The Ancient Greeks (Spotlights) [Hardcover]

Charles Freeman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Spotlights

From Homer's Iliad to a farmer's hard life in the hilly farmlands near Athens, here's an introduction to daily life in Greece 2,500 years ago. Young readers will learn about early democracy, city-states, warfare, religion, and the history of the region. But they will also read about a chariot race, see a cutaway of a typical home, join the bride and groom at a wedding feast, and attend a play at a theater built into a hillside. With color illustrations on every page, this concise and fact-filled introduction to ancient Greece will please even the most reluctant of readers.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cultures from antiquity spring to life in the Spotlights series of info- and picture-packed paper-over-board volumes. In The Ancient Greeks by Charles Freeman, detailed drawings of artifacts, architecture, weaponry, statuary and dozens of other traditional elements mix with succinct text on society, economy, government, women's roles and even the early Olympics. Other titles in the series include The Romans by John Haywood; The Egyptians by Neil Grant; and going even further back in time, Prehistoric Life by Dougal Dixon. )
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6?Three ancient civilizations are introduced in these titles. Double-page spreads focus on a particular topic such as cultural and social life, political organization, religion, and warfare. Numerous illustrations and examples of architecture and artifacts related to each topic help to provide further information. The brief, often stilted texts do not provide enough material for reports, but the colorful layout may attract browsers. "Spotlights" alert readers to objects and artifacts that can often be found in museums. For greater eye appeal with similarly limited information, try George Hart's Ancient Egypt (Harcourt, 1989), Simon James's Ancient Rome (Viking, 1992), and Anne Pearson's Ancient Greece (Knopf, 1992).
Cynthia Sturgis, Ledding Library, Milwaukie, OR
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 46 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (June 27, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 019521238X
• ISBN-13: 978-0195212389
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,596,844 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great introduction to an interesting subject, August 19, 2000

By 

S. P. Kenworthy (Selebi Phikwe Botswana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ancient Greeks (Spotlights) (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent way to introduce children to the fascinating lives of the Ancient Greeks. The beautiful illustrations are plentiful, and complement the informative text. The maps and cut-away sections of buildings are clearly labelled, providing a lot of information without your child having wade through a lot of heavy reading. Each different aspect of Greek life is dealt with in a separate section, featuring diverse areas such as democracy, the Olympic Games, family & home and craftsmen.

My children quickly picked up information, and got into a long discussion about why Olympic athletes competed naked! As a starting point for school projects, or as a fun way to learn a bit of history this book is excellent. My only criticism is that although my children wanted to know more about some areas covered, there is no list of suggestions for further reading.

On the whole, my children enjoyed it, so I was happy and will buy more books in the Spotlights series