Chronological History

Sometimes we speak of world history as though it belongs to people. It doesn't—it belongs to God, and though people play prominently within the historical narrative, it always remains under God's auspices and control. The problem with losing the right perspective isn't that we'll get the facts wrong, it's that we'll fail to understand what they mean, what the purpose of past events is, and what we can look forward to.

Human history began all at once in the same place: the Garden of Eden, where God made Adam and Eve as the crown of all Creation. He told them to fill the earth and take dominion of it, and He also told them not to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. They ate the fruit anyway, and mankind was removed from paradise and introduced to tension, pain, and resistance.

The story of the world is in many ways simply the story of adversity. For the enemies of God, it's adversity in the form of the failure and futility of purely human endeavor; for God's people, it's the story of fighting for the truth against secular philosophies, fighting for holiness despite the pervasiveness of sin, and fighting for the Gospel in the face of persecution and death.

Jesus Christ is our only hope. He is the Prince of Peace, the defeater of Death, and the King of the Universe, the saver of souls and the punisher of wickedness. His kingdom is the restoration and glorious fulfillment of the paradise from which Adam and Eve were removed, and we work, wait, hope and pray for the quick fulfillment of His will in all things.

This is our framework for history. While it's important to study things like the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and the ancient Near East, it's only important when investigated through the lens of God's ultimate sovereignty and plan. The story of mankind is the story of redemption, and only when we analyze battles, kings, treaties, and catastrophes from God's perspective can we truly make sense of them.

Otherwise, it's all fairly irrelevant and useless. Sure, there's Napoleon's dictum that those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it, but a quick survey of the past will show that each successive generation does repeat the sins of their fathers, and that without Christ's real physical life on Earth as a centering point, there's no real cause for optimism or hope of any kind.

Christ's love not only makes the trajectory of history cause for hope; it reveals the truly great moments of the past, events that to the secular eye seem insignificant or even pernicious. We're speaking of the progress of the true Church, of course, and of each soul that God calls and makes His own through the agency of His Holy Spirit. These are the milestones we look for and celebrate.

We carry a lot of world history products. Because it's the story of God's work in the world and our human responses, we believe it's important to know and understand. Not everything we carry is Christian; there are plenty of secular resources here. We encourage you to use whichever ones work best for your situation, but that you do so with a view to understanding the will and work of the One who made history in the first place.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

