Customer Reviews

The Ancient Roman World (World in Ancient Times)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I got this book for my 10 year old son for his study of Ancient Rome. What a wonderful book. It has the depth of an adult book, yet is written at a young person's level. The Latin and Greek roots and primary source quotes are an added bonus.

From a legendary prince's journey across the sea to an African general who travels with painted war elephants, the story of the ancient Roman world's history needn't be a dry one: not with Ronald Mellor and Marni McGee's ANCIENT ROMAN WORLD in hand. Yes, there are the usual primary sources lending to a research paper; but there's also the lively overtone missing from many similar coverages on the topic, using that material to create an engaging drama of Roman times.

Another reviewer pretty much said it: "... What a wonderful book. It has the depth of an adult book, yet is written at a young person's level..."

I picked this up for my almost 8 year old for summer learning. I think I'm enjoying it more than he his. I've learned so much. We have some other books on Ancient Rome, but this book goes into more detail with short chapters.

This is a good book for those that are just coming to explore the Ancient World of the Mediterranean. Rome came to dominate that world and influences us even today. It is not purely by acident that we have a Senate, and that many of the buildings in Washington, D. C. resemble Greco-Roman buildings, nor that we have a republican form of government. It all comes from and through Rome. This book will give the beginning explorer information that can stand as a beginning point to mark the beginning of the exploration of this ancient culture that still influences us today. But that is its limitation, too.

What I specifically liked was some of the black marble sculptures pictured
of the first Brutus.
The book has the standard history of Rome with the Etruscans, and Carthage.
Having read some recent history of Rome during the Caesars,
I know that it glosses over a lot of detail,
to just give an overview. Ancient Rome like ancient Egypt might be a
place to visit, but I doubt few modern people could stand to live
there.