Ancient Books - Page 12

Life In The Ancient Indus River Valley (Peoples of the Ancient World)

Hazel Richardson

Amazon Price: $8.95 List Price: $8.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Crabtree Publishing Company Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $4.46

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great info, great illustrations, a little textbook-y 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This is a social history of life in ancient India targeted at late elementary schoolers.

It is organized into 14 two-page, thematic spreads that follow a general chronological progression (from the Harrappan civilizations through the Aryan conquest, Mauryan Age, and and the rise of Buddhism) but have a way-of-life emphasis. The packaging, full of drawings, artifacts, and photographs of people and places, is very well done, and the text is clear.

The only drawback is that the presentation is rather dry and textbook-like. However, it is still a very good introduction to an area that is rarely covered by books of this level.

Editorial Review:

This book is intended for ages 8-14. The Indus River Valley was once home to thriving communities of peoples who worked the land now known as Pakistan. Some of the world's oldest civilisations, including the Harappans and the Maurya and Gupta empires, grew in this fertile region. This beautiful new book, beautifully documents the lives of these remarkable people from long ago. The topics include: farming innovations that helped support larger populations; the arrival of Hinduism and Buddhism; daily life in a Harappan village; the development of the caste system; early language and writing; and the arrival of the White Huns.

The Ice Mummy

CATHY EAST DUBOWSKI

By: Random House BFYR Amazon Marketplace: 51 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great introduction, but missing crucial info 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

My son brought this book home from school, and we both enjoyed reading it. It was a good reading level for him (he's a precocious 6 1/2). It's an endlessly fascinating topic, one of the most significant finds ever in the field of archeology, it would seem.

But there is a large and surprising omission from the story of the Iceman, which is that he died not from hypothermia as "Ice Mummy" claims, but from being shot by an arrow. The flint arrowhead is embedded in his shoulder, but its existence was overlooked (incredibly) for two whole years after his discovery. "Ice Mummy", however, was published seven years after the discovery, so one wonders why this information is not included.

Except for this big hole, it's a great book, and even *with* the hole, I still recommend it, especially if you can fill in the remaining part of the story yourself (it's easy to find more information on the net).

Editorial Review:

In 1991, two tourists hiking in the Alps saw something very odd sticking out of the snow. At first it looked like a doll's head. But it wasn't. It was a man, frozen in the ice for 5,000 years.

This is the story of the Ice Mummy, written for the first time in an easy-to-read format. It's also the only book to include information about the Mummy's latest incarnation--as a museum exhibit in Bolzano, Italy. On public view for the first time ever, he now enjoys a few twentieth century comforts, including a specially designed refrigeration chamber that re-creates the icy conditions of the glacier where he was found!

Egypt (Insiders)

Joyce Tyldesley

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great pictures and descriptions. 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is one of the best books I've seen for kids about Egypt. The drawings and photos are superb. Highly recommended.

Beautiful! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Compelling artwork! Visually appealing, and very informative! I bought several books for our homeschool unit on on Ancient Egypt. This one is, by far, our favorite. Really well done; I highly recommend it.

Editorial Review:

INSIDERS -- a visually groundbreaking, state-of-the-art nonfiction series that outshines Eyewitness and Discoveries. This stunning new series offers an inside look into twelve riveting subjects, beginning with Dinosaurs, Egypt, Oceans, and Space. Expertly written, each book will feature an arresting design, complete with dynamic, multi-layered CGI and 3-D model imagery that is complemented by fascinating, up-to-date information presented in a user-friendly format.

Get a glimpse inside the chambers of King Tut's tomb, examine each layer of mummification, and see the inner workings of pyramid-building. Egypt covers every facet of ancient Egyptian civilization!

The Great Wall of China

Angela Fisher

List Price: $15.95 By: Atheneum Amazon Marketplace: 21 new & used starting at $0.55

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

The beautiful pictures illustrate this cultural wonder! 5 out of 5 stars.
25 of 29 people found this review helpful.

