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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115 Items found Print
Active Filters: Historical Fiction, 8th grade (Ages 13-14), Used Books & Materials
Across Five Aprils
by Irene Hunt
from Berkley Books
Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade
1965 Newbery Honor Book
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
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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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After the Dancing Days
by Margaret I. Rostkowski
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After the War
by Carol Matas
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Art of Keeping Cool
by Janet Taylor Lisle
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2001 Scott O'Dell Award
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Black Falcon
by Armstrong Sperry
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Blowing-Wand
Land of the Free Series
by Elsie Reif Ziegler, illustrated by Jacob Landau
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Bold Journey
by Charles Bohner
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Bonanza Girl
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Boy and the Samurai
by Erik Christian Haugaard
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Boy in the Alamo
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Bull Run
by Paul Fleischman, David Frampton (Woodcuts)
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By Pike and Dyke - Unit Study Guide
by Rick Medlin
from Preston Speed
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Captive
by Scott O'Dell
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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)
Codfish Musket
by Agnes Hewes, illustrated by Armstrong Sperry
from Doubleday, Doran & Company Inc.
for 8th-12th grade
1937 Newbery Honor Book
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$45.00 (1 in stock)
Come On, Seabiscuit!
by Ralph Moody
from University of Nebraska
Biography for 5th-9th grade
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Countdown
by Deborah Wiles
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Dark Venture
by Audrey White Beyer, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon
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Dispelling the Tyranny
Struggle for Freedom Series #2
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
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Dragonwings
Golden Mountain Chronicles: 1903
by Laurence Yep
from HarperCollins
Historical fiction for 5th-8th grade
1976 Newbery Honor Book
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Dragonwings
Golden Mountain Chronicles: 1903
by Laurence Yep
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Historical fiction for 5th-8th grade
1976 Newbery Honor Book
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Drums
by James Boyd
from Atheneum
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Earthquake at Dawn
by Kristiana Gregory
from Gulliver Books
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
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Escape From Warsaw
by Ian Serraillier, illustrated by Irwin Hoffman
from Scholastic Inc.
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Eyes of the Emperor
by Graham Salisbury
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Far Frontier
by William O. Steele; illustrated by Paul Galdone
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Farewell to Manzanar
by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
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Father's Promise
by Donna Hess
from Bob Jones University Press
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Fighting Ground
by Avi
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First Four Years
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
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First Four Years (Pictorial Cover)
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For Freedom
by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
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Great Wheel
by Robert Lawson
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1958 Newbery Honor Book
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Guns for General Washington
by Seymour Reit
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Historical fiction for 4th-8th grade
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Heart Strangely Warmed
by Louise A. Vernon
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Helmet of Navarre
by Burke Wilkinson, illustrated by James W. Williamson
Second Printing from Macmillan
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Hornblower and the Atropos
Hornblower Series #5
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Hornblower and the Hotspur
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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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In Search of Honor
by Donna Hess
from Bob Jones University Press
Historical fiction for 5th-8th grade
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In the Hands of the Senecas
by Walter D. Edmonds
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Indian Captive
by Lois Lenski
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1942 Newbery Honor Book
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Inside Out & Back Again
by Thanhha Lai
Reprint from HarperCollins
Narrative Poetry / Novel-In-Verse for 4th-8th grade
2012 Newbery Honor Book
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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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Jack Wade, Fighter for Liberty
A Doubleday Signal Book
by Irving Werstein, illustrated by Albert Orbaan
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January's Sparrow
by Patricia Polacco
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Kathleen: A Yankee Girl at Gettysburg
by Alice Turner Curtis
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King's Arrow
Crown & Covenant Series #2
by Doug Bond & Matthew Bird
from P&R Publishing
Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade
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Lady of Arlington
by Harnett T. Kane
from Doubleday & Company
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Letter Writer
by Ann Rinaldi
Reprint from HMH Books for Young Readers
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Lieutenant Hornblower
Hornblower Series #2
by C. S. Forester
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List
by C. D. Baker
from Preston Speed
Historical Fiction for 8th-10th grade
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Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
by Gary D. Schmidt
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2005 Newbery Honor Book
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Lonely Sentinel
Shadow Series #1
by Piet Prins
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Lord Hornblower
by C. S. Forester
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Lysbeth
by H. Rider Haggard
from Christian Liberty Press
Historical Fiction for 8th-Adult
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Madeleine Takes Command
Bethlehem Books Living History Library
by Ethel Brill
from Bethlehem Books
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
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Midshipman Bolitho
by Alexander Kent
from McBooks Press
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My Brother Sam Is Dead
by James & Christopher Collier
from Scholastic Inc.
