Synopses & Reviews
A delightful illustrated introduction to the greatest achievements of the ancient world and published in cooperation with the British Museum,
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is a fascinating look at the ancient technological marvels that continue to captivate children and adults today.
Each chapter focuses on a specific monument and contains a short history of the civilization that built it; how the monument was likely used; a description of its structure; how it has inspired great structures of our own age (e.g., I. M. Pei's Louvre pyramid); how the building was likely engineered; and its known or theorized fate. Artifacts and tools, period drawings and paintings, contemporary plans, and photographs of archaeologists at work round out this remarkable look at the most splendid and ambitious accomplishments from the greatest civilizations of the ancient world, which include:
· Pyramids at Giza in Egypt
· Statue of Zeus at Olympia in Greece
· Hanging Gardens of Babylon in Babylonia/Mesopotamia
· Temple of Artemis at Ephesus in Greece
· Mausoleum of Halicarnassus in Persia
· Colossus of Rhodes in Greece
· Lighthouse at Alexandria (Greece/Egypt)
Review
"A fascinating glimpse into man's creative past....Middle school students would be able to use this as a simple research tool for projects pertaining to the ancient wonders of the world." --
Library Materials Guide"With the British Museum's help, Diana Bently has produced a sprightly, well-illustrated introduction to each marvel, how it was built and used, and what scholars think happened to it." -- Washington Post
"Though a number of books for younger readers have been produced on this subject in the last ten years, Bentley lends a uniqueness and simplicity that would certainly be worthy of inclusion in a school, public or home library." -- Catholic Library World
"Antiquity's 'Top Seven' list of man-made marvels, first compiled by the Greek poet Antipater, are engagingly discussed and illustrated in this slim volume. Young readers will learn how the ancients pulled off such engineering feats as the pyramids of Giza, the hanging gardens of Babylon and the Colossus of Rhodes." -- Odyssey
About the Author
Author of more than 100 books,
Diana Bentley is the coauthor of
Greek and Roman Times, The Middle Ages, The Renaissance, and
Prehistoric Times (Firefly).
Sarah Warburton has illustrated numerous works of fiction (including
The Scary Monster Clean Up Gang by Anne Lewis, 1999) and nonfiction.