Susan Wise Bauer

American author, historian, and educator best known for books on homeschooling and classical education (including The Well-Trained Mind) and narrative histories such as The History of the Medieval World.

Books

Ranked Books All Books

This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.

  1. 1. Ancient Times

    A History of the Early World
    Cover of 'Ancient Times' by Susan Wise Bauer

    A readable, narrative history that traces the development of early civilizations—Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, Greece, and Rome—through engaging stories of rulers, inventions, wars, and everyday life; it explains how writing, law, religion, and trade shaped societies and connects big events and personalities into a chronological, child-friendly storyline, supplemented with maps, timelines, and activities to help young readers understand and remember the ancient world.

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  2. 2. The Middle Ages

    Cover of 'The Middle Ages' by Susan Wise Bauer

    A sweeping, readable narrative history that traces the transformation of Europe and its neighbors from the fall of Roman authority through the late medieval era, weaving political events, religious change, cultural currents, and everyday life into a continuous chronological story. It places Byzantium and the Islamic world alongside Western developments, follows the rise of new polities and institutions—from Carolingian renewal and feudal structures to growing monarchies—and treats major episodes such as Viking and Magyar movements, the Crusades, intellectual and artistic advances, and catastrophes like the Black Death, while often pausing to illuminate the experiences of ordinary people and the key figures who shaped medieval society.

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  3. 3. The History Of The Renaissance World

    From the Rediscovery of Aristotle to the Conquest of Constantinople
    Cover of 'The History Of The Renaissance World' by Susan Wise Bauer

    A sweeping, narrative account of the early modern era that follows the political, cultural, and intellectual transformations that reshaped Europe and its interactions with the wider world; it traces the revival of classical learning and artistic innovation, the rise and rivalry of states and monarchs, the upheavals of religious reform, and the voyages and encounters that connected Europe with Africa, Asia, and the Americas. By blending biography, diplomatic and military history, and cultural context, the book shows how individual leaders, thinkers, and events linked together to produce the complex, interconnected beginnings of the modern age.

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