Product Description
Make Your Own Action Figures From Ancient History! Make history come alive in Ancient Egypt, Greece, China, Rome, and Jerusalem! Cut-and-color or pre-coloered action figures really move ans you play out the lives of Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, King David, Jesus, Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi, Hannibal (and his elephant!) and other - or make up your own stories about these powerful men whose fame has lasted for thousands of years. Yes, they really move! Move their arms and legs, use their swords and shields, and act out their stories at home or at school - over and over again. History has never been so much fun!Emperors! Conquerors! Philosophers! These 20 people shaped history - and our world today. Yes, you can also read about their amazing lives, right in this book. Attention Teachers and Parents: use this book to reinforce the wonder of history and to support any ancient history curriculum through hands-on activities. Note: Your child will need a hole punch and inexpensive fasteners (available at stationary or craft stores-please see resources page) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Love these!
Our 4th grader is writing about Julius Caesar and the movable JC will be her illustration! My only request is--publish more of these! We want American History!!

Great supplement to Story of the World Ancient Times (Volume 1)
We are using this in our homeschool to supplement "Story of the World Ancient Times, Volume 1" and have been very pleased.My daughter loves to re-enact scenes from the stories with the pre-colored 'paper dolls' that have lots of joints so are quite poseable.I like that even after using the colored version, there is a black & white one she can color later.The paper is nice & heavy, well labeled to assemble, and has the character's name on the back, in case you forget :)There is also a brief description of each person and their 'claim to fame' in the book as well for review.Highly recommend.

Coolest book ever.
My 7 year old and I love this book to pieces.Funny thing, it seems to go along with another book we are reading daily, The Story of the World, History for the Classical Child.Very good quality and I was delighted to find that you actually get two copies of each puppet, one already colored (really pretty) and one in black and white for kids who like to color alot.Very easy to assemble, you just need those little brass brad things that can be found anywhere.
We also find that it's a perfect complement for History Pockets: Ancient Civilizations.It also includes a very brief bio on each puppet.Perfect for the 7 ish and up kids.

Made to Survive the Rigors of Kid-Handling
Like everyone else, I really appreciate this book -- particularly the fact that there are colored and color-yourself pages.

One more thing -- this book was made to last. The paper is heavy and the binding is close to indestructible.

Wish I had history books like this as a child!
History does come alive with this fun "make your own action figure" book for children.

The book includes descriptions and action figures of historical figures from Ancient Egypt, Greece, China, Rome, and Jerusalem.A great supplement for school curriculum or a fun way to bring history lessons into the home.My children (6 & 8) really enjoyed coloring, cutting out, and putting together their action figures and enacting their own stories.

Not your average paper dolls, each action figures comes in pre-colored AND cut-and-color options, and has moveable arms and legs.The pages are sturdy enough to build the figures from the book or you can easily make copies of the pages on heavy-weight copy paper or cardboard.

Overall all impression= Thumbs up for this innovative and fun product! ... Read more

Product Description
Informative and interesting looks at ancient civilizations, related in rhyme and accompanied by colorful, stylized illustrations. From the poem entitled "Mummies" in Ancient Egypt, children are told that when a pharaoh died, "they used a secret way/To keep his body from decay./They checked him out from head to toes/And pulled his brain out through his nose." They also learn that ancient Egyptian doctors treated an ill child by feeding him a skinned mouse. Elementary students thrive on facts of this kind, and these books are filled with them. Explicatory notes and pronunciations are included below each poem. For example, the selection about the African !Kung San tribe explains that when a word is spelled with an exclamation point in front of it, it is spoken with a "click." In addition to the obvious use of these books in studies of ancient times, they could be used effectively as models for nonfiction poetry. Each book lists four appropriate Web sites with activities and additional information. Good choices for supplementing studies of ancient times. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

catchy way to remember history
I love this entire series, Ancient Rome, Egypt, and Greece.I use the poems to open our study of these three civilizations, and then when we study a section that a poem relates to.The students recite them to remember events.It's fun, easy, and a good tool to make Ancient civilizations more comprehensible for sixth graders.The poems are not sophisticated poetry, rather they are amusing, easy to follow rhymes.Great illustrations too. ... Read more

Product Description
Millions of Christians worldwide follow the liturgical Christian calendar in their worship services and in their own personal devotions. The seasons of the Christian year connect believers of diverse backgrounds and offer the sense of unity Jesus desired.Robert Webber believes that we can get even more out of the Christian calendar. He contends that through its rich theological meanings the Christian year can become a cycle for evangelism and spiritual formation. He offers pastors, church leaders, and those of the "younger evangelical" mind-set practical steps to help achieve this end, including preaching texts and worship themes for Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Advent, and Christmas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Looks at the meaning behind the church calendar
This book is more about forming spirituality (as the subtitle says) than it is about the order of service.Webber does have plenty of books that cover the order of service, but this book is more about the meaning of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time.Webber does a good job with this subject and give good sermon material for each of these.If you need to be sold on the Church calendar or just want to go deeper into its meaing then get this book.

