Outrageous Women of Ancient Times [Paperback]

Vicki León (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471170062 | ISBN-13: 978-0471170068 | Publication Date: October 7, 1997 | Edition: 1

Astonishing true tales of the most amazing women in history They were bright and bold, outspoken and inspiring, daring and even dangerous. They were the incredible, courageous, and totally Outrageous Women of Ancient Times. These remarkable women rocked the world with their accomplishments--and their attitude! Their unusual stories will surprise and delight you. Among the outrageous women you'll meet are: Hatshepsut of Thebes--as pharaoh of Egypt, she reigned for over twenty years Locusta of Gaul--a professional poisoner to Roman nobility who made a fortune disposing of members of the royal family Deborah of Israel--the prophetess who led an army to victory in ancient Israel's first national war of liberation Hedea, Tryphosa, and Dionysia of Tralles--three sister athletes who won prizes in running, war chariot racing, and even lyre playing Pan Chao of China--scholar, author, and advisor to the Emperor's family, who championed equal education for women as well as men These independent spirits defied tradition and found their own paths to success. Now their stories come alive! Coming soon! Outrageous Women of the Middle Ages Ages 10 to 14

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up. Leon has a unique talent for making the politics, wars, religious practices, and educational ideals of ancient civilizations understandable and interesting to modern young people. She says of a widely celebrated ancient celebrity, "Her merchandising would have made Michael Jordan jealous." Discussing grooming and style in the Middle East in 800 B.C., the author reports, "No bad hair days in old Assyria." This casual tone does not compromise the splendor and import of the subject matter, however. Outrageous subjects include warriors, philosophers, empresses, artists, and professional poisoners, among others. They lived from 2300 B.C. to A.D. 200 in Asia, Europe, and Africa. Readers will enjoy their exciting stories and may be surprised and pleased to learn how much is known about people who lived so long ago. Impressive list for further reading, whimsical illustrations.?Rebecca O'Connell, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

The author of "Uppity Women of Ancient Times" returns triumphant, this time to entertain and inspire young readers. From the first female pharaoh of Egypt, to the first woman artist to have her name known throughout ancient Rome, here are 21 thrilling "herstories" of outspoken women who displayed courage "and" attitude in ancient civilizations throughout the world. A compelling celebration of female guts, smarts and originality.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (October 7, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471170062
• ISBN-13: 978-0471170068
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,044,752 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My roots: convinced I was left on strangers' doorstep in the Pacific Northwest, I fled in my teens and began to fill the first of seven passports. Wanderlust is apparently hereditary; my progeny now busy filling their own passports.
My higher education: mostly self-inflicted
I collect: pyramids, ancient cemeteries, seashells, foreign languages, long stays in foreign lands.
Allergic to: gray skies, household routines, watches, gas-guzzlers.
Addicted to: laughter, Spanish aceitunas con anchoas, George Dalaras and other Greek music, foreign films, beach walks, getting a glimpse of animals and birds in the wild.
Am a magnet for: odd facts, weird stories, unusual connections (all of them fodder for my writing)
Am sustained by: a worldwide web of family, friends, publishing colleagues, and readers

My books: 35 titles (about half of them for readers 10 and up). Many, miraculously still in print.

My GOALS as a writer of nonfiction:
1. Dig deeper to find the whole human history, to illuminate the unsung men and women of long ago
2. Leaven my books with humor and humanity
3. Try to astonish the reader on every page. Astonish, from the Latin attonare, "to be struck by lightning." Thus to write in a way that leaves the reader thunderstruck.

My research: more fun than a whodunit. In fact, I go through a lot of shoe leather even when I'm time-traveling.That's why I call myself (partly tongue in cheek) Vicki Leon, historical detective

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars sarcastic tone, poor history & writing, detract significantly from very interesting topic, April 5, 2010

By 

a reader in DFW - See all my reviews

This review is from: Outrageous Women of Ancient Times (Paperback)

What a terrific idea for a book (series)! We have read only this 1st book (Outrageous Women of Ancient Times) in the series but wanted other potential buyers to have full disclosure.

Official reviews note the author's casual tone. We were quite surprised by the author's sarcastic, flippant tone throughout the book, as well as the poor grammar and lack-luster writing style. The book is self-described as targeting 10-14 year olds, and the subject matter does make very interesting reading.

Unfortunately, most (if not all) intelligent or classically-educated readers in this age group will find the writing demeaning. Average readers in this age group who are picking up the book because of an interest in women in history, famous women, or otherwise noteworthy women in history, will at the very least be offended by the author's lack of respect for their reading ability or maturity. Homeschoolers will not enjoy this book for these reasons, as well as because the author frequently includes anecdotal references to concurrent historical events or practices that are downright erroneous. Our 8-year old pointed out more than a handful of such errors to me as she read the book. When I read the book after she finished, I was surprised to see such disjointed writing within most of the chapters, so much of the author's opinion presented as historical truth, and so many unsubstantiated (and non-illuminating) anecdotes inserted in places and ways that made little sense and significantly detracted from the book's readability.

I applaud the idea for the book and series, and wish I could rate the book high for this reason alone. The demeaning style, poor history and bad writing make that impossible. Borrow it from your local library if you really want to take a look.

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed it!, March 14, 2011

By 

Jleigh010 (Upstate, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Outrageous Women of Ancient Times (Paperback)

It't not easy to find books about women during this time period, especially for young readers. I don't feel the author's casual tone took away from the book. Very informative and interesting read. Enjoyable for young and adult readers alike.