The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How They Were Built [Hardcover]

Chris Scarre (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1999

How were the ancient wonders of the world built? How many people did it take to build the Great Wall of China and the Sphinx at Giza? This text seeks to answer such questions, examining these spectacular feats of engineering and celebrating the achievements of the builders who worked without the aid of modern technology. Expanding on the theme of the traditional Seven Wonders, the book broadens the scope to incorporate marvels from around the globe, spanning the centuries from the first standing stones of the fifth millennium BC to the Great Temple of the Aztecs in the 16th century AD. The raising of the stones at Stonehenge, the erection of Egyptian obelisks, the building of Roman roads and the laying out of the Nazca Lines on the face of the Peruvian Desert are all described and explained in the light of archaeological research. The text also features factfiles, diagrams, photographs and perspective views.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book is great fun, informative and a challenge to the imagination. -- Denver Post, Glenn Giffin, 28 November 1999

About the Author

Chris Scarre is Deputy Director of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research and editor of the Cambridge Archaeological Journal. He has also written Chronicle of the Roman Emperors (Thames and Hudson) and coauthored Civilizations. The international team of contributors includes: Robin Coningham
Janet DeLaine
Susan Evans
Brian Fagan
Timothy Insoll
Simon Kaner
Claire Loader
Ann Paludan
David Phillipson
Julian Reade
Kate Spence
Nigel Spivey
Adriana von Hagen
David Webster
Roger Wilson

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500050961
• ISBN-13: 978-0500050965
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #222,193 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Buy A Coffee Table FOR This Title and Be Not Ashamed, April 9, 2000

By 

Holy Olio "holy_olio" (Grand Rapids, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How They Were Built (Hardcover)

This is such a good book to have around. A casual reader (e.g., one who enjoys lots of pictures a la the National Geographic) upon seeing this one will literally not be able to put it down, and in at most a couple of hours will have plowed through the entire book. While the author's choices were of course arbitrary, and may have been dependent on the places he was allowed to go, many of these are little known and the thumbnail histories of each are worthwhile.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating look at ancient man's feats of engineering., August 30, 2004

By 

M. E. Volmar - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How They Were Built (Hardcover)

This well organized, informative and concise volume offers a clearly written collection of essays on the complete history of seventy of the world's most spectacular engineering and construction achievements of the past, from the fifth millennium B. C. to the sixteenth century A. D., including the traditional list of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Each monument is carefully detailed in a short entry of two to four pages long that states the facts that have been uncovered by the most recent and updated archaeological findings. Basic facts like who built it, where, when and why are covered, and additional information is also provided like its basic statistics, the politics associated with its construction, and other fascinating data. Moreover, for quick check-ups, each wonder is accurately placed in one of the seven categories into which the book is divided: The Seven Wonders; Tombs & Cemeteries; Temples & Shrines; Palaces, Baths & Arenas; Fortifications; Harbours, Hydraulics & Roads; and Colossal Statues & Monoliths.
This reference is handsomely presented in a sturdy binding, printed in top-quality paper, and beautifully illustrated with over 300 spectacular photos, explanatory diagrams, detailed reconstructions and historical drawings.
Featured among the showcased selection are The Easter Island Statues, the cities of Mycenae and Tiryns, The Colosseum of Rome, The Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan, and The Pharos of Alexandria. The rest of the masterpieces included are equal testimony of humanity's unending skill to create impressive and beautiful structures without the benefit of modern technology.
As a bonus, the book includes a preface that explains the criteria used to pick the selected monuments, and an introduction that gives us an overview of the wonders still standing, their historical meaning, and the ancient technology involved in their construction. Also included are: a map, pinpointing the location of each structure, a comprehensive bibliography, especially useful for further research, and a thorough index for specific consultations.
This is a fact-filled compendium that readers of all ages will undoubtedly refer to again and again.
--Reviewed by M. E. Volmar

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Ancients, July 19, 2001

By 

FXO (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How They Were Built (Hardcover)

This book is a real grabber. Hard to put down if one has any kind of interest in many of man's most noteworthy creations of the distant and relatively near past.

The summaries of each "wonder" are very informative considering how concise they are. The descriptions do not delve deep enough to satisfy someone well versed in these structures or the civilizations which built them, however for the casual reader, those whose avocation is ancient history and those looking for an introduction, this book is a great way to do a little time travel in your mind. This makes a great gift for young or old alike with any kind of interest in ancient civilizations.

The writing, crisp and easy to follow, is suitable for children from about the 4th grade and above. Nevertheless, adults will enjoy these clear, sometimes eye-opening accounts as well. The writing works on several levels so adults should enjoy it as much as older children.

The photographs are clear and well-reproduced with easy-to- understand diagrams, drawings and reproductions clarifying points of that which no longer stands (e.g. outlines of city walls, Babylon's Ishtar Gate, Sennacharib's Palace). Top quality paper is pleasing to the touch.

As for the wonders covered, they span thousands of years from the 5th millenium b.c. to 16th Century Aztecs. The bulk of the marvels detailed are from ancient times, but not all. Egyptian wonders are well-represented (e.g. Abu Simbel, pyramids at Giza, Sphinx, Ramses Colussus, Alexandria's Pharos) but the full scope is quite wide. In addition to the tradional Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, coverage includes references to Babylon, Turkey, Greece, Rome, Persia, Western Europe monoliths, Great Wall Of China, Ethiopia's Aksum, Angkor Wat and Peru's Nazca Lines.

This is quite a collection which helps to bring the past alive. Terrific price, too. ...