The Roman Colosseum: The Story Of The World's Most Famous Stadium And Its Deadly Games (Wonders Of The World Book)

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Now in paperback! The Roman Colosseum was the work of a brilliant and energetic civilization. The Roman Colosseum was the work of a cruel and brutal civilization. Both are true. The Roman Colosseum was one of the most extraordinary buildings in the ancient world, a work of engineering genius whose design is imitated every time a modern stadium is built. Yet, what went on inside this building is difficult to comprehend. Over the centuries, tens of thousands of slaves, prisoners of war, and criminals were slaughtered in the Colosseum for the entertainment of over 50,000 cheering fans. So many animals were destroyed in gruesome "hunts" staged in the arena that entire species disappeared from the Roman colonies of North Africa. The Roman Colosseum interweaves the impressive story of the construction of this remarkable building and the sobering tale of the "games" that went on inside it. In doing so, it reveals an entire civilization in all its genius and its brutality. Wonders of the World series The winner of numerous awards, this series is renowned for Elizabeth Mann's ability to convey adventure and excitement while revealing technical information in engaging and easily understood language. The illustrations are lavishly realistic and accurate in detail but do not ignore the human element. Outstanding in the genre, these books are sure to bring even the most indifferent young reader into the worlds of history, geography, and architecture. "One of the ten best non-fiction series for young readers." - Booklist

Lexile Measure: 1030 (What's this?)

Series: Wonders of the World Book

Paperback: 48 pages

Publisher: Mikaya Press (September 12, 2006)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1931414173

ISBN-13: 978-1931414173

Product Dimensions: 10 x 0.2 x 10 inches

Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #335,064 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #85 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Music & Photography > Architecture #166 in Books > Children's Books > Education & Reference > History > Europe #187 in Books > Children's Books > Education & Reference > History > Ancient

Age Range: 9 - 13 years

Grade Level: 4 - 8

I admit I wasn't expecting much when we bought this book for my third grader studying Ancient Rome. I thought it would simply be a book on the history or science of building the Colosseum. I was wrong!Elizabeth Mann delves into the history of Rome surrounding the gladiatorial games and politics of the Emperors. There is quite a bit of text on each page, around 2nd to 4th grade level. The illustrations are big, bold, and accompany each text selection. There is some science of the building, but how each Emperor saw and used the games is more of a focus.At first I was a little surprised at the amount of warlikeness covered. She doesn't get too gritty in her explanation of the gladiators, but the brutality of Roman culture is adequately explored. For example, "In wartime, blood was provided for the souls of comrades killed in battle by forcing captured enemy soldiers to fight to the death." And, "As corpses were dragged out through the Gate of the Dead at the eastern end of the arena...slaves raked fresh sand over the blood-soaked arena floor." Needless to say, this might not be a hit with many little girls. But the book is much more than that, so it's not a dealbreaker.I was also a little concerned that Mann would avoid taking a moral stance on the subject, but near the end of the book, she begins (gently) to offer her condemnation of the way gladiators and slaves were treated. She ends with the martyrdom of Telemachus and the outlawing of gladiatorial games due to growing Christian influence within the Empire--a brave inclusion. The text is otherwise non-judgmental and shows proper awe and respect of the Romans. Lots of vocabulary words too! But I was glad the children did not come away with some naive acceptance of Nero and other ruthless emperors. They started to grasp the politics of Roman government and the context of the extraordinary Colosseum... more than other books we've had on Rome and more than I expected!

One of several books used for a class report. The info is good, but parts of it were presented well in an interesting manner, and other sections were very dry and harder to get through. A good book for an overview on the subject.

Although simple to read, some very good history in Customs and Culture, & Engineering information is provided; that helps see where current Custom and Tradition was adopted by Europe & the Americas.

I used this book to get my 9 year old ready for our trip to Europe. He loved the book and it made our trip to the Coliseum more exciting.

Quick read, very authoritative history

If you are into the history of the Colosseum or aren't you willbe now! This book features excellent quoatations and vividdescriptions of every little aspect you could think of about the Colloseum. But it could have used some more pictures. The author paints a world with excellent detail right down to the size of there shields! Believe me, at first I thought I wouldn't be interested in barbariens fighting but after reading this I needed more! It also tells about the marvelous chariot races and the foreign animals. This book is worth every cent that you pay for it!

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