The Master Builders (Mysterious Places). This item is unavailable.The Master Builders (Mysterious Places)

Discusses ten sites which have ruins that have taught us about vanished civilizations

One of four entries in the Mysterious Places series-- simplified versions of Wilkinson's Encyclopedia of Mysterious Places; others are The Magical East; The Mediterranean; and The Lands of the Bible). All are generously illustrated with domestic scenes, floor plans, time lines, maps, and intriguing glimpses of the past as filtered through Ingpen's fine style; though realistic, its soft precision adds an elegant aura. The text poses the kinds of questions kids would ask when confronted by such structural wonders as Machu Picchue, Troy, Skara Brae, or Stonehenge (Why did people build these places? How did they live?). Dynamic layout and sound discussion make these volumes easy to relish in long or short bouts (though typos jar, e.g., a map spells ``Catal H y k'' differently from the text). Palatable lessons on history, anthropology, and architecture. (Nonfiction. 11-14) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.