Story of the World, Vol. 1: 25th Anniversary Expanded Edition
A beautiful, updated edition of the bestselling classic!
Since 2001, Susan Wise Bauer’s The Story of the World has been a beloved resource in homes and homeschools, sparking a passion for history in millions of children.
To celebrate this classic’s 25th anniversary, Well-Trained Mind Press presents The Story of the World: Volume 1 – 25th Anniversary Expanded Edition.
Available now in PDF and digital audio; coming February 2026 in paperback and hardcover.
We’re so excited about this that we made a podcast about it!
New Features in The Story of the World: Volume 1 – 25th Anniversary Expanded Edition (Main Text):
- The same engaging storytelling and readability that children love
- Two new chapters on East Asian history
Additional material in the existing chapters on key historical events, including:
- The rise of the Roman Republic
- The beginning of the Han dynasty
- The Silk Road
- The rule of Herod the Great and the siege of Masada
- Ten new biographies of fascinating historical figures (Spartacus, Zhang Heng, and more)
- Twenty new illustrations and maps
- Updated pronunciation guide
- New chapter order for better chronological flow
- Clearer formatting distinguishing ancient texts, myths, and stories from historical narrative
- The newly-recorded audio version is thrillingly narrated by Katherine de Leiros
Coming in 2026: The Complete Curriculum!
Instructor Guide (formerly the front half of the Activity Book):
Now fully organized into lessons for easier planning.
- Parent/Instructor scripts for narration, review, and mapping exercises
- Sample answers for narration prompts and review questions
- Updated and expanded reading recommendation lists, combining the best of the classics with the best of what’s been published in the past 25 years
- 40+ brand-new activities
- Specially designed group activities
- Cross-curricular challenges connecting history to science, math, writing, and more
- Suggested memory work and field trip ideas
- Low-prep, no-prep, and movement activities
Student Workbook (formerly the back half of the Activity Book):
Bring the past to life with The Student Workbook for the Story of the World, Volume 1: Ancient Times, designed exclusively for the 25th Anniversary Expanded Edition!
Built for use in families, co-ops, or classrooms, this workbook gives individual learners their own space to dive into history.
Includes:
- All student pages for activities in the Instructor Guide, including puzzles, game boards, craft templates, and other interactive activity pages
- Suggested memory work activities
- Map exercises to teach the geography of our world
- Coloring pages for every chapter (including over 20 new images)
And much more!
This Student Workbook is designed for use with The Story of the World, Volume 1: Ancient Times, 25th Anniversary Expanded Edition and corresponding Instructor Guide—both sold separately. It is not compatible with the original (2001/2006) editions.
These easy-to-use tests and answer keys, suitable for home or classroom use, provide an objective method to measure students’ retention of key historical facts, figures, and events from The Story of the World, Volume 1: Ancient Times, 25th Anniversary Expanded Edition.
Designed as an extension activity for older students, this resource includes:
- 42 tests, one for each chapter
- A variety of question formats, including multiple choice, matching, fill in the blank, and short-answer
- A comprehensive answer key for easy grading
From the pyramids of Egypt to the palaces of China, and from the rise of the first cities to the fall of the Roman Empire, this new edition of The Story of the World will introduce a new generation of readers to the sweep and drama of history.
