellent authors and their topics into view of children. Not all of the books are about America, but most of them are, and it's a fair criticism that the selection here is Ameri- and Eurocentric. Looking at the world with a broader lens is generally a blessing of newer publications.

As with anything, when using history books for the education of children, care has to be taken. Keep in mind that good history is question-driven, not philosophy-driven. It's honest about the past, and doesn't whitewash horrible events. It doesn't impose biases onto primary sources or promote a certain perspective by manipulating data; good history lets the historical facts speak for themselves. We won't say all of the books here are good; we WILL say they provide different viewpoints, both for texts from their own time and for those of today. But it is important to read a range of books, both older and newer, to truly understand a diversity of perspectives.

We're working to add more books to this list all the time, and we want to make them as accessible as possible, so we're linking to online versions whenever we can. Look for links to Project Gutenberg, Internet Archive, and other sources!

Introduction by Eli Evans
Formerly home educated and now father of five, Eli loves discovering amazing books, new and old, and is an artistic curator at heart. The owner and manager of Exodus since 1998, his focus is on offering thoughtful and well-written books that inspire the imagination and promote creativity and diligence while living for God. Read more of his reviews here.
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Active Filters: 16th Century
Admiral of the Ocean Sea
by Samuel E. Morison
from Atlantic Monthly Press
for 9th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
America Begins
by Alice Dalgliesh, illustrated by Lois Maloy
Revised Edition from Charles Scribner's Sons
for 1st-3rd grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
And There Was America
by Roger Duvoisin
for 2nd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Armourer's House
by Rosemary Sutcliff, illustrated by C. Walter Hodges
from Oxford University
England, 1500s for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Balboa: Swordsman and Conquistador
World Landmark #25
by Felix Riesenberg, Jr.
from Random House
for 5th-9th grade
in World Landmark Books (Location: VIN-LAN)
Benjamin Bonneville, Soldier-Explorer
from Julian Messner
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Book of Famous Explorers
Young Folks Library
by Edwin Erle Sparks, editor
from Auxiliary Educational League
for 3rd-9th grade
in Vintage Anthology Collections (Location: VIN-ANTH)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Captain Cook and the South Pacific
by Oliver Warner
from American Heritage Publishing Co.
for 4th-8th grade
in Horizon Caravel Books (Location: VIN-HOR)
Captain Waymouth's Indians
by Anne Molloy, illustrated by Douglas Gorsline
from Hastings House
for 7th-9th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Champlain of the St. Lawrence
by Ronald Syme, illustrated by William Stobbs
from William Morrow & Company
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Christopher Columbus and His Brothers
by Amy Hogeboom
from Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Columbus
from William Morrow & Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Columbus and the Discovery of America
from Henry Altemus Company
for 3rd-5th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Commodore Perry in Japan
by Robert Reynolds
from American Heritage Publishing Co.
for 4th-8th grade
in American Heritage Junior Library (Location: VIN-HIS)
Conquest of the Atlantic
by Ingri & Edgar Parin D'Aulaire
for 3rd-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Conquest of the North and South Poles
Landmark #27
by Russell Owen, illustrated by Lynd Ward
from Random House
for 5th-8th grade
in American Landmark Books (Location: VIN-LAND)
Conscience of a King
by Margaret Stanley-Wrench, illustrated by Kenneth Ody
from Hawthorn Books, Inc.
for 7th-10th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Cortes and the Aztec Conquest
by Irwin R. Blacker
from American Heritage Publishing Co.
for 6th-10th grade
in Horizon Caravel Books (Location: VIN-HOR)
Elizabeth the Great
by Elizabeth Jenkins
from International Collectors Library
for 9th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Exploration of Africa
by Thomas Sterling
from Harper & Row
for 4th-8th grade
in Horizon Caravel Books (Location: VIN-HOR)
Explorations of Père Marquette
Landmark #17
by Jim Kjelgaard
from Random House
for 5th-9th grade
in American Landmark Books (Location: VIN-LAND)
Explorers of the Pacific
by A. Grove Day
from Duell, Sloan and Pearce
for 7th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Ferdinand and Isabella
by William Hickling Prescott
from Heritage Press
Biography for 9th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Ferdinand Magellan
by Ronald Welch
from Criterion Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Finding the New World
by Walter Taylor Field
from Ginn and Co.
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Friar and the Knight
by Flora Strousse, illustrated by William Wilson
from P.J. Kenedy & Sons
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$16.00 (1 in stock)
Galileo and the Magic Numbers
by Sidney Rosen, illustrated by Harve Stein
from Little, Brown & Company
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Golden Book History of the United States
by Earl Schenck Miers, illustrated by Alton S. Tobey and Richard P. Kluga
from Golden Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Golden Book History of the United States - 12 Volume Set
by Earl Schenck Miers, illustrated by Alton S. Tobey and Richard P. Kluga
from Golden Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Golden Book History of the United States Volume 1
by Earl Schenck Miers
