MamaBearTeacher Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Anyone read this with kids? If so, which edition? Do I need to be concerned with inappropriate content? Is there a short version? I'm just curious. My kids never get bored with history so I am considering it. Any opinions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 Do you mean Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall? The one that's about a million pages long? I read that in college, and it is no picnic. As far as I know, there isn't a children's version, though I have seen abridged editions. I noticed that you can read chapters on Google Books. You might want to check that out before you purchase something. How old are your children? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearTeacher Posted August 1, 2010 Author Share Posted August 1, 2010 Thanks! I looked it up and the language does not seem that hard but it might take me a year to read it out loud if it is that long. Did you learn a lot from the book? My kids are young (6 and 9) but they love reading history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 Anyone read this with kids? If so, which edition? Do I need to be concerned with inappropriate content? Is there a short version? I'm just curious. My kids never get bored with history so I am considering it. Any opinions? We own it. I consulted it for a children's biography I wrote on Empress Theodora. I would not have the kids read it. I would say that it is a high school or college level work. I don't see our copy on the shelf, so it must be in storage. I think that because it is about the decline of the empire, you will find that it includes many tales about less than stellar emperors, with assassination, cruelty and betrayal a common coin in this period. Things that I might suggest instead: SWB's History of the Ancient World (If your kids can understand Gibbon, they can certainly understand her lovely writing). The Quest for the Lost Legions by Tony Clunn (a British army major who discovered the site of the Varusschlacht), the book alternates between a discussion of the archaeology and his reconstruction of how the battle took place. Rome and the Barbarians series from The Teaching Company I'm not suggesting that Gibbon is a bad book. It's just not typical generalist fare for kids. And you only have so much time in your day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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