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This very interesting and readable World History text covers the beginnings of History through the early reign of Pope John Paul II from a Catholic perspective. Old Testament History, the great ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome, the Life of Christ, the growth of the Church, the Great Heresies, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the "Reformation" and Counter-Reformation, the French Revolution, the Age of Napoleon, World War I, the Russian Revolution and World War II are all included in fascinating details.

The Old World and America is a superb history book that is decidely homeschool-friendly! The book begins briefly with a mention of Genesis, which is unusual in a history text. It is a thorough guide to the history of the world, from the time of primitive man to the mid-1500's. The approach is decidedly Catholic, and reference to Catholic saints are scattered throughout.

This first volume in the Catholic American history program, Land of Our Lady, is intended for the fourth grade. It overviews history from Creation to just before Columbus' voyage in 1492. The focus is mostly on Western History - Europe and the Middle East - but Ancient China is also touched upon. Emphasis is placed on the origins of democracy and people in history who were instrumental in its development in various forms (as a preparation for the study of American History - this year's text develops the "background").

We've only used the General Studies and just begun Ancient Egypt, so I know little. However, I do think they are very creative and very Catholic in their presentation. They recommend a certain kids Protestant Bible for ages 2-8 because of the "high picture-to-text ratio with twelve pictures per double plate spread. The characters are dressed in authentic garb, making it a wonderful companion to the unit studies.

This book is sold as a 7th/8th grade history text, but with the addition of some outline maps and a little imagination it could easily serve as an introduction to world geography.

I've had a chance to skim the book briefly and read the chapters on the Greeks and on the Aztecs and found them helpful and enlightening. There is a distinct effort to be fair to our Catholic legacy without whitewashing faults. (e.g. I noticed that Charlemagne is treated very favorably with the exception of one paragraph that honestly and without sensationalism explains a terrible thing he did in killing a large group of people who refused to be baptized. It also clears up the false rumors regarding the "evils" of Spain while still criticizing where there is fault).

Christ and the Americas is a high school American history text by the same author as Christ the King, Lord of History It is difficult to describe in a paragraph or two a book that covers so much. The book is packed with stories and information about major aspects of American history, from the ancient civilizations of the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas, to post-Cold War America.

Our Pioneers and Patriots begins with a review of Viking exploration and continues through the history of the United States to the time of President Roosevelt and the New Deal. The text is direct and factual, focusing on key people and events. Read straight through, this book would bore most children; however, when read a page or two at a time the presentation style is interesting and easily understood. Fr. Furlong has a unique way of digesting complex information into a few short sentences.

We just finished a great history year, my two middle-schoolers and I. We tackled American History and used as our textbook Catholic School Textbook Project's From Sea to Shining Sea. I divide our school year into four quarters, so we had exactly five chapters per quarter. Every Wednesday afternoon we sat down in the sunny, bright living room and I would begin reading a chapter aloud. My two middle-schoolers would then each a take turn reading and we would have the chapter read in just over an hour. They used an atlas to find and trace the historical routes covered that session.

Author's description of the text:

This text is suitable for grades 4 through 8. It tells in narrative fashion the story of the discovery, conquest, and evangelization of the New World from Columbus through the missions of California. Catholic social principles are also taught in the text. Students are asked to use the Catholic principles to judge the actions of history.