Old Greek Stories

James Baldwin (1841-1925) was an American educator, editor, and author best known for his books for children and young readers. He should not be confused with the twentieth-century novelist and essayist James Baldwin. This James Baldwin worked for many years in education and publishing, including with the American Book Company, and wrote or edited numerous school readers, story collections, retellings, and introductory books designed to make history, literature, myth, legend, and moral example accessible to children.Baldwin's books reflect the educational ideals of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when storytelling was often used to build vocabulary, historical awareness, literary memory, and character. His works include Fifty Famous Stories Retold, Thirty More Famous Stories Retold, Old Greek Stories, The Story of Siegfried, and other widely read collections for schools and families. Clear, brief, and memorable, his retellings helped introduce generations of young readers to figures and episodes from classical antiquity, European history, American history, folklore, and traditional literature.