This is not to sound snide, but if students who attend public or private schools are ready in college, my kids are ready in the ninth or tenth grade.
None of my children will ever step inside of a public school for anything other than a case study in how far behind and how little education is offered and or achieved in any public or private school.
Every parent should volunteer in a public school for a day or two to see what I am talking about.
Students don’t read to teachers, teachers read to students.
Unless it is in the teachers manual, it is not going to be taught.
I am not trying to lecture or insult parents of public schooled kids, nor am I trying to insult the kids, but, the bottom line is, the public schools are not education they are indoctrinating and preparing the kids to be good little worker bees in an oligarchic society.
Not trying to insult.
I am friends with several families who have great kids home schooling and thy are all ahead of their peers.
I was trying to do introductory material with an overview over the centuries. The reading is far from elementary. Also it would give them the perspective of contemporary and modern historians.
I’m not a big fan of Gibbons. I still recommend him for someone who will do in depth research and he should be included by those who major in the subject.
Best wishes!