At Heritage History, we believe that history is best learned through self-motivated, independent study. Certainly there are many valuable
history curriculums available, and we believe learning history in a structured, classroom setting is
entirely worthwhile. But
by its very nature, curriculum driven history is just the "tip of the iceberg".
There is always much more to learn than can be covered in any type of a textbook, and lessons that compress too many
facts into too short of a space will frequently be forgotten. In contrast, story-based history
presents the most interesting historical tales in such a way that even students of average ability are
easily engaged.
Interest driven history, which follows a student's natural curiosity and allows him to undertake subjects which
hold special fascination for him, (as well as to discard material that he does not find engaging),
is a far more effective route to
really mastering history, in the long term. When a student sees history as a life-long engagement, rather than an
academic chore, he is well on his way achieving a real history education.
We do not expect any student to be interested in all of the books in Heritage History's Compact Library collection.
But we expect something in each collection to be of interest to almost anyone. One student may prefer to read
mythology; another might enjoy historical fiction, and another may pursue biographies. Some will not be
willing to engage our more challenging selections and others may seek them out. What we can assure our
users is not that they will enjoy everything in our library, but that everything they do select
is high quality and worth the effort.
We believe there is no substitution for being well-read in history. And the real wisdom that can
be gained from studying history is not confinable to a set of lessons, or a checklist of
historical references. It is precisely an appreciation
of the breadth and variety of human aspirations that is the wisdom itself.
The wisdom that history
teaches is best gained by breadth; and breadth takes time and persistent interest. There is
no "getting right to the point" in history—it is a panorama, not a point.
