The Asian Empires

Children's Literature

Young researchers will become familiar with the history of three ancient Asian empires, China, India, and Turkey, in this title from the "World Historical Atlases" series. One catches a glimpse of emperors, kings, sultans, rulers, caliphs, and others; all of whom were significant role-players in building dynasties for thousands of years. The fast-moving history blends cartography (highly detailed colorful maps) linking growth with concise text that highlights key events of the leader's era, and artwork displays reflecting the culture. In-depth captions under each map and illustration also chart the paths of the explorations. Tucked inside each nation's coverage are two pages spotlighting a unique happening/event that features a story and an illustration on bright orange pages. Designed to provide a brief bird's eye view of historical periods, this reference book will whet student appetites for exploring beyond the character's data contained inside its cover. A list of quality books, articles, and web sites will provide added incentive. (Two website addresses are recorded incorrectly. In the Great Moghul Empire, a dot should follow the word "sun" rather than the / sign. Use the Washington State University search engine to find the Ottomans.) A table of contents, glossary, chronology, photograph credits, and index are also included. Kingdoms experience creations, invasions, divisions, and collapses, all coming together to create quite a patchwork of history! 2004, Benchmark Books, Ages 10 to 14.
—Barbara Troisi

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-These visually appealing atlases provide broad overviews of the ancient civilizations that thrived in these areas. The texts are clearly written and well organized. The books include large, full-color photographs and illustrations reproduced from original pieces of art found in diverse national museums. Maps placed throughout clearly show the boundaries and areas of the empires. These volumes make excellent supplements to history lessons and good starting points for research.-Anne L. Tormohlen, Deerfield Elementary School, Lawrence, KS Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.