On the Shores of the Great Sea

Story of the World #1

by Margaret Bertha Synge

Margaret Bertha Synge (1861-1939) was a British author of books for children at the end of the nineteenthand beginning of the twentieth-century. Her works include: Cooks Voyages (1892), The Story of Scotland (1896), A Child of the Mews (1897), A Book of Scottish Poetry (edited) (1897), Brave Men and Brave Deeds (1898), A Helping Hand (1898), Life of Gladstone (1899), The Queens Namesake (1899), Life of General Charles Gordon (1900), The Story of the World for the Children of the British Empire (5 vols., 1903), The Struggle for Sea Power (1903), The Awakening of Europe (1903), The Worlds Childhood: Stories of the Fairies Simply Told (2 vols., 1905), A Short History of Social Life in England (1906), Molly (1907), Martha Wren: A Story of Faithful Service (1908), The Great Victorian Age for Children (1908), Great Englishwomen (1911), A Book of Discovery (1912), Simple Garments for Children (1913), Simple Garments for Infants (1914), The Reign of Queen Victoria (1916) and The Story of the World at War (1926).

Genres: History, Ebooks, Ancient, Nonfiction, Ancient History

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1903

About the author

D 1939

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I substituted this book-- which is the first in a series of five world history books-- for some other recommended history spines in both AO and CWH for our little homeschool. It could be categorized as a living history book.

We LOVE it!

The kids look forward to reading it every week (they are 6 and 5) and I am finding it so good I don't want to put it down.
Mostly dealing with the history of the peoples around the Mediterranean, this work tells ancient history in a way that is both fascinating and inspiring.... just by reading and narrating my kids and I are retaining historical facts and figures, inspired to learn more, and enjoying lots of historical play and conversation.

Highly recommend the entire series. This book says it is for ages 9 & up, but children who have been exposed to good literature from the beginning will have no problems understanding it, even at a very young age.

[Darlene Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with Malachi- Year 3

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an easy to follow, quick overview of major points of ancient history. The chapters are only 3-4 pages each. But it's not dry either. As a history spine for elementary I like it a lot better than H.E. Marshall's books (eep) - not that she wrote ancient history - as I found myself finally understanding the big picture and actually able to remember after I read it. H.E. Marshall is maybe too wordy.

[Anna Mussmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Margaret Synge wrote a series of history books for children in the early 1900’s. This volume deals with the ancient civilizations surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Each chapter tells a story about a particular group of people, and the book chronologically intersperses Biblical history with tales of Phoenicians, Persians, Athenians, and so on.

Although I appreciate the intention of the series (and the fact that the author takes Biblical accounts seriously) I found the actual result a bit dry. I think the problem is that Synge has a habit of leaving out the details that would give many of these stories much-needed context. Ultimately, this makes the stories harder to remember and less interesting to read. Not really a “win” for my family.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with this book. Each chapter, only a few pages, was filled with very concise and interesting information of the countries of the world, the Kings or leaders who fought for power, and the History that aligns with the Kings you read about in the Bible. This is History without feeling like you are reading a boring textbook, but an actual action-packed story.

[Rachel N]

More elementary than our Scholé group preferred, so we switched books half way through the semester. This would be a good choice for lower elementary.

[A Hoppy Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
Nice overview with emphasis on Phoenicians role in the ancient Meditation.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A weaving together of legends, myths, philosophy, and history to create a chronological story. A little Egypt, a little Hebrew, a little Greek, etc. Nice compilation for a young person just learning about our ancient musings. Free podcasts available.

[Darren · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is very unentertaining, however it did teach me some. My mom had me read this for school.