Books in Great Cities Through The Ages series

One attribute of a great city is that it belongs to the world, not just to its inhabitants. This is especially true of Paris: beautiful, romantic, enchanting and built to a human scale. Here, all in walking distance, are Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Latin Quarter, the Luxembourg Gardens, the Tomb of Napoleon, the Picasso Museum, and, towering over all, the Eiffel Tower, symbol of Paris and France. This beautifully illustrated volume is made up of a series of exciting color spreads showing the history of this great city. Each two-page spread has a map and a time-line. Paintings and illustrations bring each era to life: the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Revolution and the Age of Napoleon, and Haussmann’s reconstruction of Paris in the late 19th century. Finally, there is Paris changed by two World Wars and as it is today at the beginning of the 21st century – a place of tradition, avant-garde architecture, immigrants, and still some of the most beautiful gardens in the world.

Any list of the world’s most beautiful and unusual cities must include Venice. Built on a patchwork of more than 100 low-lying islands in the middle of a swampy lagoon, it is a modern city of waterways, bus boats and a complete absence of cars. Everyone, from children, students and professionals to workers and delivery men, travels on its canals. Indeed, Venice is a city that in many ways seems frozen in time. By 1500, the city had taken on much of its present shape and only in the 20th century did further development begin to change its elegant outline. Virtually unscarred by the aerial bombings of WWII and the demands of post-war development, Venice has changed little over the past 200 years.In this oversized, highly illustrated volume, discover the history and culture of this amazing water-bound city. Starting with its origins in the 6th century, the reader follows its evolution through the Middle Ages, the "Golden Age" of the Renaissance, right up to the present and the catastrophic problems of sinking that it faces today. Venice also invites the reader to explore the city’s canals teaming with gondolas and water taxis; its magnificent architecture and decaying facades; along with life in the Jewish Ghetto, the splendor of the annual Venice Carnival, and the diversity of the islands in the Venetian lagoon. Photographs and original illustrations capture the daily rhythms of this unforgettable city.

Investigate how essential aspects of everyday life have evolved over 10,000 years in different societies around the world. This book is both stimulating and educational, with projects to intensify the learning experience. Learn how to build a Roman villa, bake Egyptian cakes, erect an ancient Arctic tent, and fashion an Inuit igloo. Stirring fact-packed text and over 200 beautiful illustrations make this vivid history an ideal accompaniment to school work, or a perfect additional learning tool at home for children aged 8-12 years.

Investigate how essential aspects of everyday life have evolved over 10,000 years in different societies around the world. This book is both stimulating and educational, with projects to intensify the learning experience. Learn how to build a Roman villa, bake Egyptian cakes, erect an ancient Arctic tent, and fashion an Inuit igloo. Stirring fact-packed text and over 200 beautiful illustrations make this vivid history an ideal accompaniment to school work, or a perfect additional learning tool at home for children aged 8-12 years.