Modern History

There isn't more history in the last five centuries than all the previous millennia, we just have more plentiful records of it. In all honesty, sometimes the plethora of detail isn't only overwhelming, it obscures the whole point of the story. As humans, we're all too susceptible to the lure of obscurity, to the desire for darkness where there ought to be light.

In many ways, this is the chief characteristic of modern history. Mankind seems to have accepted Enlightenment ideals en masse, and the result is the non-stop acquisition of knowledge, as though information could shut us off from the eye of a just and jealous God. Evolutionary theory, psychology, existentialism and postmodernism, public education, Communism—all these ideas are intended to put man at a further remove from God.

During the Renaissance, thinkers and artists decided that if man was going to make himself great, he'd have to replicate the glory of the Classical Era, with its enduring artifacts and intellectual produce. Enlightenment thinkers took this one step further, insisting that man could only know what he could deduce using reason alone, and consequently amassing knowledge in order to have a more thorough basis for such reasonable inquiry.

Since then, philosophers and scientists have devoted themselves to interpreting the facts from a purely human perspective, creating a picture of the universe that is mechanistic and godless. Meaning is dead, God is dead, and hope is dead, but the Enlightenment ideal of human progress (repackaged as Darwinian naturalism) is alive and well, the phantom idol of countless millions.

Even a brief survey of the last century would seem to demolish the possibility of any such idea, but it continues to inform nearly every element of our culture, from pop music to public policy debates. Atrocities like the Holocaust, racism in America, abortion, and totalitarian rule in Asian countries are reinterpreted or explained away to fit the overarching rubrik of sustained forward progress.

Christians understand things a bit differently. We aren't pessimists by any means, but we aren't blind optimists, either. God's plan entails one thing: His ultimate glory, and for those who believe His promises and trust Him for salvation, that's the most hopeful doctrine conceivable. At the same time, we also understand that man's efforts cannot be responsible for whatever good befalls us, that "progress" is only a gift of the Most High, and that only through the Holy Spirit is evil overcome by good.

