History · Middle Ages · 1904

Famous Men of the Middle Ages

John H. Haaren and A. B. Poland's 31 short life stories of the Middle Ages, from Alaric the Goth to Warwick the Kingmaker, with an opening on the old Teuton gods and the Nibelungs, for children about 9 to 12. 40 guides cover the whole book, with the right page of the book beside each one.

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Turn this on to see every lesson as a simple checklist: what to get out, what to do and what to say, one line at a time.

How to use it

  • One story at a time. About 20 to 30 minutes, two or three times a week. A few long chapters are split into two parts.
  • Read it, then tell it back. After each reading, your child tells the story in their own words. The prompts in each guide help when they get stuck.
  • Keep a timeline. Tape sheets of paper into one long strip and add a date and a small drawing each lesson. Every date in this book is A.D., from about 400 to about 1500, so the years count up.
  • Find it on a map. Keep a map of Europe and the Mediterranean nearby (a free online map or a globe). A few chapters travel to Arabia, Baghdad, India and China.
  • Legends and hard parts. The book mixes history with legends (Alfred's cakes, Bruce's spider, William Tell). Many chapters have battles and cruel deeds; the guides flag the hardest ones so you can read ahead.
  • A book from 1904. The authors wrote from a Christian, European point of view. The guides note gently where their words or views have changed, especially in the chapters on Mohammed and the Crusades, and treat every faith with respect.

Unit 1 Gods and heroes of the Teutons

The old gods of the northern peoples and the Nibelung legend of Siegfried (the Introduction). Lessons 1–3.

  1. 1The gods of the TeutonsIntro, part 1✓
  2. 2The Nibelungs, part 1: Siegfried and BrunhildaIntro, part 2✓
  3. 3The Nibelungs, part 2: The treasure brings sorrowIntro, part 3✓

Unit 2 The barbarian kingdoms

Goths, Huns, Vandals and Franks break up the Roman West, while Justinian rules in Constantinople (Chapters I to VI). Lessons 4–10.

  1. 4Alaric the VisigothCh. I✓
  2. 5Attila the HunCh. II✓
  3. 6Genseric the VandalCh. III✓
  4. 7Theodoric the OstrogothCh. IV✓
  5. 8Clovis, part 1: The boy king of the FranksCh. V, part 1✓
  6. 9Clovis, part 2: Clotilde, Tolbiac and the vase of SoissonsCh. V, part 2✓
  7. 10Justinian the GreatCh. VI✓

Unit 3 Mohammed and the Saracens

The rise of Islam in Arabia, and the Frankish mayors who met the Saracen armies at Tours (Chapters VII and VIII). Lessons 11–13.

  1. 11Mohammed, part 1: The trustworthy young traderCh. VII, part 1✓
  2. 12Mohammed, part 2: The Hejira and the spread of IslamCh. VII, part 2✓
  3. 13Charles Martel and PepinCh. VIII✓

Unit 4 The age of Charlemagne

Charlemagne is crowned emperor, Harun-al-Rashid rules at Bagdad, and Egbert unites the English (Chapters IX to XI). Lessons 14–17.

  1. 14Charlemagne, part 1: Wars, Roland and the crownCh. IX, part 1✓
  2. 15Charlemagne, part 2: Schools, an elephant and a clockCh. IX, part 2✓
  3. 16Harun-al-RashidCh. X✓
  4. 17Egbert the SaxonCh. XI✓

Unit 5 Northmen, Danes and Saxons

Viking raids and voyages, Normandy, Alfred the Great, Henry the Fowler and Canute (Chapters XII to XV). Lessons 18–22.

  1. 18The Vikings, Iceland and VinlandCh. XII, part 1✓
  2. 19Rollo the Viking and the founding of NormandyCh. XII, part 2✓
  3. 20Alfred the GreatCh. XIII✓
  4. 21Henry the FowlerCh. XIV✓
  5. 22Canute the GreatCh. XV✓

Unit 6 The Cid and the Norman Conquest

The Cid in Spain, then Edward the Confessor and William the Conqueror in 1066 (Chapters XVI to XVIII). Lessons 23–25.

  1. 23The CidCh. XVI✓
  2. 24Edward the ConfessorCh. XVII✓
  3. 25William the ConquerorCh. XVIII✓

Unit 7 The Crusades

Peter the Hermit, Barbarossa, Henry II and his sons, and Saint Louis, in the age of the Crusades (Chapters XIX to XXII). Lessons 26–30.

  1. 26Peter the Hermit and the First CrusadeCh. XIX✓
  2. 27Frederick BarbarossaCh. XX✓
  3. 28Henry the Second and Thomas BecketCh. XXI, part 1✓
  4. 29Richard the Lion-Hearted and King JohnCh. XXI, part 2✓
  5. 30Louis the Ninth (Saint Louis)Ch. XXII✓

Unit 8 Freedom fighters and far travelers

Robert Bruce, Marco Polo, the Black Prince, William Tell and Tamerlane (Chapters XXIII to XXVII). Lessons 31–35.

  1. 31Robert BruceCh. XXIII✓
  2. 32Marco PoloCh. XXIV✓
  3. 33Edward the Black PrinceCh. XXV✓
  4. 34William Tell and Arnold von WinkelriedCh. XXVI✓
  5. 35TamerlaneCh. XXVII✓

Unit 9 The end of the Middle Ages

Henry V, Joan of Arc, Gutenberg and the Wars of the Roses (Chapters XXVIII to XXXI). Lessons 36–40.

  1. 36Henry the FifthCh. XXVIII✓
  2. 37Joan of ArcCh. XXIX✓
  3. 38Gutenberg and the art of printingCh. XXX✓
  4. 39Warwick the Kingmaker, part 1: The Wars of the Roses beginCh. XXXI, part 1✓
  5. 40Warwick the Kingmaker, part 2: Red rose, white rose, Tudor roseCh. XXXI, part 2✓

The book itself

Each guide covers one chapter of the book, shown beside the title; the Introduction (the Teuton gods and the Nibelungs) and a few long chapters are split into parts. The guides are written for this site; the book is in the public domain.

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