Synopses & Reviews
Fort Breendonk was built in the early 1900s to protect Antwerp, Belgium, from possible German invasion.and#160;Damaged at the start ofand#160;World War I, it fell into disrepair . . . until the Nazis took it over after their invasion of Belgium in 1940, calling it a andldquo;receptionandrdquo; camp for prisoners in transit from one camp to another. It soon became one of most brutal and smallest concentration camps in World War II.and#160;About 3,500 prisoners were held thereandndash;only about half of them survived. As one prisoner put it, andldquo;I would prefer to spend nineteen months at Buchenwald than nineteen days at Breendonk.andrdquo; and#160; and#160; and#160; and#160;and#160;and#160; and#160; and#160;With access to the camp and its archives and with rare photos and artwork, James M Deem pieces together the story of the camp by telling the stories of its victimsandmdash;Jews, communists, resistance fighters, and even common criminalsandmdash;for the first time in an English language publication. and#160;
Review
"An absorbing introduction to anthropological facial reconstruction . . . Impressive and fascinating."—
Kirkus, starred review
"Deem's writing is riveting and his research deep."—Booklist, starred review
Review
"An absorbing introduction to anthropological facial reconstruction . . . Impressive and fascinating."
and#8212;Kirkus, starred review
"Deem's writing is riveting and his research deep."
and#8212;Booklist, starred review
"Clear prose, pleasing layout, and crisp photographs combined with subject matter rarely explored in history books make this book an excellent choice for most collections."
and#8212;School Library Journal, starred review
"A strong choice for independent reading, this will also be a boon to social studies and science teachers in search of classroom readalouds."
and#8212;The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Review
"A fascinating, if gruesome, look at the history and science of preserved human remains uncovered in peat bogs in Ireland, England, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany. Discoveries of bog mummies, skeletons, and body fragments are described, as are the scientific methods of investigating them. One chapter also details other items found in the bogs , while another describes the ecology of the bogs. Although the dating and causes of death are difficult to ascertain precisely, various clues enable scientists to assign specific periods between 4500 b.c. and 1500 a.d. during which the bodies were deposited in the bogs, and to make likely guesses about the nature of the deaths. Some of the victims seem to have been sacrificed, while others show signs of stabbing or hanging. The text is both engaging and accessible, and the starkly dramatic photographs are given dignity by the spacious and understated page design." Horn Book
"For budding archaeologists, or any child interested in exploring scientific mysteries, James Deem's straightforward text and superior choice of photographs (many of them taken at the sites where naturally mummified bog bodies have been found) unfold a compelling story of Iron Age Man." Parent's Choice (R)
"Deem's carefully researched photo-essay examines the newest information on these remarkable finds and pieces it with other known facts to present as clear a picture of [Iron Age] people as possible under the circumstances. Some are obviously sacrificial victims; others may be guilty of some crime or act punishable by death. The bodies themselves, in various stages of preservation and decay, whisper down the ages in half-heard, almost indecipherable voices, hinting at religious beliefs and justice codes unknown to us. A chapter on the bogs themselves gives readers a clear understanding of this unusual preservation process, and the whole is lavished with crisp full-color photos (and sepia-toned historical ones). Obviously the high 'ick' factor here will attract cursory attention, but [this book] should motivate some intense and extremely interesting research." School Library Journal, Starred
"Deem begins with the discovery of a man buried in a peat bog near Grauballe, Denmark; originally thought to be an accident victim of the last century, he turned out to be a sacrifice victim from 2,000 years ago. Deem goes on, in an exceptionally well-organized and riveting text, to describe other early peoples of Europe and how they were preserved in bogs. He also clearly explains the make-up of the bogs and their preservation qualities. Most striking here, however, are the color and black-and-white photographs that appear on every page.There are excellent photos of artifacts and scientific procedure, but it is the pictures of the mummies themselves that mesmerize. Startling in their clarity, it is impossible not to look at these pictures and wonder about the people shown in them." Booklist, ALA, Starred Review
Review
"An intriguing read, complementing the author's highly commended Bodies from the Bog (1998) and Bodies from the Ash (2005), with a bonus environmental message."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"There are books about melting glaciers and books about frozen bodies, but this attractive offering combines the topics in a way that will intrigue readers . . . Heavily illustrated with historical memorabilia as well as photos of bodies, scenery, artifacts, and rather simplistic maps, this offers a lot to look at and learn about."--Booklist
"With its extensive bibliography, suggested Web sites, and a listing of glaciers to visit, Bodies is a fantastic resource. Deem superbly weaves diverse geographical settings, time periods, and climate issues into a readable work that reveals the increasing interdisciplinary dimensions of the sciences."--School Library Journal, starred review
