A Soldier's Life: A Visual History of Soldiers Through the Ages

A history of soldiers from Roman times through World War II features full-color photographs depicting the different uniforms, descriptions of weapons and equipment, and concise accounts of twelve major wars.

Grade 4-8. A striking cover photo of a Viking warrior will draw military enthusiasts to this oversized visual history. Arranged chronologically, the chapters vary in length from two to six pages and cover the time span from Roman soldiers c. 50 A.D. to the Allied and Axis troops of World War II. Each chapter is dominated by full-color photos of authentic uniform reproductions worn by members of military reenactment groups. Each model is given a name appropriate to the time period. The captions give detailed data about the soldiers, their uniforms, food and supplies, and living conditions. While the photos are the main feature here, the text contains a significant amount of historical information. The book concludes with an impressive list of forts, museums, and national parks that includes addresses and phone numbers. This title's potential use in the classroom and its high-interest subject make it rank as a priority purchase.?Eldon Younce, Harper Elementary School, KS
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4-7. Beginning with a Roman in the year 50 A.D., this large-format book presents the soldier's life, his uniform, accoutrements, and weapons through the ages. Each double-page spread introduces one or two fictional warriors with several paragraphs of information and several photographs of costumed men and their gear. The colorful, cut-out photos stand distinctly against the white background, making this an inviting book for browsers. Robertshaw, the head of education for the National Army Museum in London, provides an informative text that explains many of the everyday issues seldom discussed in other books (how the soldiers kept their feet dry, for instance.) The book's British origin is noticeable in a few minor oddities, such as references to Native Americans as "the Natives," but the American Revolution (both British and Continental soldiers), the Civil War, and the Indian wars are represented. Good supplemental material for history buffs. Carolyn Phelan