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Usborne Famous Lives
Alexander The Great
Presents the life and military leadership of the famous Macedonian general and king.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published August 27, 2004
4 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
Jane Bingham
330 books17 followersJane M. Bingham spent most of her adult life teaching college students about children's literature at Oakland University, collecting and studying children's books from across history and around the world, and campaigning for better materials for children to read. After she retired from that career, she began writing children's books of her own. Bingham has since authored several nonfiction books that seek to explain contemporary issues to children, including divorce, the dangers of drug abuse, and the art and culture of civilizations around the world.
In Why Do Families Break Up? Bingham attempts to demystify the process of divorce for middle-school students. The book begins by examining some of the reasons a couple might decide to divorce, then moves on to explain the process of coping and moving on after a family separates. School Library Journal contributor Sharon A. Neal described the book as "supportive [and] unbiased" and noted, "Despite the nature of the topic, the book is hopeful."
Tiananmen Square: June 4, 1989 examines the studentled protest against China's Communist rulers that occurred there, in the middle of Beijing, in the spring of 1989. On June 4 the government mobilized the army, including tanks, to disperse the demonstrators, killing several of them in the process. "The excellent illustrations and clear narrative," Elizabeth Talbot wrote in School Library Journal, make Tiananmen Square a "good introduction" to the protest and its aftermath.
Bingham is the author of three installments in the "World Art and Culture" series, examining India, Africa, and Aboriginal Australia. Each book is brief, only fifty-six pages long, and "the texts are straightforward and concise," Gillian Engberg noted in a review of AfricanArt and Culture for Booklist. Despite this brevity, much information is packed into each volume. Bingham opens each book with a chapter about the history of the region, from thousands of years ago to the present day, and follows with chapters about the art forms practiced in that area. These include architecture, basket-weaving, creating musical instruments, dance, and body modification (tattoos, piercings, and the like), among others. Indian Art and Culture also includes a chapter on one of that country's modern art forms, the "Bollywood" movie industry. As Donna Cardon noted in School Library Journal, "The texts not only describe the art forms and how they are created, but also explain the role that art plays in the cultures."
Bingham once wrote: "In 1981 I completed a trip which took me to American Samoa, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Kenya, South Africa, and Swaziland. I collected examples of children's books along the way and became acutely aware of the need for books and other teaching resources in many developing countries. I was especially impressed with the variety of India's and Bangladesh's children's books—in spite of the difficulties their creators often encounter in publishing and promoting them. I also found that becoming aware of and enjoying the literature from other countries enriched my appreciation of American children's books. I found myself asking over and over why we, with the plethora we have to choose from, too often opt for the mediocre rather than the 'rarest kind of best.' As educators, creators, and consumers, we all too often forget to think of children's books as real literature because we fail to apply critical literary standards. It is my hope that my teaching and writing will draw attention to the continuing need for quality books in our own country and will also encourage American students and teachers to adopt a wider, world view of children's literature."
In Why Do Families Break Up? Bingham attempts to demystify the process of divorce for middle-school students. The book begins by examining some of the reasons a couple might decide to divorce, then moves on to explain the process of coping and moving on after a family separates. School Library Journal contributor Sharon A. Neal described the book as "supportive [and] unbiased" and noted, "Despite the nature of the topic, the book is hopeful."
Tiananmen Square: June 4, 1989 examines the studentled protest against China's Communist rulers that occurred there, in the middle of Beijing, in the spring of 1989. On June 4 the government mobilized the army, including tanks, to disperse the demonstrators, killing several of them in the process. "The excellent illustrations and clear narrative," Elizabeth Talbot wrote in School Library Journal, make Tiananmen Square a "good introduction" to the protest and its aftermath.