Shaping Life through Christian Calendar
Grown up in Evangelical church and seminary, I was never taught about the necessity of the Christian Calendar.All and all, evangelicalism are more about preaching of God's word.The most favorite lectures for students are preaching and preaching.Yet in a world that demands a more holistic approach to shape Christian life, an auditory-focused Christian formation needs to be reevaluated.Without undermining the Word as sole foundation of Christian life, Christians particularly those who are in Evangelical wing needs to realize the shaping of spiritual life throughout the year.

A senior theologian as Bob Webber has changed the take-it-for-granted paradigm.Webber has been known for making dialogues with Catholic and Orthodox traditions.He moves a step further!Bringing back the long "buried" tradition of liturgy year for most Protestants, he makes it alive for the spiritual life of contemporary Christians.A must read for spiritual leaders, pastors and serious lay people!Particularly you who are engaged in Evangelical churches.

A helpful Guide for Observing the Christian Calendar.
Robert Webber has written an inspiring guide especially for Christians who are learning to appropriate the practice of observing the Christian Liturgical Calendar. He does a good job in explaining how this ancient-future discipline is a great aid to spiritual formation and lays out the full Calendar of seasons from Advent to Pentecost and the special festive days such as Baptism of the Lord, Transfiguration, Good Shepherd, Christ the King Sundays. By reflecting on the themes of these special days and seasons, he helps us enter more deeply into the celebration. He also suggests the peculiar disciplines such as fasting, baptism, giving and cake-cutting (!) that go with the respective festivals as well as questions for our group/individual study and reflections. To be sure, it can be pretty exhausting trying to read it from cover to cover. It is better to be used as a reference as we move through the liturgical seasons like trekking the himalayas with a good map and an experienced Sherpa. I have found this approach to be extremely nourishing and formative. Webber is a wise guide in the area of spiritual formation and he writes with clarity and unusual eloquence. I thank God for his invaluable and lasting legacy.

P/S: For readers who have reservations about festive observance as a valid Christian discipline in view of texts like Col 2:16-17 and Gal 4:10, they should take heart that these texts have more to do with clinging back to the now, from the Christian POV, obsolete Jewish festivals which were a shadow of Christ, not the reality. Clearly the issue is not with the observance of seasons and times per se (which the early Church evidently practised such as the Lord's Day and plausibly Easter) but the failure to recognize the *Time* of God's inbreaking kingdom in Jesus the Christ. Further, Rom 14:5-10 gives at the minimum the freedom to observe sacred days as one is so persuaded in his own heart. And it certainly should be done in the spirit and context of Christian liberty and spiritual formation, than as a legalistic thing. Hope this helps!

A disciplined calendar
This book is written in the same vein and format of Webber's other ancient-future books:Christ is victor over the powers and Christians are now to live in terms of that victory.Webber takes that theme and applies it to the Christian year.In short, he argues for a return to the Christian calendar as a guide to spiritual formation.

Content:
The Christian year is thus:Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, // Lent, Triduum, Easter.The two cycles mirror each other:Anticipation (Advent, Lent), Fulfillment (Christmas, Triduum), and Proclamation (Epiphany, Easter).The Christian is to anticipate the coming of Christ/the cross of Christ; The Christian is to celebrate the fulfillment of the Story (Incarnation) and the defeat of the powers (Easter).Afterwards, the Christian is to celebrate the proclamation.

The book is not hard reading but it is unusual for most Western Christians (be they of any tradition).We are not used to thinking like this so the book forces us re-read certain parts. And it raises some questions it didn't intend.

Conclusion:
I did enjoy the book and to my ability plan to incorporate its spiritual formation.It wasn't on the same level as his Ancient-Future Worship, but it does provide much meat for the interested one.I appreciated his discussions on Christus Victor and his warning not to let apologetics eclipse the Easter message.I have one question that I would like to see someone in this model answer:Colossians 2 warns against Jewish festivals and asceticisms.While I love the idea of festival in AFT, how do we maintain festival without falling into the warning of Colossians 2?I am willing to be convinced. ... Read more

Product Description
This lavishly illustrated history series is nonfiction at its best. With clear, readable text, information-packed illustrations, and a child-friendly design, these books provide exciting insight into life thousands of years ago. Each book includes a fold-out map.

