Eyewitness: Ancient China FROM THE PUBLISHER
Here is a spectacular and informative guide to the history of the great Chinese empire and the customs and traditions of its people. Real-life photographs and lifelike models offer a unique view of life in imperial China, from its earliest beginnings in the Bronze Age to its final days in the early years of the 20th century.
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature - Uma Krishnaswami
This volume maintains the tradition of quality production and thorough research established by others in Knopf's "Eyewitness Books" series. A wealth of information is contained in this book, and the curious child can dip into almost any page and come away with some treasure. Photographs and text are interwoven into a seamless presentation of the history and artifacts of ancient China, including such topics as warfare, inventions, government and medicine. A useful timeline in the first few pages depicts the dynasties of Imperial China. This is an excellent reference book.
School Library Journal
Gr 5-10-Done in typical ``Eyewitness'' format, this volume touches upon such topics as Chinese history, the first emperor, inventions, health and medicine, waterways, food and drink, clothing, the Silk Road, and arts and crafts. Material from as recent as the last dynasty, which ended in 1911, is included; because all of the information is presented in double-page spreads, some cover extremely wide time frames. Reproductions of Chinese paintings and prints, while in full color, are sometimes so small as to be virtually useless. Confucianism is incorrectly called a religion; likewise the Great Wall is attributed to the first emperor rather than to Ming times. Given these limitations, the book will nonetheless be popular for browsing.-Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA
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