The Story of Mankind by Van Loon, Hendrik - 1922

George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd, 1922. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/No Jacket. First UK edition. Lightly rubbed, owner bookplate on front endpaper, minor pencil marginalia. 1922 Hard Cover. xxviii, 492, [2] pp. 8vo. Blue cloth, color globe image mounted on front board, gilt titles and rules. "The Story of Mankind was written and illustrated by American journalist, professor, and author Hendrik Willem van Loon and published in 1921. In 1922, it was the first book to be awarded the Newbery Medal for an outstanding contribution to children's literature. Written for his grandchildren, The Story of Mankind tells in brief chapters the history of Western civilization beginning with primitive man, covering the development of writing, art, and architecture, the rise of major religions, and the formation of the modern (for 1921) nation-state. Van Loon explains in the book how he selected what and what not to include by subjecting all materials to the question: Did the person or event in question perform an act without which the entire history of civilization would have been different?