Ancient Egypt comes alive in this page-turning guide to life along the Nile. The magnificent pyramids at Giza and the wonder of the palace at Karnak provide a regal backdrop to daily life at the market, on the farm, and at home. Full of fascinating illustrations and information, this is a clear and engaging guide to early Egyptian history and customs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great information on learning facts about Egypt.
This is a great beginners book on if your little one would like to learn more about egypt.The pictures, let alone the detailed text, give more insight into this ancient civilization.
Includes a fold out map showing the Kings Valley and other important Egyptian cities. ... Read more

Product Description
From the smallest of the atoms to the grandest of galaxies, every thing in the universe has its history. The known history of civilized peoples on this planet is no different, and yet each of us can touch no more than the smallest part of it. It is through books such as this one, which cover a comprehensive span of our history, that we are able to acquaint ourselves with the great, and some not so great, civilizations that preceded our own. From the early stone age, the great civilizations of Babylonia and Sumeria, the era of pyramid building, and the Hebrew and Persian empires, to the better-known republics of the Greek and Romans; these advanced cultures helped to provide a basic understanding of who we are as a species.

The varied ways in which these previous cultures have influenced successive descents is nearly unlimited. The earliest of civilized man brought us an understanding of fire and manufactured tools. From these early beginnings, the more advanced cultures, which begin our recorded history, have contributed greatly to our society. For example, the first recorded civilization on earth, the Sumerians, provided the basis for our modern-day writing, agriculture, astronomy, mathematics, calendar, numeral system, time reckoning, educational institutions, our code of laws, construction trades, metallurgy, art, and religion. They were they masters of invention, science, industry, and of exploration, which is important, because all that we have, and are, come from these sources.

Our predecessors have helped man become a master of nature and to extend his physical abilities beyond the norm. We can only hope that the achievements and advancement of knowledge will be duly recorded for future generations and for the future of mankind. As a professor of Oriental History and Egyptology at the University of Chicago in the 1920s, Professor James Henry Breasted provides a qualified historical perspective and a sound account of the achievements of Western civilization. This book was skillfully written from the author’s vast wisdom and scholarship of the nations of the world. In the past, the teaching of history has so often lacked both the scope and comprehensiveness that this small volume offers. For this reason, this book will make a fine addition to any library on ancient history. ISBN 1-59016-083-5 o 320 pages o 6 x 9 o tradepaper o illustrated. ... Read more

Product Description
This lavishly illustrated history series is nonfiction at its best. With clear, readable text, information-packed illustrations, and a child-friendly design, these books provide exciting insight into life thousands of years ago. Each book includes a fold-out map.

Travel on a fascinating journey to imperial Rome. From the glorious Colosseum to the thrill of Circus Maximus, history lovers will delight in this rich guide to Roman life. Information about the marketplace, home life, food preparation, and agriculture helps provide a thorough understanding
of daily practices, while beautiful illustrations bring to life the expansion and rich culture of the ancient city. ... Read more

Product Description
Understanding the calendars used by ancient and medieval cultures is essential to the writing of history. Equally important, however, is understanding the basis upon which our current knowledge of these calendars rests. This second volume of Calendars and Years explores the calendars of ancient and medieval China, India, the ancient Jewish world, the medieval Islamic world, and the Maya. Particular attention is given to the preserved evidence on which our understanding of these calendars lies, the modern historiography of their study, and the role of calendars in ancient and medieval society. Topics covered include the origin of the Chinese sexagenary cycle, evidence for the 364-day year in the ancient Jewish world, and the history of attempts to establish a correlation between Mayan dates and the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Everyday Life is excellent
This book Ihad years ago, and its still worth the effort it took to track it down and purchase it again. ... Read more

Product Description
Join the Binkertons, twins Josh and Emma and their little sister, Libby, as they head to the Good Times Travel Agency hoping to visit the next Olympic Games -- but end up in ancient Greece instead! Adventures in Ancient Greece is an exciting mix of adventure and historical information about life in Greece in the fifth century b.c. Kids will learn about the Greek gods, the birth of democracy, Greek home life -- and much more. They'll love the book's contemporary comic-book look, while parents, teachers and librarians will admire the well-researched storyline and solid factual information. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A fun way to learn history
This series is designed for the 4-6th grade audience and as such has a lot of silliness between the characters.It is this fun approach that makes the book a drawing read and lets this age group learn a lot about history without feeling the pain of a text book.My kids have learned a lot from this series and love to read them over and over.We have been able to get a couple of the books in this series in French and they are great easy readers for those learning French as well.

Comic book style, a bit of sarcasm, son loved it
Another homeschooler recommended this book to us as one book to read for our study of Ancient Greece. When my 6 year-old son saw the cover he begged for me to read it immediately. He loved the book and is asking if there are others available (which there are because this is one in a series).

We had just finished "Growing up in Ancient Greece" by Chris Chelipi which I thought was a bit boring. "Adventures in Ancient Greece" duplicated the same information and included additional information. So if you are wondering if this comic book style book (less serious tone) is lacking in content, I can assure you that it is not.