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
1975 Newbery Honor Book
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My Brother Sam Is Dead
by James & Christopher Collier
from Simon and Schuster
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
1975 Newbery Honor Book
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$9.00 (1 in stock)
Never Dies the Dream
by Margaret Landon
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
No Promises in the Wind
by Irene Hunt
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Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade
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No Surrender!
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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$14.00 (1 in stock)
Number the Stars
by Lois Lowry
from Yearling
Historical fiction for 4th-8th grade
1990 Newbery Medal winner
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$4.50 (2 in stock)
Out of the Dust
by Karen Hesse
from Scholastic Inc.
Realistic Fiction for 6th-8th grade
1998 Newbery Medal winner
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$8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Out of the Dust
by Karen Hesse
from Scholastic Inc.
Realistic Fiction for 6th-8th grade
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Out of the Dust
by Karen Hesse
1st edition from Scholastic Inc.
Realistic Fiction for 6th-8th grade
1998 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Partisans
Shadow Series #4
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
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Patty Reed's Doll
by Rachel K. Laurgaard
from Tomato Enterprises
Historical fiction for 5th-8th grade
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$7.00 (3 in stock)
Perilous Road
by William O. Steele
from Harcourt
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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
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$115.00 (1 in stock)
Red Badge of Courage
Puffin Classics
by Stephen Crane
from Puffin Books
for 7th-10th grade
in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
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)
Rush Revere and the American Revolution
by Rush Limbaugh with Kathryn Adams Limbaugh
from Threshold Editions
for 4th-8th grade
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims
by Rush Limbaugh
from Threshold Editions
for 4th-8th grade
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Rush Revere and the First Patriots
by Rush Limbaugh
1St Edition from Threshold Editions
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Samurai's Tale
by Erik Christian Haugaard
from Houghton Mifflin
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
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Sarah Bishop
by Scott O'Dell
from Scholastic Inc.
Historical Fiction for 6th-8th grade
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$3.50 (1 in stock)
Seaman's Journal
by Gail Karwoski & James Watling
1st edition from Ideals Children's Books
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Seaman's Journal
by Patricia Reeder Eubank
from Ideals Children's Books
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Lewis & Clark (Location: HISA-19L&C)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
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
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$15.00 (1 in stock)
Shadow of the North
by Joseph A. Altsheler
from Appleton-Century-Crofts
for 6th-10th grade
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
Silence Over Dunkerque
by John R. Tunis
from William Morrow & Company
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
Silver Sword
by Ian Serraillier, illustrated by C. Walter Hodges
from Criterion Books
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$8.00 (3 in stock)
Slave Dancer
by Paula Fox
from Laurel-Leaf Books
Historical Fiction for 6th-8th grade
1974 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.50 $3.00 (1 in stock)
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)
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)
Slave Dancer
by Paula Fox
from Bradbury Press
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
1974 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Slave Dancer
by Paula Fox, illustrated by Eros Keith
from Bradbury Press
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
1974 Newbery Medal winner
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Slopes of War
by N. A. Perez
from Houghton Mifflin
Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade
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$11.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Snow Goose
by Paul Gallico
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 7th-12th grade
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$19.95 $14.00 (2 in stock)
So Far From the Bamboo Grove
by Yoko Kawashima Watkins
from Beech Tree Books
Historical fiction for 4th-8th grade
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$5.99 $4.00 (2 in stock)
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)
Stories of the Old Dominion
by John Esten Cooke
from American Foundation Publications
for 5th-9th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Streams to the River, River to the Sea
by Scott O'Dell
from Houghton Mifflin
Historical Fiction for 7th-9th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Tale of Two Cities (abridged)
Puffin Classics
by Charles Dickens
from Puffin Books
Historical Fiction for 8th-10th grade
in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
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