"Glaciersand#151;and the preserved past they offer upand#151;give us an intriguing peek into various cultures, yielding information on everything from human sacrifice to occult superstition to sporting endeavors. As the book concludes, a striking irony becomes evident: glaciers continue to melt at an alarming rate, warranting caution and concern for the global environment, yet even as they dwindle they offer up more clues to our human past. The book design, with its variety of photographs, captions, and sidebars, seals the appeal."--Horn Book
Review
* andquot;A sobering study of manand#39;s inhumanity to man, and an important book that demands serious consideration and discussion.andquot;
andmdash;Booklist, starred review
andquot;This well-researched history is best suited for readers who already have solid background knowledge of the Holocaust and an interest in delving further into the subject.andquot;
andmdash;Kirkus
and#160;
Review
"The high "ick factor" here will attract cursory attention." School Library Journal, Starred
"The text is both engaging and accessible, and the starkly dramatic photographs are given dignity by the spacious and understated page design." Horn Book
Review
"With incredibly engrossing images and narrative, this is a powerful and poignant piece of nonfiction."and#150;School Library Journal, starred School Library Journal, Starred
"The jewels here are the numerous black-and-white (and some color) photographs. . . . Excellent for browsers as well as researchers." and#150;and#150;Booklist Booklist, ALA
Synopsis
When aand#160;centuries-old skeletonand#160;is unearthed,and#160;scientists rely onand#160;specialized artists to reconstruct a forgotten face of the past.
Synopsis
Once, no humans lived on the continent of North America; then they began to journey, the first migrants arriving perhaps 15,000 to 20,000 years ago. and#160; When a skeleton from long-ago centuries is discovered, scientists want to study it for information about the personand#8217;s life and death, about her or his time and place in history. Sometimes artists are asked to reconstruct faces from the past using copies of their skulls. Then these nameless, unknown people can be "brought back to life"--remembered, and honored.
Now, when their skeletons are discovered, their stories can be told.
Synopsis
This absorbing and captivating nonfiction account (with never-before-published photographs) offers readers an in-depth anthropological and historical look into theand#160;lives of those who suffered and survived Breendonk concentration camp during the Holocaust of World Warand#160;II.and#160;
Synopsis
In 1952, Danish workmen digging in a peat bog made an astonishing discovery. Their shovels struck the head of a dead man, his face flattened by the weight of the peat and his skin as brown as the earth in which he lay. Who was he and how had he come to be there? Scientists examined him and learned the answers to these questions and many more, including how he died and even what he ate on his last day. In this fascinating glimpse into the world of the bog people, Deem explains to readers who those people were, how they lived, what they believed, and how peat bogs preserve bodies.
Synopsis
In 1991, mountain climbers on the Niederjoch Glacier on the Italian-Austrian border came across something unexpected: a body. It had been a very warm summer, and five bodies had already turned up in the area. But something here was different. The materials found with the body suggested it might be very old, perhaps from the 1800s. But radiocarbon dating proved the iceman was 5,300 years older, from the Copper Age. He was named and#214;tzi and he is the oldest human mummy preserved in ice ever found. and#160; In this Sibert Honor Book, James M. Deem takes us on a captivating and creepy journey to learn about glaciers, hulking masses of moving ice that are now offering up many secrets of the past.
Synopsis
One morning in April 1952, Danish workmen digging in a peat bog near the town of Grauballe made an astonishing discovery: the body of a man preserved in the bog, his face Xattened by the weight of the peat and his skin as brown as the earth in which he lay. Who was this man, and how had he come to be there?
With striking photographs and engaging text, James M. Deem tells the story of Grauballe Man and other bog bodies discovered in European peat bogs. He explains who they were, how they lived and died, and how their peat graves acted to preserve their bodies so well.
Synopsis
In ancient times, Pompeii was one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire. Its 20,000 inhabitants lived in the shadow of Vesuvius, which they believed was nothing more than a mountain. But Vesuvius was a volcano. And on the morning of August 24, A.D. 79, Vesuvius began to erupt. Within twenty-four hours, the entire city of Pompeiiand#151;and many of its citizensand#151;had been utterly annihilated.
It was not until hundreds of years later that Pompeii saw daylight again, as archaeological excavations began to unearth what had been buried under layers of volcanic rubble. Digging crews expected to find buildings and jewelry and other treasures, but they found something unexpected, too: the imprints of lost Pompeiians, their deaths captured as if by photographic images in volcanic ash.
About the Author
James M. Deem is the author of numerous books for young readers, including 3 NB of Julian Drew, Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Rediscovery of the Past, and Faces From the Past. Mr. Deem lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona.