Ancient Greece [Hardcover]

Andrew Solway (Author), Peter Connolly (Illustrator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0199108102 | ISBN-13: 978-0199108107 | Publication Date: October 11, 2001

Sail on an Athenian ship, discover how the philosopher Socrates ended up in a prison cell, and find out why young Athenians burned their toys in this delightful recreation of life in 5th-century B.C. Ancient Greece features the illustrations of Peter Connolly, a world-renowned artist of the ancient world, and artifacts, maps, and photographs from the region. All aspects of life in the city are revealed, as we see Athenians in their homes, at the theatre, at work, at worship, and at play. A fascinating and accessible exploration of the most advanced culture of the ancient world, Ancient Greece is a perfect introduction for children ages eight and up.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grades 5-8--At first glance, this volume appears to be yet another book about life in the ancient world, but the striking illustrations make it an extraordinary contribution to this field. Solway's lively, interesting interpretation of life in Greece is enhanced by many drawings, photographs, and diagrams, all of which are exceptionally well done. In several illustrations, Connolly meticulously re-creates the buildings of the ancient city and includes precise drawings of hundreds of individuals dressed in appropriate attire for the occasion under discussion. The text examines the geographic area of Athens, Sparta, and Persia and then discusses such subjects as daily life, religion, work, government, sports, and the theatre. While the book contains all the features young report writers might be seeking, it also is enjoyable as recreational reading. It is similar in content to Fiona MacDonald's First Facts about the Ancient Greeks (Peter Bedrick, 1997) and Anne Pearson's Ancient Greece (DK, 2000), but the illustrations and writing style make it the preferred choice.

Elizabeth Stumpf, Clearfield Middle School, PA

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Reviewed with Andrew Solway's Ancient Rome.

Gr. 3-6. In these two titles in the Ancient World series, Connolly's artwork is the primary element, with snippets of informative text by Solway surrounding the pictures. Greece covers daily life, housing, religion, government, work, social life, sports, and the theater. Rome introduces facts about home life, food and shopping, work, the theater, racing, the baths, the Roman forum, and religion. The artwork ranges from imaginative, original paintings to photos, reproductions of famous art and antiquities, and labeled cutaway drawings. Kids in search of spicy details (information about vomitoriums, for example) will need to search elsewhere. There are some British spellings, but that probably won't interfere with the books' value for ancient history studies. Each volume concludes with a glossary. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (October 11, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0199108102
• ISBN-13: 978-0199108107
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,328,202 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Exciting new Connolly books or just different versions?, September 12, 2004

By 

Erik G. Olson (Greenfield, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ancient Greece (Hardcover)

I have purchased most of Peter Connolly's illustrated books, and they are all fantastic. My only complaint is the areas where they leave me wanting more.

If you too are a fan, you know that his material is sometimes reused over the years in different titles. For instance, illustrations from Greece and Rome At War and The Ancient Greece of Odysseus appear in The Ancient City (still my favorite.)

From the Amazon "Look Inside" feature I gather that these two volumes are a re-working of material from The Ancient City (with Hazel Dodge). I think it is great that these books are targeted at a new audience, but I won't purchase them unless there is something new for me in them. Though I would not hesitate to give them as gifts. If a reviewer could give a good comparison of these books to Peter Connolly's past projects it would be a great help.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for late elementary crowd!, August 12, 2006

By 

Lydia Joyce - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ancient Greece (Hardcover)

SERIES: This books is written in the same style and format as ANCIENT GREECE, also by Peter Connolly. [For older readers, try THE ANCIENT CITY by Peter Connolly (middle to high school level), which covers the same topics at greater depth and with more specific historical contest.]

FORMAT: Both books in the series are formatted two-page spreads centered on a single topic, consisting of a few paragraphs of text plus Connolly's illustrations combined with blurbs about them. The first three two-page spreads are centered on orienting the reader in the world of Athens, Spartas, and Persia and in Athens itself. The rest of the book is devoted to social history, covering these sections: Daily life, Houses, Religion, Government, Work, Social life, Sports and games, The theatre.

EVALUATION: As in Ancient Rome, the pictures are fabulous, and the text is clear and informative and complements the pictures well. Very enganging and very highly recommended.