Books in Modern Wonders of the World series

Here's the story of the Great Pyramid and the people who built it. In the author's telling, the Old Kingdom comes alive: a nation of farmers living on the green edge of a harsh desert with a king who was a god in life and in death. Tens of thousands of farmers left home each year to chisel hard stone without iron tools and move 10-ton blocks up steep grades without the use of a wheel, all to the glory of the Pharaoh. 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

This is the story of a people's struggle for absolute security in a violent and dangerous world. Needing defense against the Mongols whose empire encompassed most of the known world, the Chinese built the Great Wall of China over 200 years. Thousands of miles long, the Wall was guarded by over a million soldiers manning thousands of forts and towers. 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

The story of an inspired building and an inspirational civilization. The Parthenon is more than a magnificent building. Every marble statue, every graceful column, is an expression of a civilization whose three great values still speak to us today: Democracy. At a time of godlike rulers, ordinary citizens voted to build the Parthenon. Humanism. The Parthenon's art honored Athens' water carriers as well as its gods. Balance. The Parthenon's aesthetic brought lightness and grace to height and mass. The Parthenon tells of the rise of Athens -- from the religion that nurtured it, through the wars that tested it, to the democracy that ennobled it -culminating in the construction of the great temple on the Acropolis. The book not only captures the human stories, but also vividly illustrates the technical details behind the construction, from quarrying of the marbles to carving of the exquisite frieze. To look at the Parthenon is to see Athens. To see Athens, is to see ourselves. 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

The story of the rise of the Inkas and the building of the great city of Machu Picchu is described in this book. The city is as astonishing as were its builders. Set in a remote, inaccessible area of the high Andes, this breathtaking city was never found by the Spanish Conquistadors and remains an untouched example of Inka genius. 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

A classic in children's non-fiction -- now in paper. John Roebling had a dream. He would build the world's longest bridge and he would build it in a new way. But his way was too new. It took 15 years to convince people it would work. And then, just as construction was to begin, John Roebling was killed in a freak accident. That should have been the end of the story of The Brooklyn Bridge. Instead, it was the beginning. For John wasn't the only Roebling who could dream. The Brooklyn Bridge is about a legendary feat of engineering and an extraordinary family. Through rare, historical photographs, informative diagrams, and powerful illustrations, we learn exactly how this magnificent bridge was designed and constructed. From the Roeblings, we learn of loyalty, courage, sacrifice, and commitment. The Brooklyn Bridge is the story of a bridge across a great river and a bridge across generations, a bridge of stone and steel and one of the human spirit. 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

Panama was less than 50 miles wide, yet difficult to bridge by canal -- its swamps were disease-ridden, its mountainous rain forest challenged the most brilliant engineers, and its oppressive heat exhausted the hardiest workers. Engineers found ways to cut through the forest, medical visionaries conquered the diseases, and workers endured the jungle. Yet there were also broken treaties, political tyranny, and the tragedy of thousands of West Indian workers forced to live in awful, segregated conditions. 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

The true story of America's most beloved symbol -- a tale of art and idealism. With her right hand she lifts a torch, the light of liberty. In her left hand she holds a book whose cover reads "JULY IV MDCCLXXVI," the date of the signing of the United States' Declaration of Independence. Under her left foot is a broken chain, a symbol of the end of slavery. The Statue of Liberty pays homage to what is best about the United States, yet it originated in France. Living under the repressive rule of a self-proclaimed emperor, sculptors Édouard de Laboulaye and Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi wanted to show their countrymen that tyranny is not inevitable and that there is a place in the world where all citizens have "unalienable rights" that no government can take from them. After two decades of planning, cajoling, fundraising, designing and building, these artists brought their dream of "Liberty" across the ocean. Now, 125 years after she was placed on her pedestal in New York Harbor, she continues to inspire people all over the world. So does her story.

From start to finish, Mann tracks the wonders of architecture, engineering, and construction that went into the creation of the tallest building in the world for the time. Fascinating profiles describe the individuals who dreamed of and built this architectural marvel. Archival photographs recreate the heady world of the steelworkers out on the girders, high above the city streets. 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

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

Now in paperback! They called the river the Red Bull. Desert silt gave the Colorado its distinctive color, but it was its power and unpredictability that made its fierce reputation. Speeding down from the high Rockies, the Colorado would flood without warning, wiping out any farmer foolish enough to settle near its banks. But what if the Red Bull could be tamed? Farmlands irrigated by the Colorado's waters could bloom in the desert. Cities electrified by the Colorado's power could grow and prosper. The Hoover Dam grew from this dream and with it much of the modern American west. Built in the middle of The Great Depression, the Hoover Dam was set in an unforgiving landscape whose climate defied habitation much less intense, backbreaking physical labor. Yet, during those hard times and in that desolate place, there rose an extraordinarily sophisticated feat of modern engineering. The Hoover Dam is the dramatic story of the danger, suffering, courage and genius that went into the building of one of America's most famous landmarks. 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

John Roebling had a dream. He would build the world's longest bridge and he would build it in a new way. But his way was too new. It took 15 years to convince people it would work. And then, just as construction was to begin, John Roebling was killed in a freak accident. That should have been the end of the story of The Brooklyn Bridge. Instead, it was the beginning. For John wasn't the only Roebling who could dream. The Brooklyn Bridge is about a legendary feat of engineering and an extraordinary family. Through rare, historical photographs, informative diagrams, and powerful illustrations, we learn exactly how this magnificent bridge was designed and constructed. From the Roeblings, we learn of loyalty, courage, sacrifice, and commitment. The Brooklyn Bridge is the story of a bridge across a great river and a bridge across generations, a bridge of stone and steel and one of the human spirit. 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