Hendrik Willem Van Loon

Hendrik Willem Van Loon (1882–1944) was a Dutch-born American historian, journalist and illustrator. He emigrated at twenty, studied at Cornell and Munich, reported from Russia and from Europe during the First World War, and taught history before turning to writing for a general public. The Story of Mankind, which he wrote and illustrated himself, won the first Newbery Medal in 1922 and was followed by The Story of the Bible, America, Van Loon's Geography, The Arts and Van Loon's Lives, all in the same informal, opinionated manner. A broadcaster and a vocal opponent of Hitler, he made radio talks to the occupied Netherlands during the Second World War.