Cleopatra: Queen of Egypt (Historical Notebooks) - Hardcover

Twist, Clint

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0763660957 ISBN 13: 9780763660956

Publisher: Templar, 2012

Synopsis

Meet the woman who became the icon.

The story of Cleopatra’s life has captured the imagination of countless writers and artists for centuries. As one of history’s most enduring figures, much lore has obscured the real woman behind the myth. Was she a beautiful and heartless schemer who stopped at nothing to get what she wanted? Or was Cleopatra a tragic victim of her own heart? This next volume in the acclaimed Notebook series offers a fascinating look into the world of one of Egypt’s most notorious leaders. Featuring a fictional journal that invites us into Cleopatra’s inner world, this is an exquisite guide bursting with gorgeous illustrations and packed with fun interactive extras such as flaps featuring historical facts and pop-culture references. This is a riveting volume rife with battles, passion, and even murderous intrigue — an exclusive look into the legendary queen’s dramatic life.

About this title

About the Author

Clint Twist has written more than 85 books for U.K. and U.S. publishers in the fields of science, nature, and history, and for readers of all ages. Some of his books include Charles Darwin and the Beagle Adventure, The Mythology Handbook (with Dug Steer), and The Oceanology Handbook.

Ian Andrew created the black-and-white pencil illustrations for Egyptology and The Egyptology Handbook. He is an accomplished animator and has illustrated many books for children.

Reviews

Gr 6-9-Cleopatra is an endless source of fascination to historians and young people alike. As a ruler of Egypt, she has been portrayed in a variety of ways, from conniving temptress to powerful queen. This volume manages to show her in all of her complexities, highlighting her strengths as a pharaoh and a leader of her people, as well as describing how she manipulated those around her to do her bidding. Controversial as her reign was, the facts, such as they exist, are presented clearly with global contexts provided, such as her complicated relationships with both Julius Caesar and, later, Mark Antony. Her role in the Ptolemy family is described, and explanations about the political machinations surrounding the reigns of her father, siblings, and Cleopatra herself are clear and concise. Illustrated flaps to lift and explore and sidebars offer up intriguing details about hairstyles, jewelry, battles, and religion. Artwork, photographs, maps, diagrams, and a host of other artistic detail provide an immersive browsing opportunity. A rich, compelling story, broken down into accessible sections, coupled with an attractive and fun layout, makes this an excellent addition to any biography collection.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Blending fictional extracts from Cleopatra’s memoir with informational text on the ancient Egyptian ruler, this faux scrapbook adds up to an unconventional but engaging biography. This title in the Notebook series begins by highlighting the queen’s legendary status and discrepancies in her portrayal throughout history, particularly by Roman historians. As the text describes Cleopatra’s heritage, family rivalry, vast empire, influential alliances with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, and her part in a war with Rome, flaps, fold-outs, maps, reproductions, photos, quotes, and patterned papers complete the ornate scrapbook effect. Readers may be surprised to learn that although Cleopatra was born in Egypt, her family was actually a dynasty of Greek-speaking aristocrats from Macedonia. All manner of sidebars offer additional info about the time period, including religious practices, military arms, and Egyptian hairstyles and jewelry. The book concludes with a look at Cleopatra and Antony’s suicide pact, offering only the possibility of the queen’s death by snakebite, as well as how and why Cleopatra’s legacy has endured. Enticing for both browsers and researchers. Grades 4-7. --Leeper, Angela

Edition details

• Publisher: Templar
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0763660957
• ISBN 13: 9780763660956
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Andrew Ian
• Number of pages: 30