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Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies
Hornblower Series #11
by C. S. Forester
from Little, Brown & Company
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At Agincourt
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
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in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
Barbary Pirates
Sterling Point Books
by C. S. Forester
from Sterling Publishing Co.
Naval History for 5th-8th grade
in Pirates (Location: HISV-PIRATE)
Beat to Quarters
Hornblower Series #6
by C. S. Forester
from Little, Brown & Company
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Beric the Briton
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
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Bonnie Prince Charlie
by G. A. Henty
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Both Sides the Border
by G. A. Henty
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Bronze Bow
by Elizabeth George Speare
from Houghton Mifflin
Historical Fiction for 5th-9th grade
1962 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
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By England's Aid
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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By Pike and Dyke
by G. A. Henty
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By Right of Conquest
by G. A. Henty
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California Gold Rush
by May McNeer
from Random House Books for Young Readers
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Captain Bayley's Heir
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
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Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
by Jean Lee Latham
from Houghton Mifflin
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1956 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
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Cat of Bubastes
by G. A. Henty
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Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
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Cleared for Action!
by Stephen W. Meader
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Co. Aytch
by Sam Watkins
from Touchstone
Historical Non-fiction for 8th-Adult
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$17.00
Commodore Hornblower
Hornblower Series #9
by C. S. Forester
from Little, Brown & Company
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Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Penguin Classics
by Mark Twain
from Penguin Classics
Social Satire/Comedy for 8th-10th grade
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
$10.00
Cornet of Horse
by G. A. Henty
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Cowboys of the Wild West
by Russell Freedman
from Sandpiper Books
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Daniel Boone
Sterling Point Books
by John Mason Brown
from Sterling Publishing Co.
Biography for 3rd-7th
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Dark Frigate
by Charles Boardman Hawes
from Little, Brown & Company
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
1924 Newbery Medal winner
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
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Dark Frigate
by Charles Boardman Hawes
Dover 2018 from Dover Publications
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
1924 Newbery Medal winner
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$7.99
Dash for Khartoum
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
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Dragon and the Raven
by G. A. Henty
from Preston Speed
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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Dragon and the Raven
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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$15.00
Eagle of the Ninth
by Rosemary Sutcliff
Reprint from Square Fish Publishing
Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade
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Enemy Brothers
Bethlehem Books Living History Library
by Constance Savery
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Historical fiction for 5th-8th grade
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$15.95
Facing Death
by G. A. Henty
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Farmer Boy
Little House Series #3
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from HarperCollins
Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-6th grade
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$8.99
Farmer Boy
Little House Series #3
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from HarperCollins
Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-6th grade
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Flying Colours
Hornblower Series #8
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For Name and Fame
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For the Temple
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Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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Friends Though Divided
by G. A. Henty
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Gunner's Run
by Rick Barry
from Bob Jones University Press
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Hey, Mac!
by William F. McMurdie
from American Home-School Publishing
Biography for 8th-12th grade
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Hornblower and the Atropos
Hornblower Series #5
by C. S. Forester
from Little, Brown & Company
Nautical fiction for 8th-Adult
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Hornblower and the Hotspur
Hornblower Series #3
by C. S. Forester
from Little, Brown & Company
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Hornblower Companion
by C. S. Forester
from Naval Institute Press
for 8th-12th grade
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Hornblower During the Crisis
Hornblower Series #4
by C. S. Forester
from Little, Brown & Company
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Hunting for Whales
by Michael McHugh
from Great Light Publications
for 6th grade
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In Freedom's Cause
by G. A. Henty
from Christian Liberty Press
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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$15.25
In Freedom's Cause
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
In the Heart of the Rockies
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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In the Reign of Terror
by G. A. Henty
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Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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In This Hour
by Rudolf Van Reest
from Inheritance Publications
Historical Fiction for 5th-9th grade
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$15.95
Iron Scouts of the Confederacy
by Lee McGiffin
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
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Iron Scouts of the Confederacy
by Lee McGiffin
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
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$10.50
Journeyman
by Elizabeth Yates
from Bob Jones University Press
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in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.99
Knight of the White Cross
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
Lantern Bearers
by Rosemary Sutcliff
Reprint from Square Fish Publishing
Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade
1959 Carnegie Medal
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$10.99
Lantern Bearers
by Rosemary Sutcliff
from Oxford University
Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade
1959 Carnegie Medal
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Last Cavalier
by Alexandre Dumas
from Pegasus Books
Historical Romance for 10th-Adult
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
Lieutenant Hornblower
Hornblower Series #2
by C. S. Forester
from Little, Brown & Company
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Life and Diary of David Brainerd
by David Brainerd
from Baker Books
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Lion of St. Mark
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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Lion of the North
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
Lord Hornblower
Hornblower Series #10
by C. S. Forester
from Little, Brown & Company
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Making of a Knight
by Patrick O'Brien
from Charlesbridge
Picture Books/Historical Fiction for 2nd-6th grade
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March on London
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
by Howard Pyle
from Dover Publications
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 7th-9th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
Mountain Men and Fur Traders of the Far West
by LeRoy R. Hafen & Harvey L. Carter
from University of Nebraska
Biography for 9th-Adult
in History for Adults (Location: ADU-HIS)
$21.95 $12.00 (1 in stock)
No Surrender!
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
One of the 28th
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
Orange and Green
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
Out on the Pampas
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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Paul Bunyan
by Steven Kellogg
from William Morrow & Company
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Pearl Maiden
by H. Rider Haggard
from Christian Liberty Press
Historical Fiction for 8th-Adult
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
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Pioneers
Leatherstocking Tales #4
by James Fenimore Cooper
Reprint from Penguin Classics
for 9th-Adult
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
$15.00
Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail
by Theodore Roosevelt
from University of Nebraska
Biography for 9th-Adult
in Gilded Age (1865-1918) (Location: HISA-19GI)
$18.95 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Redskin and Cowboy
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
Rifleman Dodd
by C. S. Forester
from Marine Corps University
for 8th-12th grade
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Rising Tide
by Jeff Shaara
from Ballantine Books
Historical Non-fiction for 9th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
Rough Riders
by Theodore Roosevelt
from Dover Publications
Historical non-fiction for 9th-Adult
in Gilded Age (1865-1918) (Location: HISA-19GI)
$8.95
Rough Riders
by Theodore Roosevelt
from University of Nebraska
Historical non-fiction for 9th-Adult
in Gilded Age (1865-1918) (Location: HISA-19GI)
$11.00 (1 in stock)
Samurai's Tale
by Erik Christian Haugaard
from Houghton Mifflin
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
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$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Scout's Distant Journey
Scout Series
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Action/Adventure for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$10.95 $7.00 (1 in stock)
Scout: The Flying Phantom
Scout Series
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Action/Adventure for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$10.95
Scout: The Mystery of the Abandoned Mill
Scout Series
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Action/Adventure for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$10.95
Scout: The Sailing Sleuths
Scout Series
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$10.95
Scout: The Secret of the Swamp
Scout Series
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Action/Adventure for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$10.95
Scout: The Treasure of Rodensteyn Castle
Scout Series
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Action/Adventure for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$10.95
Shadow Hawk
Bethlehem Books Living History Library
by Andre Norton
from Bethlehem Books
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$12.95
Ship of the Line
Hornblower Series #7
by C. S. Forester
from Little, Brown & Company
Nautical fiction for 10th-Adult
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$16.99 $9.00 (2 in stock)
Sign of the Beaver
by Elizabeth George Speare
from Houghton Mifflin
Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
1984 Newbery Honor Book
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Slopes of War
by N. A. Perez
from Houghton Mifflin
Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
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Squalls Before War
by Ned Bustard
from Veritas Press
Nautical Fiction for 7th-10th grade
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$15.00 $8.00 (1 in stock)
St. Bartholomew's Eve
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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St. George for England
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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Susan Creek
Monroe Family Chronicles #2
by Doug Wilson
from Veritas Press
Nautical Fiction for 4th-6th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$15.00
Sword Song
by Rosemary Sutcliff
from Sunburst Book
Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade
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$11.99
Through Russian Snows
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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Tiger of Mysore
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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To Herat and Cabul
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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Treasure of the Incas
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
True to the Old Flag
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
Under Drake's Flag
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
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