The Kingfisher Book of The Ancient World: From the Ice Age to the Fall of Rome (Kingfisher Book Of+) (Hardcover)

~ Hazel Mary Martell (Author) "Prehistory is often defined as the time before there were written records..." (more)
Key Phrases: more crops, Indus Valley, Shi Huangdi, Fertile Crescent (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7?A description of how archaeologists discover evidence of prehistoric cultures opens this encyclopedic volume. Summaries of every major culture in the world, from 10,000 B.C.-A.D. 600, follow. The text is arranged in columns that fill the spaces between the full-color illustrations, photographs of artifacts, and occasional sidebars. With some overlap in dating the centuries, Martell moves from the Fertile Crescent and Egypt to Asia, back to Greece and Rome, north to Europe, and south to Africa, ending with the Americas and the Pacific Islands. Full-page maps, pictures of charging warriors, cutaway views of monumental architecture, and scenes of everyday life stream across the double-page spreads. The information is the stuff of traditional history, as is the dating system used throughout. For all the attempts to present a global perspective, the ancient cultures are offered as a collection of unconnected snapshots of colorful peoples and curious customs. Far more interesting is Roy Burrell's The Oxford First Ancient History (Oxford, 1994), which presents traditional Western history in much more depth and detail. But teachers may find some use for Martell's volume, both for its simpler, factual language and its brief coverage of each civilization.?Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-8. Martell introduces the ancient civilizations of 11 geographical regions in this attractive volume. Along with descriptions of Mediterranean and Fertile Crescent cultures, she includes information on peoples of the Middle and Far East, the Indus Valley, the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. Large, clearly labeled maps and a very short history of the region precede double-page spreads on each civilization. Full-color photographs and drawings accompany the text, and fact boxes provide additional information. Although Martell contributes only a brief overview of each culture, she presents the material in a lively style that will appeal even to reluctant researchers. Two glossaries and a chronology are appended. Chris Sherman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Kingfisher; 1st edition (September 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753453975
• ISBN-13: 978-0753453971
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,102,142 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kingfisher's Ancient World, May 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Kingfisher Book of the Ancient World: From the Ice Age to the Fall of Rome, the (Library Binding)

What a relief to find an a history book that is both graphically pleasing and exciting to read. Our children enjoyed using this book while learning about Ancient Greece and Rome and I found the content to be quite accurate. So many history books for children are either crowded with illustrations or devoid of them. Kingfisher has found the perfect middle ground by using just a few select illustrations to clarify the text and at the same time to edify the reader. By keeping topic material to a two page spread the authors also made the material easier to digest and remember. This book would be an excellent supplement to any study of Ancient History for children ages 8-14, especially as it focuses on the key events and people from that time period.

4.0 out of 5 stars The Kingfisher Book of Ancient World History-From the Ice Ag, March 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Kingfisher Book of The Ancient World: From the Ice Age to the Fall of Rome (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent resource for information about Ancient History. We have been using it to fill the gaps in our study of Ancient Civilizations. The drawing are realistic and help us to visualize all the artifacts of the time eras. We have been using the library copy, but have decided to purchase our own copy.