The format of the book is comic book style with sidebars that read more like a regular text. The storyline is that a boy and his two sisters enter a time travel-travel agency and request to go to the next Olympic games in the future. By mistake they are transported to Ancient Greece. A boy gives them a tour of Athens and explains daily life in Ancient Greece. They experience daily living such as the role of women, slaves, and foreign visitors vs. men, voting, worship, parties, and common foods eaten. They also find themselves in the middle of a war that is called to a truce before casualties occur, at the Olympics, and finally on a warship that is engaged in a war before coming back home, magically. There is some sarcasm and some silliness. Some of the sarcasm borders on disrespect, such as when the boy gives them olives to eat, and proclaims they are the best in the world and the boy thinks, "this is a treat?" The girl is annoyed that women lead subservient lives and makes some sarcastic comments. I chose to skip over some of the silly and sarcastic comments. In the end I know my son learned important content from this book, which is the goal! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

History of beekeeping around the world
Looking for more information about honeybees? This paperback book takes a look at the age long history of honey bees and people. I found this book very interesting and informative.

Make a beeline for other titles
This is a dated reference and misses aconsiderable amount of folklore. For example try to find the use of a golden bee as a reward in Ancient Egypt.

Love ancient lore?
This book is chock-full of ancient lore and symbolism, situating the honeybee near or within a wide range of human societies, from the deepest to the recent past.Maybe we are 'co-evolved' -- who knows?First published in 1937, the author already seems to be suggesting the idea that human observation of the bee may have provided early models for complex, layered societies, with specialized occupations and professions. Honey was evidently used in the deep past for medicines and the first known intoxicants, wax for preservation, magic, and metallurgy, and bees have been mentioned in the earliest literature that has survived.Surprisingly early on, beekeeping was a well-established industry.Perhaps the honeybee, like many other symbolically charged animals, is one of the principal "metaphors we live by".Loved this book ...

what a great tool!
this book has been of utmost help to me, since I've been working on my degree essay, which concerns the symbol of the bee in the poetry of Pindar, Theocritus and Callimachus.
The information in this book is very very wide as far as time and peoples are concerned.
the perfect tool for a philologist or an anthropologist (even an archaeologist) who is doing research in the relative field. ... Read more

Product Description
Covering the time span from the Paleolithic period to the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., the eminent Egyptologist Donald Redford explores three thousand years of uninterrupted contact between Egypt and Western Asia across the Sinai land-bridge. In the vivid and lucid style that we expect from the author of the popular Akhenaten, Redford presents a sweeping narrative of the love-hate relationship between the peoples of ancient Israel/Palestine and Egypt. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Masterful Study
Naturally as an Egyptologist Redford relates the history of the Near East from the angle of Egyptian activity and thought, beginning from pre-dynastic times and following through to Assyrian empire, focusing mostly on Egyptian intercourse with Syria-Palestine, whether that be in the form of its control over its peoples, trade relations with them, or hostility towards them. (or in the case of the Hyskos, subordination) The origins of several Semitic groups, including the Israelite community, and those of different stock are explained, and there is a tangent of two chapters on the influence of Egypt on the Israelites in the political, ideological, cultic and literary spheres. All the events discussed acuminate with Nebuchadrezzar's destruction of Jerusalem, and an epilogue of two pages ends on a kind of cheesy note. But forgiving this, *Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times* is anything but a cheesy work. This is knitty-gritty historiography which far from 'attractively presents for the lay reader' anything. (see the review comment on the back cover by the *Journal of Palestinian Studies*) Nothing about Redford's book, excepting the pictures, maps, and tables perhaps, is 'lay'. That is, unless the laity in perspective are scholars who just aren't Egyptologists. Those unaccustomed to this kind of reading, with all its jargon and impressive eloquence, will find it overbearingly pedantic. Otherwise, you'll love it, as I did, and it will be easy enough to follow along. The footnotes are usually short and to the point, citing references with little or no comment, so no real worries about a choppy read, eyes moving constantly athwart between main text and footnote. (I hate that for myself) I would like to have seen provided a chronological chart for the periods discussed. I have other ready resources for this, but of course not everyone would. I wouldn't mind a bibliographical list either.

I only gripe with the fact that Redford gets a little caustic when he addresses biblical studies, and gives off the impression that all or most biblical scholars are 'apologists' for the historicity of the biblical tradition. This is misleading and in some cases I would say unfair. His passion for his own field erupts through the pages at this point, as is evident, e.g., from the first-person pronouns used on pp. 268 & 421(when the norm of self-reference everywhere else is 'the present author') and remarks such as: 'At least we can thank such writers for providing us with comic relief.' [n. 113, p. 310] I don't think he should have crossed so antipathic to a field he's not an expert in...then he would not have made a mistake such as: 'The absence of the Exodus tradition from early Biblical material should also be noted.' [n. 76, p. 410]; but then not long later: 'Despite the lateness and unreliability of the story in Exodus, no one can deny that the tradition of Israel's coming out of Egypt was one of long standing. It is found in early poetry (e.g., Exod. 15) and is constantly alluded to by the prophets.' [p. 412] My guess for such a contradiction is that he wrote the footnote some distance prior to discovering and writing the fact of the latter (despite their spatial closeness in the text) and never emended his error. However, on most counts I agree with the points he's making about biblical literature.

