THE STORY OF MANKIND BY HENDRIK VAN LOON, AB. PH.D. Author of The Fall of the Dutch Republic, The Rise of the Dutch Kingdom, The Golden Book of the Dutch Navigators, A Short Story of Discovery, Ancient Man. This book is fully illustrated with eight three-color pages, over one hundred black and white pictures and numerous animated maps and half-tones drawn by the author. [Illustration: THE SCENE OF OUR HISTORY IS LAID UPON A LITTLE PLANET, LOST IN THE VASTNESS OF THE UNIVERSE.] [Illustration] THE STORY OF MANKIND BY HENDRIK VAN LOON BONI AND LIVERIGHT First Printing, November, 1921 Second Printing, December, 1921 Third Printing, January, 1922 Fourth Printing, February, 1922 Fifth Printing, February, 1922 Sixth Printing, March, 1922 Seventh Printing, April, 1922 Eighth Printing, May, 1922 Ninth Printing, May, 1922 Tenth Printing, June, 1922 Eleventh Printing, July, 1922 Twelfth Printing, July, 1922 Thirteenth Printing, August, 1922 Fourteenth Printing, August, 1922 Fifteenth Printing, September, 1922 Sixteenth Printing, September, 1922 Seventeenth Printing, September, 1922 Eighteenth Printing, October, 1922 Nineteenth Printing, November, 1922 Twentieth Printing, December, 1922 THE STORY OF MANKIND COPYRIGHT, 1921, BY BONI & LIVERIGHT, INC. _Copyright in All Countries_ _Printed in the United States of America_ To JIMMIE “What is the use of a book without pictures?” said Alice. [Illustration] FOREWORD For Hansje and Willem: When I was twelve or thirteen years old, an uncle of mine who gave me my love for books and pictures promised to take me upon a memorable expedition. I was to go with him to the top of the tower of Old Saint Lawrence in Rotterdam. And so, one fine day, a sexton with a key as large as that of Saint Peter opened a mysterious door. “Ring the bell,” he said, “when you come back and want to get out,” and with a great grinding of rusty old hinges he separated us from the noise of the busy street and locked us into a world of new and strange experiences.