The successive volumes of the series, though they each contain the life of a single individual, and constitute thus a distinct and independent work, follow each other in the main, in regular historical order, and each one continues the general narrative of history down to the period at which the next volume takes up the story; so that the whole series presents to the reader a connected narrative of the line of general history from the present age back to the remotest times.
The narratives are intended to be succinct and comprehensive, and are written in a very plain and simple style. They are, however, not juvenile in their character, nor intended exclusively for the young. The volumes are sufficiently large to allow each history to comprise all the leading facts in the life of the personage who is the subject of it, and thus to communicate all the information in respect to him which is necessary for the purposes of the general reader.
Such being the design and character of the works, they would seem to be specially adapted, not only for family reading, but also for district, town, school, and Sunday-school libraries, as well as for text-books in literary seminaries.
The plan of the series, and the manner in which the design has been carried out by the author in the execution of it, have been highly commended by the press in all parts of the country. The whole series has been introduced into the school libraries of several of the largest and most influential states.
Abraham Lincoln's Opinion of Abbotts' Histories.—In a conversation with the President just before his death, Mr. Lincoln said: "I want to thank you and your brother for Abbotts' series of Histories. I have not education enough to appreciate the profound works of voluminous historians; and if I had, I have no time to read them. But your series of Histories gives me, in brief compass, just that knowledge of past men and events which I need. I have read them with the greatest interest. To them I am indebted for about all the historical knowledge I have."
CYRUS THE GREAT.
DARIUS THE GREAT.
XERXES.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
ROMULUS.
HANNIBAL.
PYRRHUS.
JULIUS CÆSAR.
CLEOPATRA.
NERO.
ALFRED THE GREAT.
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR.
RICHARD I.
RICHARD II.
RICHARD III.
MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
CHARLES I.
CHARLES II.
JOSEPHINE.
MARIA ANTOINETTE.
MADAME ROLAND.
HENRY IV.
PETER THE GREAT.
GENGHIS KHAN.
KING PHILIP.
HERNANDO CORTEZ.
MARGARET OF ANJOU.
JOSEPH BONAPARTE.
QUEEN HORTENSE.
LOUIS XIV.
LOUIS PHILIPPE.
THE LITTLE LEARNER SERIES.