Soldier through History

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-Series entries that examine global histories. A chronological arrangement subtly shows the evolution of methods and materials, but each four-page chapter focuses on a specific region and era. Farmer begins with a look at agriculture in the Jordan valley from 8000-6000 B.C., and then progresses through Egyptian, Roman, Mayan, Chinese, and West African farming systems. Two chapters examining English methods, one in medieval times and the other in the 18th century, clearly show how major changes shaped society. This concept takes a new twist in the final chapters that examine the forced collective farms of the former Soviet Union and the modern-day worries of pesticides and overproduction. In Soldier, Chrisp examines the Greek hoplites from 500-300 B.C., Roman soldiers, crusading knights, Mongol horsemen, Aztec warriors, Prussian soldiers, and then modern conflicts, ending with the Gulf War. Although modern technology is mentioned, the emphasis is on ground soldiers, with little or no mention of air or naval combatants. Both texts are balanced and clearly written, but their ambitious scopes and brevity result in crowded pages and occasional lapses in clarity. Every chapter includes maps, plentiful illustrations, sidebars (the quotations are documented in a source list following the index), and prominent page-top guides noting the dates covered by the chapter. Maps are sometimes difficult to read because identical type fonts are often used to label nations, cities, and rivers. A further reading list includes mostly adult titles.-Sandy Kirkpatrick, Benicia Public Library, CA