This timeless collection of short stories encompasses a vast history of famous literary heroes and their romantic tales of bravery, perseverance and compassion. Beginning with Socrates and the ancient Greeks, James Baldwin narrates the stories of larger-than-life figures like Leonidas and the Brave Three Hundred, Napoleon Bonaparte, Robin Hood, Sir Walter Raleigh, and George Washington. These stories illustrate the most celebrated protagonists of all time, and will entertain readers of all ages as much today as they have for centuries past. Originally published by American Book Company in 1896 as educational literature for grade schools, these stories will delight and educate children, laying the foundation for future literary studies as nearly all are frequently alluded to in modern poetry and prose. Children will take pleasure in having these stories read aloud to them, while older children will delight in reading them to themselves.