Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin. Includes fifty legendary tales depicting certain romantic episodes in the lives of well-known heroes and famous men, or in the history of a people. Children naturally take a deep interest in such stories. The reading of them will not only give pleasure but will lay the foundation for broader literary studies, as nearly all are the subjects of frequent allusions in poetry and prose. James Baldwin was one of the most prolific authors of school books for children at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. It is estimated that 26 million copies of his works sold worldwide, including China and Indonesia. A selfeducated man, he became a school superintendent before working as an editor for Harper's and later for the American Book Company.