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What life was like
What life was like (The Nature Company discoveries library)
- GenresHistory
224 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2001
About the author
George Hart
102 books9 followersGeorge Hart was a British Egyptologist. He studied classics and Egyptology at University College London. He was a staff lecturer in Egypt and the classical world at the British Museum from 1973 until his retirement in 2004. In addition to his museum work, he also taught Egyptian hieroglyphs and lectured on cruises.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 31, 2017
I'm reading this book BACKWARDS...
...pleeease don't take THAT literally, even if it is a book !!!
This book consists of FIVE Sections :
Ancient Egypt
Ancient China
Ancient Greece
Ancient Rome
Native Americans
I have begun with the American Indians Section, my First Passion for an Older Culture, and nourished by Hollywood Movies and the constant game of "Cowboys and Indians".
I had one Indian Book and played the Game in the backyard hundreds of times.
UNTIL I first visited our Local Library
and discovered books about their cultures and how they lived. What a Feast!!!
However I do recall making a deal with my older cousin Kerry, that when we grew up,
we would go to Egypt and explore and dig up its Ancient side.
Pyramids and the Sphinx were my only Main Images...but THAT was enough to feed my fantasies.
But at the movies, I had seen "Quo Vadis" and it had MORE detail than Both of my Other Passions for Foreign Older Cultures. They spoke and moved, battled Nero's Burning of Rome all in colour, fed the Christians to the Lions and so on it went with a stunning Deborah Kerr and handsome Robert Taylor. Being a Christian in those days made the story too close to home not to be swept away by my Narrow Escape of about 2,000 years !!! PHEW !!!!!
Later I was to learn Latin for 5 years. And LOVED it !!
Still have the slim volume "Publius A Roman Boy" which gave a wonderful word picture of Daily Roman Life from a Kid's outlook. Which ever teacher organised THAT was BRILLIANT.
I've read it numerous times.
I realised only recently that sometimes my Latin is almost fluent.
Other times as BAD as my French, which I LOVE but they DO go too fast!!
I bought my first edition of "Quo Vadis" only this year
...thank the gods its in English, NOT its Original Polish.
The movie and novel of "Ben-Hur" has long been devoured.
When the Greeks and the Chinese showed up I can't recall.
There were plenty of Greek Cafes and Chinese Restaurants to be seen locally,
so I guess they were ALWAYS there...just NOT Ancient enough!!!
Much older, I did discover the Greek music of Mikis Theodorakis,
saw him twice on his One Australian Visit and my Greek Collection of Records flourished.
And one day I found myself teaching... in ATHENS!!
...living within view of the Acropolis,
...above a shop that remade Ancient Greek pottery and plates and....but never got to China.
BUT I WILL...especially the ANCIENT ONE in this book.
Each section is FULL of different aspects of life and culture and history, anything you might imagine is there...jewellery, toilets, farming, hunting, wars, clothing, marriage,travel, country life and city life, politics, government, diet, dance,architecture, animals,some significant people,art and crafts....hang on, I forgot the OBVIOUS....
And the ILLUSTRATIONS !!!
...almost what makes this Children's Book superior to Adult books on the same subject.
A Picture is worth a Thousand Words.
Every page has a major picture and sprinkled around are others...photographs and drawings.
I get to SEE !!!
The only reason I will be returning to this Book Review is to give it its FIVE Stars.
I would have devoured this as a kid, but I had plenty of stuff on hand.
And it's NEVER too late.
I KNOW !!!!...because I am relishing this book RIGHT NOW !!!
...pleeease don't take THAT literally, even if it is a book !!!
This book consists of FIVE Sections :
Ancient Egypt
Ancient China
Ancient Greece
Ancient Rome
Native Americans
I have begun with the American Indians Section, my First Passion for an Older Culture, and nourished by Hollywood Movies and the constant game of "Cowboys and Indians".
I had one Indian Book and played the Game in the backyard hundreds of times.
UNTIL I first visited our Local Library
and discovered books about their cultures and how they lived. What a Feast!!!
However I do recall making a deal with my older cousin Kerry, that when we grew up,
we would go to Egypt and explore and dig up its Ancient side.
Pyramids and the Sphinx were my only Main Images...but THAT was enough to feed my fantasies.
But at the movies, I had seen "Quo Vadis" and it had MORE detail than Both of my Other Passions for Foreign Older Cultures. They spoke and moved, battled Nero's Burning of Rome all in colour, fed the Christians to the Lions and so on it went with a stunning Deborah Kerr and handsome Robert Taylor. Being a Christian in those days made the story too close to home not to be swept away by my Narrow Escape of about 2,000 years !!! PHEW !!!!!
Later I was to learn Latin for 5 years. And LOVED it !!
Still have the slim volume "Publius A Roman Boy" which gave a wonderful word picture of Daily Roman Life from a Kid's outlook. Which ever teacher organised THAT was BRILLIANT.
I've read it numerous times.
I realised only recently that sometimes my Latin is almost fluent.
Other times as BAD as my French, which I LOVE but they DO go too fast!!
I bought my first edition of "Quo Vadis" only this year
...thank the gods its in English, NOT its Original Polish.
The movie and novel of "Ben-Hur" has long been devoured.
When the Greeks and the Chinese showed up I can't recall.
There were plenty of Greek Cafes and Chinese Restaurants to be seen locally,
so I guess they were ALWAYS there...just NOT Ancient enough!!!
Much older, I did discover the Greek music of Mikis Theodorakis,
saw him twice on his One Australian Visit and my Greek Collection of Records flourished.
And one day I found myself teaching... in ATHENS!!
...living within view of the Acropolis,
...above a shop that remade Ancient Greek pottery and plates and....but never got to China.
BUT I WILL...especially the ANCIENT ONE in this book.
Each section is FULL of different aspects of life and culture and history, anything you might imagine is there...jewellery, toilets, farming, hunting, wars, clothing, marriage,travel, country life and city life, politics, government, diet, dance,architecture, animals,some significant people,art and crafts....hang on, I forgot the OBVIOUS....
And the ILLUSTRATIONS !!!
...almost what makes this Children's Book superior to Adult books on the same subject.
A Picture is worth a Thousand Words.
Every page has a major picture and sprinkled around are others...photographs and drawings.
I get to SEE !!!
The only reason I will be returning to this Book Review is to give it its FIVE Stars.
I would have devoured this as a kid, but I had plenty of stuff on hand.
And it's NEVER too late.
I KNOW !!!!...because I am relishing this book RIGHT NOW !!!
Displaying 1 of 1 review