Rome : In Spectacular Cross-Section

by Stephen Biesty, Stephen Biesty (Illustrator)

'The ancient city of Rome is the perfect subject for Stephen Biesty's illustrations - beautifully constructed, technologically advanced, and teeming with life. Titus's Roman Holiday takes in the Temple, the Forum and the Baths, the Colosseum and chariot racing at the Circus Maximus, all illustrated in stunning, painstaking detail. There are cross-sections, cut-aways and explosions, authoritative annotations, lists and explanations. Biesty captures the epic scale of the city - the capacity crowd at the Colosseum, for example - and there is some wonderful attention to detail in the architecture and the engineering. But he also succeeds in capturing the humanity of the city and has a great eye for the quirky minutiae of daily life A well-researched reference work with a sizeable glossary and index, Rome is a witty and brilliantly illustrated book, pitched at the 9-12 year old, but destined to bring the ancient city to life for a wide range of readers.' [From a review in The School Librarian]

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Roman History, Picture Books, Reference

Paperback

First published April 1, 2003

About the author

Stephen Biesty is the creator of Stephen Biesty’s Incredible Cross-Sections, which has sold more than a million copies worldwide since its publication in 1992. He lives in Somerset, England.

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful layout shows great and minute details of Ancient Rome.

Great for kids and adults. You might even learn a few things.

OVERALL GRADE: A minus to A.

[Deborah Westwood Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

NONFICTION/INFORMATIONAL CATEGORY

Readers get to follow Titus and his father around on a feast day as they pass through some of the major sites in Rome, and some of the not-so major sites. Find out how the bathhouse works and when carts are allowed in the streets.

I thought this a cross between a picture book and an information book like Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World. Readers can peruse the pages at their leisure but the story is less than driving. Nothing of the subject matter classifies it to YA, but it is a gateway book that will help students to consider informational books as a source for future research.

[Cleo Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly detailed illustrations which allow you to see right through all of the major monuments and how they were built. It enables you to discover a wealth of information about Roman everyday life in a beautifully artistic and clever way!

[Nadvornix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprising number of historical errors. Victim of having to do everything in exploded cross-section, even when the illustration would be better without it.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engl 420
Non-fiction

This book had lots of neat information, but it was confusing and in a lot of ways overwhelming to look at. From the inside cover to the pages covered with Roman people it has the feel of a Where’s Waldo book. And the Cross-sectioning can become too much for the eyes to follow too. It is meant to be perused, not read. That being said, it does have some interesting information about the social classes and architecture of Rome. The information and pictures are geared toward Middle School readers.

[Jaclyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and detailed for kids/students

[Fives OnTheFly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great learning resource as we studied Rome. The kids loved the details of each illustration and would spend hours pouring over the pages looking for Titus.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suffers from the strict format.

[Kristen Fort · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations are so good. It is very informational, and students will find it interesting.