The modern world is increasingly secular. Even in the Church, men and women stray from biblical truth in favor of appealing arguments on behalf of man, substituting a Christ-centered Gospel with one that is primarily focused on mankind and our individual salvation. We must counter these attitudes with God's truth, but we can only do so with an understanding of where those ideas come from and why they've taken root. A thorough study of modern history can and will provide those answers, and teach us how to stand firm in the truth we hold dear.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and 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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138 Items found Print
Active Filters: Historical Fiction, 10th grade (Ages 15-16), In-Stock Books & Materials
Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies
Hornblower Series #11
by C. S. Forester
from Little, Brown & Company
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Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies
Hornblower Series #11
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Anna and the King of Siam
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Historical fiction for 9th-12th grade
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Beat to Quarters
Hornblower Series #6
by C. S. Forester
from Little, Brown & Company
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Beware, Princess Elizabeth
A Young Royals Book
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Black Falcon
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Blowing-Wand
Land of the Free Series
by Elsie Reif Ziegler, illustrated by Jacob Landau
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Historical fiction for 6th-10th grade
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Bonanza Girl
by Patricia Beatty
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Bonnie Prince Charlie
by G. A. Henty
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Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
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Borrowed House
Bethlehem Books Young Adult Bookshelf
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Bounty Trilogy
by Charles Nordhoff & James Norman Hall
from Little, Brown & Company
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$53.52
By England's Aid
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
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By Far Euphrates
by Deborah Alcock
from Inheritance Publications
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$14.95
By Pike and Dyke - Unit Study Guide
by Rick Medlin
from Preston Speed
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By Right of Conquest - MP3 CD
by Jim Hodges
from Jim Hodges Productions
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$14.00
By Sheer Pluck
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th Grade
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$20.00
Captain Blood
Penguin Classics
by Rafael Sabatini
from Penguin Classics
Historical Romance for 7th-Adult
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$16.00
Captain, My Captain
by Deborah Meroff
from Inheritance Publications
Historical Fiction for 8th-10th grade
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$14.95
Chariot in the Sky
Land of the Free Series
by Arna Bontemps, illustrated by Cyrus Le Roy Baldridge
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$35.00 (1 in stock)
Code Name Verity
by Elizabeth Wein
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$10.99
Codfish Musket
by Agnes Hewes, illustrated by Armstrong Sperry
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1937 Newbery Honor Book
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$45.00 (1 in stock)
Commodore Hornblower
Hornblower Series #9
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Commodore Hornblower
by C. S. Forester
1st edition from Little, Brown & Company
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$9.00 (1 in stock)
Coronation of Glory
Reformation Trail Series #12
by Deborah Meroff
from Inheritance Publications
Biography for 8th-10th grade
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$17.95
Czar, The
by Deborah Alcock
from Inheritance Publications
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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$19.95
Dark Venture
by Audrey White Beyer, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon
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$14.00 (1 in stock)
Dark Year of Dundee
Reformation Trail Series #06
by Deborah Alcock
from Inheritance Publications
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$10.95
Defender of the Faith
William and Mary Trilogy Volume 2
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from Inheritance Publications
Historical fiction for 9th-12th grade
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Doctor Adrian
Reformation Trail Series #13
by Deborah Alcock
from Inheritance Publications
Historical fiction for 9th-12th grade
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$15.95
Done and Dared in Old France
Huguenot Inheritance Series #7
by Deborah Alcock
from Inheritance Publications
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$14.95
Doomed Queen Anne
A Young Royals Book
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$11.99
Driven into Exile
Huguenot Inheritance Series #5
by Charlotte Maria Tucker
from Inheritance Publications
Historical fiction for 7th-10th grade
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Drums
by James Boyd
from Atheneum
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Escape
Huguenot Inheritance Series #1
by A. Van der Jagt
from Inheritance Publications
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Farewell to Manzanar
by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
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Farewell to Manzanar
by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
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$10.99
Fiddler's Gun
by A. S. Peterson
1st edition from Rabbit Room Press
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$16.99
Flying Colours
Hornblower Series #8
by C. S. Forester
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For God and the King
William and Mary Trilogy Volume 3
by Marjorie Bowen
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Fortune of War
Aubrey/Maturin #6
by Patrick O'Brian
from W. W. Norton and Co.
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Gods and Generals
by Jeff Shaara
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Historical Fiction for 9th-Adult
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Hitch
by Jeanette Ingold
from Harcourt
Realistic Fiction for 10th-12th grade
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Horatio Hornblower Saga - Complete Collection
by C. S. Forester
from Little, Brown & Company
Historical Fiction for 8th-Adult
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$150.29
Hornblower and the Atropos
Hornblower Series #5
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Hornblower and the Hotspur
Hornblower Series #3
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Hornblower During the Crisis
Hornblower Series #4
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Horses of Anger
by James Forman
2nd Printing from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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House Divided
by Ben Ames Williams, jacket & illustrations by Reginald Marsh
from Houghton Mifflin
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$20.00 (1 in stock)
How They Kept the Faith
Huguenot Inheritance Series #3
by Grace Raymond
