Ten Kings: And The Worlds They Rule [Hardcover]

Milton Meltzer (Author), Bethanne Andersen (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

A riveting portrait of ten kings in history by Milton Meltzer, America's premier nonfiction writer.

This book tells the story of ten kings. Kings made the rules by which their people lived. Kings carried on wars to protect their realms or expand their power, and kings, like the rest of us, were complex human beings. Starting with Hammurabi, who ruled Mesopotamia, to Peter the Great, the legendary Russian czar, Milton Meltzer shows the reader how political leaders use and abuse power. Although each of these men lived hundreds or thousands of years ago, these tales provide a striking portrait of how human behavior remains virtually unchanged over time and how one person can alter the course of history.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Royal SubjectsMilton Meltzer, author of Ten Queens: Portraits of Women in Power, offers the male monarch counterpart in Ten Kings: And the Worlds They Ruled, illus. by Bethanne Andersen. Focusing on individuals as diverse as Hammurabi of ancient Mesopotamia and France's 17th-century ruler Louis XIV, Meltzer neatly frames each subject's personal story with ample information about the era and civilization. Rendered in oil on gesso, Andersen's stylized portraits hint at the personality of each king.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8-In this male counterpart to Ten Queens (Dutton, 1998), Meltzer introduces readers to a diverse group of rulers from Hammurabi of Mesopotamia to Peter the Great of Russia. Each chapter includes the individual's name, dates of rule, and a map of the area over which he reigned. Personal stories and statistics are included along with ample information about the civilization and time period. A sampling of rulers from all over the world and throughout history are discussed, even the biblical King David whose reign is not easily verifiable. Lesser-known monarchs such as Mansa Musa of Mali and Atahualpa of the Inca Empire are also illuminated. This attractive, oversized volume contains a wealth of information, including several useful sidebars, and would be especially useful to beginning researchers. Andersen's stylized portraits reflect the regal nature and personality of each individual.
Shauna Yusko, King County Library System, Bellevue, WA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Orchard; 1st edition (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439312930
• ISBN-13: 978-0439312936
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #927,009 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Revisionism cloaked as History for Children, May 18, 2003

By 

C. F Fulbright (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ten Kings: And The Worlds They Rule (Hardcover)

Milton Meltzer is clearly out to rewrite history. He's eager to point out every petty flaw of King David and Charlemagne, but makes the bloodthirsty Atahualpa and Kublai Khan look like modern egalitarian leaders. Capitalism and self-determination are clearly bad things, but totalitarianism and forced labor come off as benign. Hammurabi is described as a "benign despot", and we are told that slaves in ancient Babylonia were not treated as harshly as "slaves in the Americas".

I'm not sure what Meltzer is trying to accomplish, but make sure you read this with your child with open and questioning eyes.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and Intriguing......, October 30, 2002

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ten Kings: And The Worlds They Rule (Hardcover)

As Milton Meltzer tells the reader in his introduction: "This book is about power-power in the hands of kings." "...As you'll see, kings, like the rest of us, are complex human beings: good, bad, a mixture of the two; benevolent, cruel, brilliant, stupid. Each monarch's story may help you grasp how political leaders use and abuse power..." Meet ten kings who had an enormous impact on the world and times in which they lived. From the familiar, Alexander the Great, Attila the Hun, Charlemagne, Kublai Khan, Louis XIV, and Peter the Great, to the lesser known Hammurabi, David, Mansa Musa, and Atahualpa, Mr Meltzer brings these rulers to life on the page, and paints evocative portraits of their lives, accomplishments, and failures. His engaging text, written in an easy to read, conversational style is filled with a wealth of history, drama, intriguing sidebars, informative maps, fun facts, and trivia, and enhanced by Bethanne Andersen's appealing artwork in bold and vivid colors. Perfect for youngsters 10 and older, Ten Kings And The Worlds They Ruled is an eloquent book and includes a comprehensive bibliography and index for further reference. Kids may first pick up Ten Kings for report research, but it's a sure bet that once they start, they'll continue reading each fascinating chapter.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Descriptions which read with the excitement of a novel, August 5, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ten Kings: And The Worlds They Rule (Hardcover)

Hammurabi, David, Kublai and other kings shaped their times and ultimately the world: Ten Kings And The Worlds They Ruled selects ten kings from history to profile, including maps, color illustrations, and descriptions which read with the excitement of a novel, yet are packed with information and detail suitable for reports. An intriguing approach to history and biography.