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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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126 Items found Print
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Active Filters: Cultural History, 4th grade (Ages 9-10)
Adventures of Lewis and Clark
North Star Books #29
by John Bakeless
from Houghton Mifflin
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
African Traveler
by Ronald Syme, illustrated by Jacqueline Tomes
from William Morrow & Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Americans to the Moon
Landmark Giant #20
by Gene Gurney
from Random House
for 4th-8th grade
in Landmark Giants (Location: VIN-LAN)
And There Was America
by Roger Duvoisin
for 2nd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Angel of Mercy
by Rachel Baker
from Julian Messner
for 3rd-7th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Antonin Dvorak
Julian Messner Shelf of Biographies
by Clair Lee Purdy, illustrated by Edgard Cirlin
from Julian Messner
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Architects
Colonial American Craftsmen
by Leonard Everett Fisher
from Franklin Watts
for 3rd-6th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
Art of the Spanish in the United States and Puerto Rico
by Shirley Glubok
from Macmillan
for 2nd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
As Far as the Eye Can Reach
by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
from Random House
Non-fiction for 4th-6th grade
in Lewis & Clark Expedition (1801-1803) (Location: HISA-19L&C)
Beethoven
by David Jacobs
from Harper & Row
for 4th-8th grade
in Horizon Caravel Books (Location: VIN-HOR)
Before Columbus
by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
from Random House
for 2nd-5th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
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)
Boyhoods of Great Composers
Young Readers Guides to Music
by Catherine Gough, illustrated by Edward Ardizzone
1961 Reprint from Henry Z. Walck, Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Building the Suez Canal
by S. C. Burchell
from Harper & Row
for 4th-8th grade
in Horizon Caravel Books (Location: VIN-HOR)
Cabinetmakers
Colonial American Craftsmen
by Leonard Everett Fisher
from Franklin Watts
for 3rd-6th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
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)
Charles Darwin and the Origin of Species
by Walter Karp
from Harper & Row
for 4th-8th grade
in Horizon Caravel Books (Location: VIN-HOR)
Charles Lindbergh
A Discovery Book
by David R. Collins
from Garrard Publishing Company
for 4th-6th 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)
Doctors
Colonial American Craftsmen
by Leonard Everett Fisher
from Franklin Watts
for 3rd-6th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
Dorothea Dix
A Discovery Book
by Mary Malone
from Garrard Publishing Company
for 4th-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Dr. William Harvey and the Discovery of Circulation
by William C. Harrison
from Macmillan
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Eli Whitney: Great Inventor
by Jean Lee Latham
from Garrard Publishing Company
for 4th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Exploration of Africa
by Thomas Sterling
from Harper & Row
for 4th-8th grade
in Horizon Caravel Books (Location: VIN-HOR)
Exploring with the Bartrams
by Ann and Myron Sutton
from E.M. Hale and Company
for 4th-6th grade
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)
Forts in America
by Harold L. Peterson
from Charles Scribner's Sons
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Franz Schubert and His Merry Friends
by Opal Wheeler & Sybil Deucher, illustrated by Mary Greenwalt
1943 Printing from E.P. Dutton & Co.
for 3rd-6th 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)
Gasoline Buggy of the Duryea Brothers
by Robert B. Jackson
from Henry Z. Walck, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Giants of Science
by Philip Cane, illustrated by Samuel Nisenson
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Glassmakers
Colonial American Craftsmen
by Leonard Everett Fisher
from Franklin Watts
for 4th-8th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
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 American Battles
Landmark Giant #17
by Robert Leckie
from Random House
for 4th-8th grade
in Landmark Giants (Location: VIN-LAN)
Handel at the Court of Kings
by Opal Wheeler, illustrated by Mary Greenwalt
1958 Seventh Printing from E.P. Dutton & Co.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
He Heard America Sing
by Clair Lee Purdy
from Julian Messner
for 4-6
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Indestructible Commodore Matthew Perry
by Arthur Orrmont
from Julian Messner
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Ironclads of the Civil War
by Frank R. Donovan
from American Heritage Publishing Co.
for 4th-8th grade
in American Heritage Junior Library (Location: VIN-HIS)
James Clerk Maxwell and Electromagnetism
Immortals of Science
by Charles Paul May
from Franklin Watts
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Jenny Lind's America
by Frances Cavanah
from Chilton Book Company
for 4th-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
John Charles Fremont
by Ronald Syme, illustrated by Richard Cuffari
from William Morrow & Company
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
John Paul Jones
A Discovery Book
by Stewart Graff, illustrated by William Hutchinson
from Garrard Publishing Company
for 2nd-5th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Joseph Priestley
Immortals of Science / First Biography
by Rebecca B. Marcus
from Franklin Watts
for 4th-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Josiah W. Gibbs
Immortals of Science
by Benedict A. Leerburger, Jr.
from Franklin Watts
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
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)
Kit Carson
A Discovery Book
by Nardi Reeder Campion, illustrated by Shannon Stirnweis
from Garrard Publishing Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Kit Carson: Folk Hero and Man
by Noel B. Gerson
from Doubleday & Company
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Leif Eriksson
by Katherine B. Shippen
1st edition from Harper & Brothers
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Leif the Lucky
by Erick Berry
from Garrard Publishing Company
for 2nd-4th 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)
Lewis and Clark: Explorers to the West
by Madge Haines, Leslie Morrill, illustrated by William Hutchinson
from Abingdon Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Lighthouses
by Arthur Smith
from Houghton Mifflin
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Linda Richards
A Discovery Book
by David R. Collins
from Garrard Publishing Company
for 4th-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Louis Braille
by J. Alvin Kugelmass
12th Printing from Julian Messner
Biography for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Luther Burbank: Nature's Helper
Makers of America
by Lillian J. Bragdon, illustrated by Frederick T. Chapman
from Abingdon Press
for 3rd-5th 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)
Marco Polo's Adventures in China
by Milton Rugoff
from American Heritage Publishing Co.