from Inheritance Publications
Historical fiction for 7th-10th grade
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$19.90
Huguenot Inheritance Series
by Various Authors
from Inheritance Publications
Historical Fiction for 7th-10th grade
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$106.00
I Will Maintain
William and Mary Trilogy Volume 1
by Marjorie Bowen
from Inheritance Publications
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Jacobite Exile
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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Journey Through the Night
by Anne De Vries
from Inheritance Publications
Historical fiction for 8th-10th grade
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$29.95
Killer Angels
by Michael Shaara
from Ballantine Books
Historical Fiction for 9th-Adult
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Killer Angels
by Michael Shaara
from Ballantine Books
Historical Fiction for 9th-Adult
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Kitchen Boy
by Robert Alexander
Reprint from Penguin Press
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Lady of Arlington
by Harnett T. Kane
from Doubleday & Company
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Les Miserables
Signet Classics
by Victor Hugo, translated by Lee Fahnestock & Norman MacAfee
from Signet Classics
Realistic Fiction for 9th-Adult
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
$11.99
Les Miserables
Modern Library
by Victor Hugo, translated by Julie Rose
from Modern Library
Realistic Fiction for 9th-Adult
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$20.00
Les Miserables
by Victor Hugo, translated by Charles Wilbour
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Realistic Fiction for 9th-Adult
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$42.00
Lieutenant Hornblower
Hornblower Series #2
by C. S. Forester
from Little, Brown & Company
Nautical fiction for 8th-Adult
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Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower
by C. S. Forester (based on the works of), C. Northcote Parkinson
from Sutton Publishing
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Lion of the North
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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$20.00
List
by C. D. Baker
from Preston Speed
Historical Fiction for 8th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Lord Hornblower
Hornblower Series #10
by C. S. Forester
from Little, Brown & Company
Nautical fiction for 10th-Adult
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Lord Hornblower
by C. S. Forester
from Little, Brown & Company
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$12.00 (1 in stock)
Lysbeth
by H. Rider Haggard
from Christian Liberty Press
Historical Fiction for 8th-Adult
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$16.75 $9.00 (2 in stock)
Mary, Bloody Mary
A Young Royals Book
by Carolyn Meyer
from Harcourt
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$7.99 $4.50 (2 in stock)
Midshipman Bolitho
by Alexander Kent
from McBooks Press
for 8th-Adult
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Moonshiner's Son
by Carolyn Reeder
from Aladdin Paperbacks
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$6.99
Mr. Midshipman Hornblower
Hornblower Series #1
by C. S. Forester
from Little, Brown & Company
Nautical fiction for 8th-Adult
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$17.99
Never Dies the Dream
by Margaret Landon
from Doubleday & Company
for 7th-12th grade
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Night Divided
by Jennifer A. Nielsen
from Scholastic Press
Historical Fiction for 7th-10th grade
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$8.99
No Surrender!
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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$14.00 (1 in stock)
Not for Crown or Sceptre
Reformation Trail Series #15
by Deborah Alcock
from Inheritance Publications
for 7th-10th grade
in Inheritance Fiction (Location: FIC-WH03)
$25.95
Ocean-Born Mary
by Lois Lenski
1st Edition Thus from Purple House Press
for 3rd-10th grade
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$17.99
Orange and Green
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
$20.00
Pran of Albania
by Elizabeth Miller, illustrated by Maud & Miska Petersham
1930s printing from Doubleday, Doran & Company Inc.
for 6th-10th grade
1930 Newbery Honor Book
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$115.00 (1 in stock)
Prince and the Pauper
Signet Classics
by Mark Twain
from Signet Classics
Historical Fiction for 8th-Adult
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$5.95
Rabble in Arms
by Kenneth Roberts
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$6.50 (1 in stock)
Red Badge of Courage
by Stephen Crane
from Bantam Books
Historical Fiction for 7th-10th grade
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$4.95
Red Badge of Courage
Puffin Classics
by Stephen Crane
from Puffin Books
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$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Red Badge of Courage
by Stephen Crane & Ambrose Bierce
from SeaWolf Press
Historical Fiction for 7th-10th grade
in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW)
$7.45
Redskin and Cowboy
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
$20.00
Refugees
Huguenot Inheritance Series #6
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
from Inheritance Publications
Historical fiction for 7th-10th grade
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$15.96
Ride With Me
by Thomas B. Costain
1944 Edition from Nelson Doubleday, Inc.
for 8th-12th grade
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Rifleman Dodd
by C. S. Forester
from Marine Corps University
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Scarlet Pimpernel
Puffin Classics
by Baroness Orczy
from Puffin Books
Action/Adventure for 6th-10th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$5.99
Scarlet Pimpernel
Signet Classics
by Baroness Orczy
from Signet Classics
Action/Adventure for 8th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$5.95
Scarlet Pimpernel
by Baroness Orczy
from Bantam Books
Action/Adventure for 8th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$5.95
Scarlet Pimpernel
by Baroness Orczy
from SeaWolf Press
Action/Adventure for 6th-10th grade
in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW)
$9.95
Secret Mission
Huguenot Inheritance Series #2
by A. Van der Jagt
from Inheritance Publications
Historical Fiction for 7th-10th grade
in Huguenot Inheritance Series (Location: FIC-WH02)
$13.95 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Seek the Dark Gold
Land of the Free series
by Jo Evalin Lundy, illustrated by Edward Shenton
from John C. Winston
Historical fiction for 6th-10th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Shaara Civil War Trilogy
by Michael & Jeff Shaara
from Ballantine Books
for 9th-Adult
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Shadow of the North
by Joseph A. Altsheler
from Appleton-Century-Crofts
for 6th-10th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Sherwood Ring
by Elizabeth Marie Pope
from Sandpiper Books
for 10th-12th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
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)
Slave Dancer
by Paula Fox
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
1974 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.99
Slave Dancer
by Paula Fox
from Simon and Schuster
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
1974 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
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