I'll be holding on to this one.


Fun Facts:

* There are multiple trivial flaws in this book of the humorous kind, like the sentence on p. 64 ending with a comma ['...and perhaps disease, With all this...']; or the sentence on p. 213 being interrupted by a period when it should have been a comma ['In fact, in the schematized scenes of tribute bringing. Syrian ornamental vases often stand symbolically...']; or the curious 'J. J. Rowley' in n. 11, p. 260 for the proper 'H. H. Rowley'.

* Redford states [p. 257]: 'The patient and observant reader will have noted that, up to this point in our study, no mention has been made of Israel'. This is false. See pp. 172 & 237.

* Redford cites his wife, Susan Redford, once in n. 63, p. 271.

An outstanding work
I will make this review as short as possible without being being useless, I hope.
This is one of the finest books on ancient Israel and Egypt that I have read for a long time for two reasons (1) the author, escapes the trap of being caught up in the mire/maze that can be biblical studies studies and/or Christian origins; (2) with success, challenges many of the prevailing orthodoxies of this area which are nothing more than myth surrounded by very little fact. It is very scholarly, and has to be so, because it is addressing a very complex and difficult field. But it is well worth reading. His other works repay the effort also.

An Impartial and Honest Recount of Egyptian influence on Canaan & Israel

"As well as being scholarly, Redford's work meets my criteria for impartiality and honesty: he provides evidence against his own position and references to dissenting scholars; he uses the same standards for evaluating his own theories and alternatives;... " Danny Yee



Canaan & the Levant:
The land known as Canaan was situated in the territory of the southern Levant which today encompasses Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan and the southern portions of Syria and Lebanon. Many names have been given to this area, throughout ancient times, called by the Egyptians Rhetenu or Kharu, and Canaan by the Syrians of the second millenium BC.
The Levant is an imprecise geographical term, historically referring to a large area in the Middle East south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the west, and by the northern Arabian Desert and Upper Mesopotamia to the east.

Ancient Egypt, Canaan & Israel:
In a study of Ancient Egypt, and Near Eastern history and archaeology, Donald Redford, an eminent Egyptologist, and a leading Canadian scholar of Near Eastern studies, highlights Egypt's dominant influence on the cultural, political, and religious traditions of the peoples of Assyria, Canaan, and the Israelite during three millennia, to the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.
This study is a lucid sociopolitical history of the relationship between Egypt and its Northern neighbors taking into account the related biblical studies. Rather than stressing Egyptian origins of clusters of Israelite culture, frequently advanced by most Egyptologists, he points out the long-lasting distinctions and differences between the cultures which prevailed to the SW and the NE of Sinai.

Study Highlights:
Exploring three thousand years of social anthropology, from prehistoric times to the Hyksos, and the continuing influential contacts across Sinai, between Egypt and its northern neighbors, with resulting resentment of the ancient superpower cultural influence and military superiority by the peoples of Canaan& the Levant. Starting with the prehistory of Egypt and drawing on archaeological evidence from the Levant, compared to Biblical history, the study then explores the Egyptian New Kingdom and its Empire in Asia.
Redford begins by considering some of the differing theories about the origins of the Hebrews, and the relationship between Egypt and the monarchy in Israel. At the end of the study, the biblical 'four great origin traditions' : the Creation accounts, the Table of Nations, the Sojourn and Exodus narratives, and the story of Joseph are discussed, within the historical context in which they were written.

Papyrus Ipuwer & Exodus:
The theme of this work has previously been taken either as a lament inspired by the supposed chaos, or as historical fiction depicting the fall of the Old Kingdom (pp. 63/67) several centuries earlier, or possibly a combination of both. This ancient Egyptian poem is preserved in Leiden Papyrus I 344. Ipuwer describes Egypt as afflicted by natural disasters and in a state of social collapse. The poor have become rich, and the rich poor, and warfare, famine and death are everywhere. One symptom of this collapse is the lament that servants are leaving their servitude and acting rebelliously. Because of this, and such statements as "the River is blood", some have interpreted the document as an Egyptian account of the Plagues of Egypt and the Exodus in the Hebrew Bible, and it is often cited as proof for the Biblical account by various biblicalauthorities.

End of Last Repository:
"The political defeats of 586 and 525 B.C. were destined ultimately to exert a deleterious influence on the intellectual life of both Egypt and the Levant. The reputation of Egypt for metaphysical inquiry into imponderables, which brought many a Greek of the seventh and sixth centuries to the feet of an Egyptian priest, vanished in the fifth and fourth,... The dominance of foreigners in the affairs of Egypt and Judah set the intelligentsia in both communities in a defensive posture." Epilogue, page 470

Qualified Reviews:
"What distinguishes this study is the perspective of an Egyptologist who approaches the subject of ancient Egypt and Israel without the usual preconceptions and emphases found in the studies emanating from biblical studies scholars." Paula Nielson, Loyola Marymount University.
In a book review, Danny Yee comments that, "Christians or Jews raised on 'orthodox' accounts of Israelite history may find some of it disturbing, but should persist unless they are literalists -- Redford is not out to discredit the Bible, he is just determined to treat it as one historical source amongst others."

