The Age of Revolution

Here is a valuable overview of world history, from the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, including the French, American and Industrial revolutions. Kovacs chooses pertinent stories to create a rich tapestry that shows the development of humankind, from medieval times -- when every person had a fixed place in the social hierarchy -- to the awakening of individuality in modern times. In the Waldorf curriculum, this period of history is usually taught in class 8 (ages 13-14).

Charles Kovacs was born in Austria. He left his native country in 1938 at the time of the Anschluss and joined the British Army in East Africa. After the War, he settled in Britain, and in 1956 he took over a class at the Rudolf Steiner School in Edinburgh, where he remained a class teacher until his retirement in 1976. He died in 2001. His extensive lesson notes have been a useful and inspiring resource material for many teachers. He is the author of Parsifal and the Search for the Grail (Floris Books 2002) and Ancient Greece (Floris Books 2003).

'This book is published for use by Steiner School teachers but it is a marvellous read for anyone who would like to get to grips in a lively way with history. The book is written in an eminently readable and warm style. It will give young people a good, clear perspective on how, why and what went wrong in the past, and how we might find a better way for the future. I found The Age of Revolution interesting and enjoyable and long after having finished the book, I was able to recall much information I had read therein. Charles Kovacs certainly brought history "alive" for me and I recommend it both to adults wanting to enhance their understanding of past events, and as an excellent resource book for teachers.' -- Rosemary Usselman, New View, Autumn 2003