extended course introductory to the study of recent times and contemporary
problems. Such a course was first outlined by the Regents of the
University of the State of New York in their _Syllabus for Secondary
Schools_, issued in 1910.

Since the appearance of the Regents' _Syllabus_ the Committee of Five of
the American Historical Association has made its _Report_ (1911),
suggesting a rearrangement of the curriculum which would permit a year's
work in English and Continental history. Still more recently the Committee
on Social Studies of the Commission on the Reorganization of Secondary
Education, in its _Report_ (1916) to the National Education Association
has definitely recommended the division of European history into two
parts, of which the first should include ancient and Oriental
civilization, English and Continental history to approximately the end of
the seventeenth century, and the period of American exploration.

The first twelve chapters of the present work are based upon the author's
_Ancient History_, published four years ago. In spite of many omissions,
it has been possible to follow without essential modification the plan of
the earlier volume. A number of new maps and illustrations have been added
to these chapters.

The selection of collateral reading, always a difficult problem in the
secondary school, is doubly difficult when so much ground must be covered
in a single course. The author ventures, therefore, to call attention to
his _Readings in Ancient History_. Its purpose, in the words of the
preface, is "to provide immature pupils with a variety of extended,
unified, and interesting extracts on matters which a textbook treats with
necessary, though none the less deplorable, condensation." A companion
volume, entitled _Readings in Medieval and Modern History_, will be