Ancient Rome (DK Revealed)

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Summary: An illustrated supplement to the study of Ancient Rome
Review: "Ancient Rome" is the second DK Revealed book that I have seen and my original comment that the see-through pages add very little to what is a solid book without them still applies. In this book there are eight see-through pages that reveal Roman soldiers storming a fort, gladiators locked in combat, Pompeii buried under the ash of a volcano, and a magnificent Roman villa. They provide some basic cut-away views, which are okay, but given what DK has normally provided in their richly illustrated books I was really expecting something spectacular. Indeed, even without the see-through pages "Ancient Rome" is a wonderful look at the glory that was Rome.

This volume is written by Peter Chrisp, author of over 50 children's history books, in consultation with Dr. Hugh Bowden, lecturer in Ancient History at King's College London. It traces the story of Rome from city to republic to empire, looking at legionaries on the march, the emphasis on bread and circuses, and the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum that have revealed so much about the life and leisure of the Romans. The illustrations include not only photographs of ancient ruins and artifacts, but also modern recreations and shots from movies like "Cleopatra" and "Ben Hur." Young readers will not get a detailed history of ancient Rome, but they will find lots of interesting details, which is why this is more of a supplemental volume to the study of Rome than a primary source.

As always pay attention to the captions for the wonderful illustrations because that is where a lot of these details pop up. The archeological perspective is especially interesting this time around, showing how some of these ancient wonders are uncovered. Other volumes in the DK Revealed series are devoted to "Ancient Egypt" and the "Human Body," and they may well be able to succeed on the additional level of those see-through pages.