Oxford First Ancient History (Oxford First Books)
Gr. 4-7. Beginning with prehistory, this book surveys ancient civilizations, primarily in the Mediterranean region. Although sections of several pages cover the ancient Egyptians, Sumerians, Persians, and Britons, and two-page sections survey the Phoenicians, Chinese, Assyrians, and others, most of the book presents the cultures of the Greeks and the Romans. Every page includes at least one full-color illustration, a map, a cutaway drawing, a painting re-creating the times, or a photograph of a wall painting, sculpture, artifact, site, or explorer. Not only is the format inviting, but the text is also quite readable. Besides standard presentations of facts, the author conducts imaginary interviews with such characters as a Babylonian soldier discussing justice under Hammurabi, a worker for Sir Arthur Evans talking about the excavations at Knossos, and a Greek mask maker describing the theater. English in origin, the book may occasionally confuse readers with its Briticisms, but this is still a lively, helpful resource. One warning: considering the price, the binding could be (should be) stronger.Carolyn Phelan--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.