Like other books in this 'heritage history' series, "The Victorian Era in Europe - Age of Empires - for Kids" presents the events of mid-to-late 19th century European history through biographies of its "royals, rebels, and empire-builders" in a story-telling format.
Dusty volumes, published in the days when history-teaching wasn't reduced to 'social studies, ' overflow with historical anecdotes and details that would make our kids smile, and add a memorable 'human' touch to blunders, crimes, and victories of bygone eras' stars and villains. So, I spent a good year plowing through 19th and early 20th century biographical tomes, periodicals, and vintage childrens' histories, to translate a vast volume of stories and reports into narratives that can engage today's kids and teens. I tossed out exhaustive battle descriptions and analyses of dynastic feuds and politics to which our kids can't relate. I kept stories entertaining enough to bring to life the complex era that gave us phones, subways, and diamond engagement rings, along with Marxism, terrorism, the 'white man's burden, ' and hundreds of thousands of long-lost graves of those who fell in brutal colonial and European imperial wars. As always, this book presents only historical facts and reports (no embellishment, fiction, or opinions of any kind) and stays firmly on track with kid-appropriate, family-friendly content.
Meet Queen Victoria, French Emperor Napoleon III, German Reichskanzler Bismarck, Russian Emperor Alexander II, the hero of the Italian Wars of Independence Giuseppe Garibaldi, the creator of Marxism - Karl Marx, the British Empire builder and diamond monopolist Cecil Rhodes, and the legend of archaeology Heinrich Schliemann - they are all here.
Since understanding Victorian-era history requires knowledge of certain political/economic concepts, the book offers paragraph-long definitions of
- - ideas, such as Realpolitik, liberalism, fatalism, socialism, communism, nihilism, anarchism, totalitarianism, populism, the Monroe Doctrine, ''the white man's burden, ' 'jingoism...'
- - political movements and organizations, such as the Carbonari, Freemasons, Illuminati...
- - political/economic terms, such as monopoly, viceroy, protectorate, puppet regime, 'scorched earth' policy, and others.
Did Queen Victoria actually say "We are not amused"?
Why socialist economies fall apart, and why a communist socio-economic system has never existed in real life?
Who came up with the diamond engagement ring 'tradition'?
... Your sleepless nights, pondering over these epic questions are over! Your kid will deliver the answers upon reading "The Victorian Era in Europe - Age of Empires - for Kids"!
