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 - Ancient History From Primary Sources: A Literary Timeline, by Harvey and Laurie BluedornThere's a lot of noise being made these days about revisionist history; it's hard to know who to trust. In such an era, the value of primary sources--documents by those who were there--is all the greater. I've always been a proponent of going straight to the source... the trouble is that, with thousands of years of documented history behind us, the paths to the sources can be hard to find. That's what makes this book so valuable. The Bluedorns' timeline stretches from Creation to the fall of the Roman Empire in A.D. 427, marking off important events and personalities along the way. Referenced all the way through the timeline are the primary documents that record these events, getting as close as possible to them. Not only that, but the book comes with a CD-ROM that contains these pieces of primary literature themselves! Ancient History From Primary Sources is a great reference book, laying out the history of the ancient world in easy-to-follow format. It includes the Bible throughout the timeline, helping connect the sometimes disjointed view of history that those of us who've grown up with the Scriptures are prone to. Moreover, the book contains lengthy chapters overviewing the Bible, the literature of Egypt, the Hebrews, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome. As is the case with the rest of their books, the Bluedorns write from a conservative Christian viewpoint. Folks who share their worldview will appreciate the head's-up they give on various moral issues in ancient literature, and the heavy attention they give to understanding all things through the framework of Scripture. [...] Rating: - Ancient History from Primary SourcesExcellent! This orderly compilation of rich historical sources is a breath of fresh air. It is for those preparing for or in process of teaching/studying ancient history. This refreshing book with accompanying cds are purposed to "make it much easier for anyone to study history from real sources of history." Simply stated...it does just that. This book covers Creation through A.D. 476 and includes a rich supply of well organized literature and a brief explanation of the historical figures. What I appreciate most is the clear explanations of the contents to speed my searches in both the book and the cds. It is thrilling to discover on the cds the literary works written in their original language as well as in English. The Bluedorns have also given us the permission to make personal copies for our convenience in teaching or studying. The Bluedorns clearly state that they did not intend for this work to be a curriculum in itself but an aid in diving deeper into the study of ancient history. Well done, I say...Again, they have handed the Classical Christian Homeschooling community a gem that will save us hundreds of hours of research, as we try to give our children the most thorough education possible. Rating: - Invaluable!I have thoroughly enjoyed reading through Ancient History from Primary Sources: A Literary Timeline by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn. This book, which has 3 accompanying CD's is divided into 3 sections, with 6 appendices finishing up the book. The recommended ages for this book are generally 12 and up, but the Bluedorn's also voice that each family will have it's own standards and some may use this with children a bit younger. The first section begins with some general guidelines where it divides Greek and Roman authors into 3 basic classifications. The three classifications being listed as: useful (but pre-read), mature Christians, and questionable and/or graphic. I found this to be very helpful myself in that choosing my sources will be a bit easier, even though the Bluedorn's state again, that each family will have varying guidelines. The section also covers how to critically evaluate a historical document, including detecting historical fallacies. The information given on what makes a source primary, secondary, or principal was quite enlightening. The second section is the timeline itself covering the period of creation to A.D. 476 (the fall of Rome), and takes up the whole section. The civilizations covered in this timeline are: Biblical, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek, and Roman...with references to the primary sources that fit into the timeline. They even give citations to the section and paragraph in the books to easily find the excerpt in that particular primary source. (These are found on the CD's) Section three is the 'Author and Primary Source Index', and this is what I personally found truly invaluable in this book. Here you get info on each author such as: full name, date of birth and death, a short biographical sketch, list of works available today by this author, and significant excerpts from his works. There is even a nice survey of the scriptures here. Following the above sections, you come to the 6 appendices found in the back of the book. These are: four approaches of studying ancient literature, nothing is neutral, was Paul a classical Greek scholar?, the Bible chronology puzzle, sources consulted, and history curricula and resources. The appendice dealing with the history curricula and resources lists the curricula recommended to use that also mesh well with this great supplement. I would not even think of purchasing this book without the 3 accompanying CD's. These have the complete works of the authors listed in the source index. No more searching for ancient primary sources, or waiting on inter-library loans...your sources are at your fingertips. This book and cd set give you terrific access to the very best of all the primary source material available today. Rating: - A Great Outline!Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn have provided a great resource for those studying ancient, classical, even world history. The book provides a detailed timeline of when great historical events and writings to give perspective and context. It then provides an outline of great writers of the classical period, both Christian and secular, along with their contributions to the world of literature and history. In addition, the Bluedorns provide great essays on the "Four Approaches to the Study of Ancient Literature," the myth of educational neutrality, Biblical chronology, and the scholarship of the Apostle Paul. Highly recommended! Rating: - Awesome Outline of Primary SourcesThere is perhaps no better way to make history come alive than to read the actual words of important historical figures. Study of the primary sources is a gratifying and mind-expanding approach to learning history. Once upon a time, there was virtue and value in being "a well read person" who understood classical literary references such as "crossing the Rubicon" and "the rosy-fingered dawn." In our era of Gameboys and dumbed-down public schools, not many college graduates have read Plato and Aristotle, or Cicero and Augustine. But classical education is making a comeback, in not a little part due to the labors of Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn, the authors of "Ancient History from Primary Sources." This wonderful resource begins with a timeline from Creation through the Fall of Rome (A.D. 476). This unique timeline is divided into five columns to indicate Hebrew & Christian, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek and Roman histories. Each column indicates the years of historical events and major literary works, so that one could see at a glance the contributions of each culture to western civilization. After the timeline, an "Author and Primary Source Index" is provided which gives an outline of the content of each primary source, such as historical events recorded by Herodotus and Tacitus, philosophical works by Plato and Aristotle, and mathematical treatises by Euclid and Archimedes. The "Author and Primary Source Index" includes chapters on The Bible, Literature of Egypt, Literature of the Hebrew People, Literature of Mesopotamia, and Literature of Greece and Rome. Appendices are provided for helping a contemporary reader begin a study of history from the sources, and for bringing a Biblical approach to studying pagan sources. In addition to young scholars of history and the classics, this book would also be helpful to parents seeking to belatedly acquire a "well-educated mind." The value of this magnum opus is further enhanced by the inclusion of a two-CD set, "Primary Literary Sources for Ancient History," which includes the complete text of over 1200 ancient works by 80 classical authors. The sources on this disc include every most important authors from Arrian to Plutarch to Strabo. This CD set alone is worth much more than the asking price. The Bluedorn's sourcebook is an indispensible resource for every serious student of history. It should be used by every student of the classics. And the value is inestimable for every Christian Classical student of "Trivium" approach, homeschooled or otherwise. page 1 of 2
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