from Golden Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Great Britain to 1688 / Great Britain Since 1688
by Maurice Ashley and K.B. Smellie
from University of Michigan Press
for Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$16.00 (1 in stock)
Helmet of Navarre
by Burke Wilkinson, illustrated by James W. Williamson
Second Printing from Macmillan
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Henry the Fourth, King of France
from D. M. Mac Lellon Book Company
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
History of Human Society: Pioneer America
The History of Human Society
by John R. Alden
1st edition from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 10th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
John and Sebastian Cabot
by Henry Ira Kurtz
from Franklin Watts
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Juan Ponce de Leon
by Nina Baker; illustrated by Robert Doremus
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Let's Go Down the Mississippi with La Salle
by Naomi Buchheimer, illustrated by Albert Micale
from G.P. Putnam's Sons
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Magic of Spices
by E. Joseph Dreany
from G.P. Putnam's Sons
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$25.00 (1 in stock)
Meet Christopher Columbus
Second Series Landmark / Step Up reprints
by James de Kay
from Random House
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.24 $2.00 (2 in stock)
New Found World
by Katherine B. Shippen, illustrations by C.B. Falls
for 6th-9th grade
1946 Newbery Honor Book
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Pizarro and the Conquest of Peru
Horizon Caravel Book
by Cecil Howard
from American Heritage Publishing Co.
for 5th-9th grade
in Horizon Caravel Books (Location: VIN-HOR)
Sea Tiger
by Frank Kolars, illustrated by Craig Pineo
from Hawthorn Books, Inc.
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Sir Walter Raleigh
by Nina Brown Baker
1st edition from Harcourt, Brace & Company
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Spanish Armada
by C. Hodges
from Coward McCann
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Story of Christopher Columbus
Grosset & Dunlap Signature #2
by Nina Brown Baker, illustrated by David Hendrickson
from Grosset & Dunlap
Biography for 5th-9th grade
in Grosset & Dunlap Signature Books (Location: VIN-SIG)
Story of Good Queen Bess
Grosset & Dunlap Signature #18
by Alida Sims Malkus, illustrated by Douglas Gorsline
from Grosset & Dunlap
Biography for 5th-9th grade
in Grosset & Dunlap Signature Books (Location: VIN-SIG)
Story of Marco Polo
Grosset & Dunlap Signature #22
by Olive Price, illustrated by Frederico Castellon
from Grosset & Dunlap
Biography for 5th-9th grade
in Grosset & Dunlap Signature Books (Location: VIN-SIG)
Story of the Pacific
by Harold Rabling
from W. W. Norton and Co.
for 7th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
There Really Was a Hiawatha
by Alida Sims Malkus, illustrated by Jon Nielson
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
They Put Out to Sea: The Story of the Map
by Roger Duvoisin
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$68.00 (1 in stock)
They Saw America First
by John Bakeless, Katherine Bakeless
from J.B. Lippincott Co.
for 4th-9th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Three Conquistadores
by Shannon Garst, illustrated by Lee J. Ames
from Julian Messner
for 6th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
True Story of Sir Francis Drake
by Will Holwood
from Children's Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Vast Horizons
by Mary Seymour Lucas, illustrated by C. B. Falls
from Viking Press
for 5th-10th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Virginia's History
from Charles Scribner's Sons
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Voyages of Christopher Columbus
Landmark #1
by Armstrong Sperry
from Random House
for 5th-8th grade
in American Landmark Books (Location: VIN-LAND)
Voyages of Christopher Columbus
Spencer Press Landmark #1 (RH#1)
by Armstrong Sperry
from Spencer Press
for 5th-8th grade
in American Landmark Books (Location: VIN-LAND)
Walter Raleigh: Man of Two Worlds
World Landmark #58
by Henrietta Buckmaster
from Random House
for 5th-8th grade
in World Landmark Books (Location: VIN-LAN)
We Were There with Cortes and Montezuma
We Were There #25
by Benjamen Appel, illustrated by Reynold Pollack
from Grosset & Dunlap
Historical Fiction for 5th-9th grade
in We Were There Series (Location: VIN-HIS)
William the Silent
by Nina Brown Baker
from Vanguard Press
for 9th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
World Explorer: Henry Morton Stanley
World Explorer
by Charles P. Graves
from Garrard Publishing Company
for 1st-4th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
World Explorer: James Cook
by Adele Deleeuw
from Garrard Publishing Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
World Explorer: John Smith
World Explorer
by Charles P. Graves, illustrated by Al Fiorentino
from Garrard Publishing Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
World of Captain John Smith (pictorial hardcover)
by Genevieve Foster
from Charles Scribner's Sons
Non-fiction for 7th-10th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
World of Columbus and Sons (pictorial hardcover)
by Genevieve Foster
from Charles Scribner's Sons
for 7th-10th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Year of Columbus: 1492
by Genevieve Foster
from Charles Scribner's Sons
for 3rd-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Year of the Pilgrims, 1620
by Genevieve Foster
from Charles Scribner's Sons
History Reference/Biography for 7th-10th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Young Mary Stuart
by Marian King, illustrated by Douglas Gorsline
from J.B. Lippincott Co.
for 7th-9th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
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