Leonard Everett Fisher has created such a beautiful set of portraits of this ancient and mysterious culture. My elementary students laughed in delight of the rhythmical musings of the great emperor and were able to remain focused during the entire story. The story as written by Mr. Fisher lent itself to further discussions about the implications of building the Great Wall, including a cost-benefit analysis of the labor lost in constructing such a feat of wonder! I highly recommend this book to anyone for its illustrous drawings and the language chosen to convey this important part of human history.

Not good as a gift 1 out of 5 stars.
17 of 22 people found this review helpful.

I found this book is poor quality and an inappropriate gift for a six-year-old boy (who loves stories about ancient China). The paperback format is flimsy. The illustrations are all black and white, and have the quality of a photocopy. And, the text talks about burying laborers alive.

Not good for teaching either! 1 out of 5 stars.
11 of 14 people found this review helpful.

If I could give this book a zero instead of a 1 I would happily do so. It is a rare thing that we buy a book so bad that I would happily return it, were that not such a hassle. This is one of the few.

Fisher's "The Great Wall of China" is a very poorly done book. Rather than present a true history of the wall, Fisher invents a dialogue, one that is full of anger. The illustrations are extremely dark. The emperor looks like Mr. T, the people's expressions odd at best. To make already bad matters worse, one illustration shows wall-builders being whipped. On the same page, Fisher's states: "Workers who complained or who ran away were caught and buried alive."

Absolutely unsuitable for children of any age with virtually no redeeming value!

Editorial Review:

A brief history of the Great Wall of China, begun about 2,200 years ago to keep out Mongol invaders.

You Wouldn't Want to Be an Egyptian Mummy! (You Wouldn't Want To¿)

David Stewart, David Salariya

Amazon Price: $9.95 List Price: $9.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Franklin Watts Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $0.05

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Humor and Mummy go together 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

When my 5 year old took an interest in mummies we went searching the library for books on mummies. "You Wouldn't Want to be and Egyptian Mummy" instantly became his favorite. This book puts you in the seat of being the mummy and goes through the steps of you going from dead to becoming a mummy and beyond. This book (and the series) provides a great learning tool while mixing in humor.

Will definitely appeal to the 13 and under crowd! 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

My 9 year old son and I are studying ancient history, and this book was one of many we got on the subject of Egyptian mummies. He enjoyed the book, but I think he gleaned more moments of "ewwwwww, gross!" than historical information. While the process of mummification was indeed "gross", you have to make sure you don't stop there (unless that's the approach you take to your children's education). When we watch a show on the History Channel about a particular mummy, I would rather he be awe-inspired by the finished product than conjure up the graphic images from this book. After all, when you look into the face of Rameses II, you are looking into the same face that Moses and Aaron did when they went to him and demanded that he "let God's people go". When you look into the face of Hatshepsut, you are looking into the face of not only the only known female pharaoh, but also the woman who likely drew the basket containing baby Moses from the Nile River!

It was an amusing read, but I'm glad it was only a library book, and I don't think we'll be perusing the other titles from this series. I want my children to have more respect for history than this.

Editorial Review:

A light-hearted approach to the process of mummification in ancient Egypt.

The Medieval Castle: Life in a Fortress in Peace and War (History)

Philip Warner

By: Barnes & Noble Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $2.40

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Superior 5 out of 5 stars.
19 of 19 people found this review helpful.

This beautifully illustrated book explains how and why castles were built in the middle ages and why they were such a dominant influence on medieval life, especially in times of war. Philip Warner recreates a complete picture of daily life in a medieval castle: how peasants and nobles lived; how men fought in tournaments and trained for combat; how castles were sited, designed, managed, attacked and defended; and what the the people who lived in them ate, drank, and wore. This book will also go a long ways toward breaking up some of the preconceived notions that people have about castles. One learns that the castle was not primarily a refuge. The object of the castle wasn't to retreat from conflict, but to control it. The Medieval castle was a dynamic integral part of medieval society and Philip Warner does brilliant work in showing this. Whether you're a medieval history buff or just a curious layman read this book. It will take a little effort to find it, but it's worth the time.