Sometimes a tough slog, but worth it
Redford has probably read every ancient inscription and has knowledge of every archiological site in Egypt-Middle east - as well as knowledge of every language written then. For the serious scholar of the region, book a must, both for its detail and his debunking of past popular "reasoning" about events in the area. For the casual reader, at times irritatingly challenging - he uses proper and place names often with no previous reference and maps are very sparse, and in tiny print. However, the overall sweep of history he presents is fascinating, but the sidebars - often for pages - into minutae a bit hairpulling - but, then again, one can skip these sections.

Truly Profound in its Scope ...
This book is excellent in its usage of facts that no other author had thought of using ... Intellectually elite -- it is used on my own website often for excerpts ... ... Read more

Product Description
Covering the major epochs of ancient Greek history from the Mycenean Age to the Hellenistic era, this text also includes an introductory section on Crete. It traces the evolution of the political ideas that lie at the heart of modern western cultures and highlights the literary and artistic achievements of the fifth century Athenians. Key personalities (real and mythical) are colorfully portrayed, and the ideas of the great philosophers are carefully examined and compared. Frequent references made to the Greek derivations of English words provide ample opportunities for vocabulary enrichment.

The Early Times series is written for students in grades 5-8, each of the six texts in this series provides a comprehensive overview of a particular culture. The evolution of political thought, economics, science, art and literature are made to "come alive" for young readers through the author's detailed descriptions of everyday life and provocative portraits of key personalities. Every chapter is followed by review questions, "Ideas to think about" and "Projects." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent Intro to Ancient Greece
We're home schoolers, and my daughter and I used this book as part of her fifth-grade ancient history curriculum.The text is informative and interesting -- never dry.There are plenty of illustrations, pictures, and maps to catch the sometimes wandering attentions of children.The best part, though, is that at the end of the chapters are questions, "Ideas to Think About," and project ideas.The pronunciation guide in the back of the book really comes in handy when faced with all Greek names.I highly recommend this book.I'll be buying more history books written by this author.

More like Ancient Grease!
Like the other reviewer of this title, I read this book during our study of Ancient Greece at school.Let me tell you, it is boring as watching paint dry.Unless you are a history fanatic or you just have nothing better to do, do not read this book.IT STINKS LIKE THE SPARTAN SOLDIERS!

I Read Better Things
Well, I read this book during our 'Greece' Unit in school.This book had some really interesting parts, but sometimes it was made pretty boring as well.Also, this book should have gone through better revision and betterpunctuation.My adivce to anyone who reads this is:Buy this book if youHAVE to buy or if you are really upsessed with it! ... Read more

Product Description
FROM THE EARLIEST TIMESDOWN TO 476 A.D. ... Read more

Product Description
Join the Binkertons, twins Josh and Emma and their little sister, Libby, as they return to the Good Times Travel Agency -- and end up knee-deep in an ancient Chinese rice paddy! Adventures in Ancient China is an engaging mix of adventure and historical information about life in China during first century A.D. Kids will learn about Chinese society, inventions, medicine, the Silk Road, the Great Wall, nomadic warriors and much more. They'll love the book's contemporary comic-book look, while parents, teachers and librarians will appreciate the well-researched story line and solid factual information. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

fun and educational
This is book is great.My kids found it fun to read and I loved the educational quality.I recommend it for anyone 6 and up.

Exciting and informative
This is a fantastic book for young children. I read it to my 4 year old and she is hooked. She laughed out loud and really got involved in the story. She wants me to get more Good Time Travel Agency books. I love it, because it is packed with information. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of information we were both learning. I am sure we will read this one over again and I am looking forward to trying the rest of the series. ... Read more

Product Description
Adventures in Ancient Egypt mixes fact and fiction for fast, funny and fascinating romps through the past. Kids will love the book's contemporary comic-book look with its zany illustrations, speech balloons and guidebook. Parents and teachers will love the well-researched story lines and solid factual information. In this book, the Binkerton twins, Josh and Emma, and their little sister Libby, stumble into the Good Times Travel Agency and take a once-in-a-lifetime trip back to ancient Egypt! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Series for Kids
I checked out the Vikings book of this series from the library when my son was in kindergarten.This was an amusing and informative way to learn about Vikings.I have since purchased Ancient Egypt, Ancient China, and Adventures in the Ice Age.

These are well-written, well-drawn books that will give my son years of enjoyment and I recommend them for any bookshelf!

