Susan Wise Bauer has published numerous books, including The Well-Educated Mind (Norton, 2003), The Well-Trained Mind (Norton, 2004), and the Story of the World series (Peace Hill Press). Publishers Weekly described The Well-Educated Mind as a “brilliant guide” and “a timeless, intelligent book.”

She is currently at work on a four volume history of the world for W. W. Norton. The first volume is now available.

Susan is working hard on the History of the Middle Ages. The first book in the series,The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome” was published in March 2007. Booklist praised it as “acutely interesting,” while Publisher’s Weekly calls it “a wonderful starting point for the study of the ancient world.”

You can now download free samples of several chapters from the book:

• Chapter 9 The First Civil War
• Chapter 17 The First Monotheist
• Chapter 46 From Western to Eastern Zhou
• Chapter 61 Kingdoms and Reformers
• Chapter 79 Empire

Susan teaches English at the College of William & Mary, and lives in Virginia with her husband and four children.