Bingham is the author of three installments in the "World Art and Culture" series, examining India, Africa, and Aboriginal Australia. Each book is brief, only fifty-six pages long, and "the texts are straightforward and concise," Gillian Engberg noted in a review of AfricanArt and Culture for Booklist. Despite this brevity, much information is packed into each volume. Bingham opens each book with a chapter about the history of the region, from thousands of years ago to the present day, and follows with chapters about the art forms practiced in that area. These include architecture, basket-weaving, creating musical instruments, dance, and body modification (tattoos, piercings, and the like), among others. Indian Art and Culture also includes a chapter on one of that country's modern art forms, the "Bollywood" movie industry. As Donna Cardon noted in School Library Journal, "The texts not only describe the art forms and how they are created, but also explain the role that art plays in the cultures."
Bingham once wrote: "In 1981 I completed a trip which took me to American Samoa, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Kenya, South Africa, and Swaziland. I collected examples of children's books along the way and became acutely aware of the need for books and other teaching resources in many developing countries. I was especially impressed with the variety of India's and Bangladesh's children's books—in spite of the difficulties their creators often encounter in publishing and promoting them. I also found that becoming aware of and enjoying the literature from other countries enriched my appreciation of American children's books. I found myself asking over and over why we, with the plethora we have to choose from, too often opt for the mediocre rather than the 'rarest kind of best.' As educators, creators, and consumers, we all too often forget to think of children's books as real literature because we fail to apply critical literary standards. It is my hope that my teaching and writing will draw attention to the continuing need for quality books in our own country and will also encourage American students and teachers to adopt a wider, world view of children's literature."
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 25, 2022
This book presents a good overview of Alexander the Great's eventful life, beginning with his boyhood as Crown Prince of Macedon and concluding with his untimely death and the succession wars fought between his generals. The author presents Alexander as a heroic but tragic figure, which reminds me of the adage from Babylon 5: "We are gray. We stand between the darkness and the light." No mortal is perfect -- not even a larger-than-life figure like Alexander. We can learn both from his strengths and his weaknesses.
As the narrative moves forward, Alexander's conquests are described, as well as the mercy that he showed to the Persian royal family when they were abandoned to their fate by King Darius III. Alexander's desire to unite East and West through building intercultural bridges of understanding is also dealt with, along with how he reacted to the deaths of two of his closest friends, and how he punished the treacherous murderers of his archenemy, the Persian King Darius III.
The book concludes with a timeline and has many colorful illustrations that help bring to life the accompany text. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a general introduction to, and overview of, Alexander's life and achievements.
As the narrative moves forward, Alexander's conquests are described, as well as the mercy that he showed to the Persian royal family when they were abandoned to their fate by King Darius III. Alexander's desire to unite East and West through building intercultural bridges of understanding is also dealt with, along with how he reacted to the deaths of two of his closest friends, and how he punished the treacherous murderers of his archenemy, the Persian King Darius III.
The book concludes with a timeline and has many colorful illustrations that help bring to life the accompany text. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a general introduction to, and overview of, Alexander's life and achievements.
July 7, 2017
I have a hard time imagining that a more well-written children's book on Alexander the Great has ever been published. It covers all the basic narratives of the life of the great Macedonian conqueror in such a condensed and epic way that allows for young learners who perhaps enjoyed the book as a child to seize an interest in the topic and go out to learn more about Alexander on their own.
The book contains the perfect amount of images, with at least one per page to grab and hold the listener's attention as you read the story to them. The wording is fairly simple and also allows the listener to expand their vocabulary to a small degree.
All in all, I found the book entertaining and has me looking forward to reading this to my nephew and perhaps my own children one day.
The book contains the perfect amount of images, with at least one per page to grab and hold the listener's attention as you read the story to them. The wording is fairly simple and also allows the listener to expand their vocabulary to a small degree.
All in all, I found the book entertaining and has me looking forward to reading this to my nephew and perhaps my own children one day.
June 30, 2020
An easy read for all level of readers. The whole life and exploits of one of the greatest conquerors in history compressed in this book. A good way to get an overview of the biography of Alexander the great.
January 29, 2023
9/3/2020
July 25, 2009
The part that I really liked was when there was this big river in India and they got tiny boats and laid them across the river. Then they put a big, big plank across the river and then they walked across the river and fought the elephants.
September 5, 2014
I really liked it he got a big empire
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews