11/01/2015
Gr 7 Up—With at least some content that is almost identical to that in Cavendish's "An Illustrated History" (2010) (which includes titles on Greece, Rome, ancient Egypt, and the Near East) and that is very similar to that found in the Cavendish reference set "The History of the Ancient and Medieval World" (1996), this group of books provides comprehensive coverage of civilizations from prehistory through the medieval periods. Western civilizations receive the most attention, but the volumes also discuss important cultures in the East, Middle East, and the Americas, with information about how cultures arose; how their peoples lived, worshipped and were governed; important contributions; and eventual declines. Material and analysis on the East and Middle East are the most current. Chapters are long and include much detail but are not documented. Sources and interpretations, especially for Western cultures, are somewhat dated. Occasional reproductions of ancient art and photos of artifacts and sidebars about important people, events, and ideas break up long stretches of text. VERDICT Libraries that have the previous Cavendish publications will not find much new here, and those that don't should consider it at most an additional report purchase.