Awesome History Lesson
I agree with the previous review that this book was similar to the Magic Treehouse series, but I think this book was even better than those.My six year old daughter and I loved this book.We planned on splitting it up over two nights of reading, but got so involved in the story that we read the whole book in one sitting!Super imformative and the story was woven well into the Ancient Egypt facts!!We read this as part of a homeschool lesson, but any kid who is interested in Ancient Egypt would be thrilled with this story!

Learning Can Be Fun!
I got this book along with several others for my first grader. We homeschool and are studying Ancient Egypt. We loved this book! This was by far my son's favorite. It is easy to find "photos and facts" types of book on Egypt, but this one adds a bit of fiction and adventure to the mix. It is kind of like the Magic Tree House books, but in a picture book format. The book is an adventure story with factual information listed at the bottom of each page (I guess sort of like Magic School Bus type books too). I will definitely be checking out the others in this series. ... Read more

Product Description
From the ancient Egyptian battle at Megiddo in 1469 BC to the recent military actions in Iraq, great battles have had an enormous impact on the shaping of history. Now, in this fully illustrated book, one hundred of the world's most important military confrontations are described in detail. 100 Decisive Battles gives us the facts about the battle and also explains where it fits in to the scope of world history.

In each entry we are given the name and date of the battle, the commanders, the size of the opposing forces, and casualties. An account of the battle plan and the military action are strategically discussed, and each description closes with a valuable consideration of how history was affected by the outcome of the conflict. Among the battles presented are the Battle of Thymbra (546 BC), the Battle of Chalons (451 AD), the Battle of Cajamarca (1532), the Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954), and the Tet Offensive (1968). Accompanying maps and sidebars help further orient us with each military action.

Global in scope, with excellent coverage of American, Central American, European, Asian, and Middle Eastern battles, and with its stirring accounts of familiar battles and many lesser known military conflicts, 100 Decisive Battles is essential reading for military buffs and anyone interested in how the modern world came to be.Amazon.com Review
Sometimes a battle, such as the one that raged along France's Marne River in 1918, involves hundreds of thousands of soldiers and costs many lives.Sometimes, as in the case of Tippecanoe, a battle involves only a fewhundred fighters. Great or small, as historian Paul Davis notes, historyhas turned on clashes such as these.

In this well-researched compendium, Davis examines battles that have hadfar-reaching historical consequences. The first entry covers the Battle ofMegiddo, which delivered unto the Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose III an uneasydominion over Palestine and broadened his empire into Asia; the finalentry, set not far from the first, describes the Allied victory over Iraqin Desert Storm, which "denied control of a large portion of the MiddleEast oil reserves to dictator Saddam Hussein and showed the ability of amultinational coalition to succeed in the post-Cold War world, perhapssetting an example of future international military action." In betweenDavis considers similarly fateful but often forgotten contests, such as theBattle of Chalons, when another coalition--this one of Visigoths, Romans,and Gallic and Germanic tribes--turned back the huge Mongol army of Attilain A.D. 451, and the Battle of Shanhaikuan, when, in the spring of 1644,China's Ming dynasty fell to Manchu invaders. Davis sometimes preferssweeping themes to mundane realities (the fact, for instance, that theBattle of Adrianople turned on the recent invention of the stirrup), andhis compendium tends heavily toward Europe at the expense of other parts ofthe world. The illustrations are also of uneven quality and usefulness.

Still, readers with an interest in military history will find this to be ahandy reference and overview, and they'll enjoy second-guessing the author,nominating battles that didn't make his hundred while learning from theobscure, but nonetheless critical, ones that he does address. --GregoryMcNamee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Great Reference, Very Interesting Book, Bought Two...
I learned quite a bit while reading this book, and still go back to it on a regular basis. This book is an excellent reference guide, I highly recommend it.

The author does a good job of outlining the historical significance of each battle with concise, yet detailed descriptions. The illustrations are spare, but adequate. My only complaint: The author does spoil the ending by naming the victor at the beginning, rather than the end of each battle. A well placed thumb while reading each description will remedy this problem.

I lent this book to my father-in-law. He loved it so much, I told him to keep it and I ordered another. As an aside: I bought used copies from Amazon resellers. The books were in "like new" condition at about half the cost of new. I recommend purchasing like this if not in a "big" hurry to get the book.

Great book!What an exciting read!
I bought this book for my son's spiritual birthday because he loves military history.He carries it around with him all the time and is on the second time all the way through, since receiving it in April.Not only is it thorough in its coverage, but it is written in such a way as to encourage critical dialogue.

The Best of Both Worlds...
There are basically two types of non-fiction military history books:general and specific.General books might offer an overview of Viet Nam, while a specific book would address the Tet Offensive or tunnel rats.

If you're an avid historian, general books are usually too...well...general!They provide a gloss-over in order to cram the entire subject into the confines of the book.Specific books, on the other hand, can bore you with an overkill of details.They are also limited in their focus to the subject of the book, often not addressing outside contributing factors.

