Viking Town

Library Journal

Gr 4-6-Both of these books have copious, colorful illustrations and worthwhile information, but there is nothing unique about the presentation and the material is readily available elsewhere. Greek Town devotes its two-page chapters to various aspects of a city-state such as the temple, a family home, the theater, and athletic contests. It is obvious that the city depicted here is Athens-the temple is clearly the Parthenon-a city that was unique and distinct from other cities, thus making it a poor representation of a typical town. Particularly disturbing is the depiction of a frieze in which something resembling black underwear is crudely drawn on to the sculpted human forms, a great disservice to the ancient Greeks, who gloried in the beauty of the human form. Barry Steel's Greek Cities (Watts, 1990; o.p.), although aimed at a slightly younger audience, is a superior treatment. Viking Town also covers town and family life, as well as crafts, trade, raids, and burial rites. It could serve as an additional purchase, although Fiona MacDonald's A Viking Town (Peter Bedrick, 1995) presents similar information and includes a map showing the extent of Viking explorations. In both books, a "Time-Traveler's Guide" gives tourist information such as money, where to stay, souvenirs, etc. "Guided Tours" suggests day to week-long excursions. A serious drawback is that neither title contains maps to locate the actual sites.-David N. Pauli, Portland Jewish Academy, OR Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.