Customer Reviews

Eyewitness Expert: Ancient Rome (EYEWITNESS EXPERTS)

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"Ancient Rome" is the second DK Revealed book that I have seen and my original comment that the see-through pages add very little to what is a solid book without them still applies. In this book there are eight see-through pages that reveal Roman soldiers storming a fort, gladiators locked in combat, Pompeii buried under the ash of a volcano, and a magnificent Roman villa. They provide some basic cut-away views, which are okay, but given what DK has normally provided in their richly illustrated books I was really expecting something spectacular. Indeed, even without the see-through pages "Ancient Rome" is a wonderful look at the glory that was Rome.

This volume is written by Peter Chrisp, author of over 50 children's history books, in consultation with Dr. Hugh Bowden, lecturer in Ancient History at King's College London. It traces the story of Rome from city to republic to empire, looking at legionaries on the march, the emphasis on bread and circuses, and the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum that have revealed so much about the life and leisure of the Romans. The illustrations include not only photographs of ancient ruins and artifacts, but also modern recreations and shots from movies like "Cleopatra" and "Ben Hur." Young readers will not get a detailed history of ancient Rome, but they will find lots of interesting details, which is why this is more of a supplemental volume to the study of Rome than a primary source.

As always pay attention to the captions for the wonderful illustrations because that is where a lot of these details pop up. The archeological perspective is especially interesting this time around, showing how some of these ancient wonders are uncovered. Other volumes in the DK Revealed series are devoted to "Ancient Egypt" and the "Human Body," and they may well be able to succeed on the additional level of those see-through pages.

What can I say, I wish there were more of these dealing with history. My daughter loves them, and I don't have all the prep work of History Pockets.

In his lousy children's book Ancient Rome (2005, Raintree, Reed Elsevier, Inc.) Peter Chrisp is so wildly anti-Christian that it boggles the mind. He describes Christ merely as some Jewish teacher, founder of some run of the mill sect. He laments more for the crosses scratched onto the Roman temple walls than for the countless Christians thrown to wild beasts.
I know that many historians write what they wish was true about early Christianity, but shouldn't they leave their inaccurate biases out of children's books?
If you are an atheistic or secular household, this book might be for you. Don't let me stop you! It will lull you and your children into a false impression that Christianity was nothing but some vague movement that had a penchant for defacing Roman Temples (post 400AD).
Maybe I'm being a little too hard on Mr. Chrisp. The fashionable writing these days is to minimize all aspects of Early Christianity or to portray it in the harshest light possible. But Jeeesh! doesn't getting eaten by lions get you any respect anymore??
Maybe I'm making mountains out of molehills here. The text of my review is about as long as the text he devotes to Early Christianity. But his book so willfully ignores any positive aspect of Early Christianity.

Although I have not begun to use this book with my 2 boys, 9 and 13, yet, as we are currently reading a story about Rome (I home school), I have perused it thoroughly and believe Ancient Rome is covered at their level in a thorough and captivating way. My boys will enjoy the actual photographs and well-done drawings, along with the fast facts, without bogging down in great detail. D-K does a great job with all of their books, and this workbook, a new venture, is no exception, in my opinion. This book looks engaging, interesting and I believe they will learn a lot from it. The only thing that irks me (as a Christian), is that DK has become politically correct in that they changed the dating system in this book from BC (Before Christ) to BCE (Before the Common Era) and AD (Anno Domini, year of our Lord) to CE (Common Era). I will ignore their system and use the BC and AD designations instead. (And I will be Politically INcorrect by stating emphatically that ALL of history still revolves around the fact that our Savior Jesus Christ was prophesied (BC) and that He came to die and rise to save us (AD). He is the pivotal point of ALL history and the world has never been the same since His arrival. Millions of people have led changed lives due to the life of "God with us," and no history is complete without recognizing His role and the changes He wrought.) Interestingly enough, it was the ancient Romans' invention of the torturous form of execution--crucifixion--that ended Jesus' life.