This colourful book, targeted at 9-11 year-olds, is one of a series dealing with Ancient Egypt, The Maya, The Vikings, The Shang Dynasty and the Stone, Bronze and Iron Age. It follows the usual arrangement: a series of double-page spreads, each dealing with an aspect of classical Greek civilisation (e.g. Athens, mythology, domestic and daily life, warfare). Unusually it includes a welcome section on the legacy of ancient Greece. There is a sensible, age-appropriate glossary and index. The text is an easy read with profuse illustrations to engage the young reader – technical terms are kept to a minimum – and gives a good, basic outline of the wood rather than the trees, which will hopefully entice the young reader to explore further. To this end a Find Out More section at the back lists four recommended museums (Ashmolean, British, Manchester, World Museum Liverpool), four books (all published by Franklin Watts) and three websites: ancientgreece.co.uk, at the time of writing little more than a brief list of similar books – the domain name is up for sale; a page from BBC Bitesize; and – the most useful – greece.mrdonn.org.
Bob Bass
Uncover History: Ancient Greece by Rachel Minay
Wayland
ISBN 9781526322043
£12.99.