Editorial Review:

The influence of the castle, both on the course of history and on the lives of the people who lived in them, has never been fully explored-until now. This fascinating book examines the evolution of the medieval castle, from the rigid social structure of its society to the types of weapons, training, and tactics employed during wartime. Above all, The Medieval Castle is a book about the daily life-from clothes and food to recreation and customs-and the people who made their homes inside a military fortress.

The Roman Colosseum: The story of the world's most famous stadium and its deadly games (Wonders of the World Book)

Elizabeth Mann

Amazon Price: $9.95 List Price: $9.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Mikaya Press Amazon Marketplace: 27 new & used starting at $4.93

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Now in paperback!

The Roman Colosseum was the work of a brilliant and energetic civilization. The Roman Colosseum was the work of a cruel and brutal civilization.

Both are true.

The Roman Colosseum was one of the most extraordinary buildings in the ancient world, a work of engineering genius whose design is imitated every time a modern stadium is built. Yet, what went on inside this building is difficult to comprehend.

Over the centuries, tens of thousands of slaves, prisoners of war, and criminals were slaughtered in the Colosseum for the entertainment of over 50,000 cheering fans. So many animals were destroyed in gruesome "hunts" staged in the arena that entire species disappeared from the Roman colonies of North Africa.

The Roman Colosseum interweaves the impressive story of the construction of this remarkable building and the sobering tale of the "games" that went on inside it. In doing so, it reveals an entire civilization in all its genius and its brutality.

Wonders of the World series

The winner of numerous awards, this series is renowned for Elizabeth Mann's ability to convey adventure and excitement while revealing technical information in engaging and easily understood language. The illustrations are lavishly realistic and accurate in detail but do not ignore the human element. Outstanding in the genre, these books are sure to bring even the most indifferent young reader into the worlds of history, geography, and architecture.

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Greek Athlete: Races You'd Rather Not Run (You Wouldn't Want to...)

Michael Ford

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The Story of Clocks and Calendars

Betsy Maestro

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The history of time-keeping for 2nd to 6th grades 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I am using this book in a math-through-history course I teach for all ages, including my own children, along with a similar book by Betsy Maestro, The Story of Money. These books are beautifully illustrated, with "denser" text than a picture book, and they fit a need for middle-grade level materials. I enjoy the simplicity of the text and stories, and find I can read these aloud to interested children of even younger ages if I can abridge the text and use the illustrations to advantage. Yet the material cannot be considered light, I learned a lot of history I never knew about before reading these books, and it whetted my own appetite to investigate the topic deeper. A great compliment to this book would be Marilyn Burns' This Book is About Time.

Editorial Review:

Travel through time with the maestros as they explore the amazing history of timekeeping!

Did you know that there is more than one calendar? While the most commonly used calendar was on the year 2000, the Jewish calendar said it was the year 5760, while the Muslim calendar said 1420 and the Chinese calendar said 4698. Why do these differences exist? How did ancient civilizations keep track of time? When and how were clocks first invented?

Find answers to all these questions and more in this incredible trip through history.

A Message of Ancient Days: Level 6 - 21st Century Edition

Beverly J. Armento

Amazon Price: $68.04 List Price: $89.59 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Houghton Mifflin Company Amazon Marketplace: 63 new & used starting at $1.37

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Message of Ancient Days 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

This is a good book if you are interested in history...it covers many ancient civilizations and how they lived. It includes maps of what the cities might have looked like, and several geographical maps. It also has the wonders of the world in the back and what they might have looked like...this is a worthwhile book but very long.

Message of Ancient Days 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 7 people found this review helpful.

I enjoyed looking through this book, though I did not read the whole thing; it is a very long book. If you are interested in ancient Chinese, Greek, or Roman civillizations I suggest you get this book. It includes many maps and lots of great info.

A Message of Ancient Days 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

It is a very nice book, but don't buy the book expecting tons of detal. It is a nice book just to get an overveiw of a subject.

the best history textbook i have seen 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Literally in all my life this is the one of the best history book i have seen... the only flaw is it does not have other great empires as a main topic but a sub topic. ex.persia, mongolia, etc. and that it is also long
but over all its a VERY good book