I initially began reading this book because I figured it would be something light I could skim over when I had 10-15 minutes of time here and there.I didn't expect much; after all, if a book trying to cover WWII in it's entirety was too general, how could the author hope to cover 100 different battles, over thousands of years, with any justice?

Davis found just the right combination.The battles are covered concisely, but still offer important details (such as the French's mindset towards warfare...independent barons each seeking their own glory and not having the discipline to unite before attacking...being their downfall at Crece).Even if you're well-read, you will learn from this book.To top it off, the battles are presented in chronological order, so you can see similarities in strategies, intended by the leaders or not.

My only ding on the book is that there are a few battles the author could have omitted for more-decisive ones.But hey, put 100 different historians in a room, and everyone's top 100 would probably be different!Check this book out.It's a great read.

Provocative (and frustrating) evaluation of great battles
Paul Davis undertakes an effort to identify the 100 most decisive battles in history.The three criteria that he uses to select key battles:

"1.The outcome of the battle brought about a major political or social change. . . .
2. Had the outcome of the battle been reversed, major political or social changes would
have ensued. . . .
3. The battle marks the introduction of a major change in warfare."

There follows the enumeration, with each battle covered in 4-5 pages, with (sometimes) maps, with a brief preface that outlines what happened and why the battles was important.

The book reads pretty well and provokes a lot of thinking about the subject.However, there is some idiosyncrasy in the selection of battles.Of course, honorable people will differ, but some of the choices are strange indeed.

Inchon is selected as a decisive battle; yet the Korean War was something of a draw.Hard for me to see how a long, bloody, and indecisive conflict could have a battle conceived as one of the world's most decisive combats."Desert Storm"?A third rate power (Iraq) against the most powerful nation on earth?A one-sided conflict.Further, the invasion of Iraq in the 21st century suggests that there was nothing decisive about Desert Storm.Otherwise, why a revisitation of the conflict between the United States and Iraq?The fact that four of the hundred were from the Pacific Theater in World War II suggests a real imbalance.Further, the author uses a strange logic to argue that Pearl Harbor was decisive.A great loss led to the US entering the war.An awkward logic by which to label this decisive.Midway was much more important, since it wrecked much of the Japanese carrier capability. Another query: Why both Leipzig and Waterloo? How often does Napoleon need to be defeated for a decisive victory?And if those were decisive, why include Napoleon's great victories, since he was fated to lose (e.g., Jena)?Why Jena rather than his masterpiece at Austerlitz?The rationale for Jena is pretty weak.

As other reviewers note, there is a heavy emphasis on Western battles.

In the end, even though one can disagree with many of the selections, this is a good read and does lead to some thinking about what were the most decisive battles.The fact that such questions emerge suggests the utility of the volume.

A must If You Like Military History
Ever since I was in high school long, long, ago, I have always wanted to learn about the history of the world, especially about why wars and battles were fought. Although my favorite time and study is the Civil War period and the Confederacy, other periods of history appeal to me. I love military strategy and in this book i found just what I wanted. Mr. Davis does not just explain the battle but before he describes it, he gives to you a background of events and then after a description of the battle, he gives to you all the important results. Then he gives to the reader some important references which I have very much used.You can't go wrong with the purchase of this valuable book. Buy-Read-Enjoy. ... Read more

Product Description
Dig into the science of ancient times and unearth amazing discoveries!

• Have you ever wondered where paper comes from, who made the first known maps, or how the ancient Egyptians were able to build the pyramids?
• Would you like to make your own sundial, discover how to detect earthquakes, or learn to write in hieroglyphics?
• Are you looking for great ideas for your next science fair project?

If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, then Ancient Science is for you!From Greek lighthouses and Roman bridges to Chinese kites and Mesopotamian soap, you’ll investigate some of the greatest scientific discoveries and the people who introduced them to the world.Dozens of fun-packed activities help you see for yourself how the earliest humans cultivated plants, why instruments make different sounds, how fireworks get their explosive power, and much more.All of the projects are safe and easy to do, and all you need is everyday stuff from around the house.So step back in time and take an amazing journey with Ancient Science! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Wonderful Resource
This book is great because it relates science to history, with lots of easy experiements & demonstrations to try.

Great Way to Correlate World History With Science
I purchased this book to utilize with our homeschooling curriculum "Introduction to World History." Ancient Science covers science from pre historic time to the discovery of the Americas. Each section covers a particular period in history with experiments to compliment the historical setting. We are planning to use Ancient Science, Usborne Book of World History and Usborne Time Traveler for our science and history curriculum this coming fall.

Great way to teach hands-on science to children
I love the projects in this book.As a homeschool mom, I like to teach about the "history" of subjects and not just the usual science basics.I want my kids to know how science was started, and who helped develop some of the modern day advancements in science that we use today.This book is great for teaching the beginnings of science.Measure the earth with Erastothenes, find out just what it was that made Archimedes cry "Eureka!".This is definitely worth owning if you'd like to help your children "see" what the ancient scientists saw. ... Read more