for 4th-8th grade
in Horizon Caravel Books (Location: VIN-HOR)
Marconi: Pioneer of Radio
by Douglas Coe
10th Printing from Julian Messner
for 4th-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Marcus and Narcissa Whitman
A Discovery Book
by Marian T. Place
from Garrard Publishing Company
for 4th-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
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)
Minute Sketches of Great Composers
by Eva v B. Hansl, Helen L. Kaufmann, illustrated by Samuel Nisenson
from Grosset & Dunlap
Biographical sketches for 3rd-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Mountain Conquest
by Eric Shipton
from Harper & Row
for 4th-8th grade
in Horizon Caravel Books (Location: VIN-HOR)
Nelson and the Age of Fighting Sail
by Oliver Warner
from Harper & Row
for 4th-8th grade
in Horizon Caravel Books (Location: VIN-HOR)
North Pole
A Doubleday Signal Book
by Tony Simon, Illustrated by Albert Orbaan
from Doubleday & Company
for 4th-8th grade
in 20th Century Exploration (Location: HISW-20EXP)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Northmen
by Thomas Caldecot Chubb, illustrated by Richard M. Powers
from World Publishing Company
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Okolo of Nigeria
by Peter Buckley
from E.M. Hale and Company
for 2nd-5th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Papermakers
Colonial American Craftsmen
by Leonard Everett Fisher
from Franklin Watts
for 3rd-6th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
Peddlers
Colonial American Craftsmen
by Leonard Everett Fisher
from Franklin Watts
for 3rd-6th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
Potters
Colonial American Craftsmen
by Leonard Everett Fisher
from Franklin Watts
for 3rd-6th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
Printers
Colonial American Craftsmen
by Leonard Everett Fisher
from Franklin Watts
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Prophet With Honor
by William Henry Welch
from Julian Messner
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Richard Byrd
by Guernsey Van Riper, Jr.
from Bobbs-Merril Co
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Richard E. Byrd
A Discovery Book
by Adele deLeeuw, Illustrated by Al Fiorentino
from Garrard Publishing Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Roald Amundsen: A Saga of the Polar Seas
by J. Alvin Kugelmass
from Kingston House
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Robert Goddard
by Charles Michael Daugherty, illustrated by James Daugherty
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Robert Schumann and Mascot Ziff
by Opal Wheeler, illustrated by Christine Price
1963 Fifth Printing from E.P. Dutton & Co.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Samuel Morse, Inquisitive Boy
by Dorothea J. Snow
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Sea Disasters
by Walter R. Brown & Norman D. Anderson
from Addison Wesley
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Self-Portrait: Trina Schart Hyman
from Harper & Row
for 4th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Shoemakers
Colonial American Craftsmen
by Leonard Everett Fisher
from Franklin Watts
for 3rd-6th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
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 Jay Williams
from Harper & Row
for 4th-8th grade
in Horizon Caravel Books (Location: VIN-HOR)
Spanish Armada
by C. Hodges
from Coward McCann
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Stephen Foster and His Little Dog Tray
by Opal Wheeler, illustrated by Mary Greenwalt
First Edition from E.P. Dutton & Co.
for 1st-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Story of Amelia Earhart
Signature Books #33
by Adele de Leeuw, illustrated by Harry Beckhoff
from Grosset & Dunlap
Biography for 3rd-8th grade
in Grosset & Dunlap Signature Books (Location: VIN-SIG)
Story of Beethoven
Signature Books #41
by Helen L. Kaufmann, illustrated by Fritz Kredel
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 4th-8th grade
in Grosset & Dunlap Signature Books (Location: VIN-SIG)
Story of Edith Cavell
Signature Books #47
by Iris Vinton, illustrated by Gerald McCann
from Grosset & Dunlap
Biography for 4th-8th grade
in Grosset & Dunlap Signature Books (Location: VIN-SIG)
Story of Eli Whitney
by Jean Lee Latham, illustrated by Fritz Kredel
1st edition from Aladdin Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Story of Flight
by Clayton Knight
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Story of George Washington Carver
Signature Books #17
by Arna Bontemps, illustrated by Harper Johnson
from Grosset & Dunlap
Biography for 4th-8th grade
in Grosset & Dunlap Signature Books (Location: VIN-SIG)
Story of Louisa May Alcott
Grosset & Dunlap Signature #35
by Joan Howard, illustrated by Flora Smith
from Grosset & Dunlap
Biography for 3rd-8th grade
in Grosset & Dunlap Signature Books (Location: VIN-SIG)
Story of Mozart
Grosset & Dunlap Signature #34
by Helen L. Kaufmann, illustrated by Eric M. Simon
from Grosset & Dunlap
Biography for 4th-8th grade
in Grosset & Dunlap Signature Books (Location: VIN-SIG)
Story of Ships
by Frank O. Braynard, paintings by Fouille
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 3rd-6th grade
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
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