The Library of Alexandria - Hardcover

Trumble, Kelly

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0395758327 ISBN 13: 9780395758328

Publisher: Clarion Books, 2003

Synopsis

The Library of Alexandria was the largest library of its time and a major center for learning and scholarly research, particularly in the fields of astronomy, geography, mathematics, and medicine. Caesar and Cleopatra, Erastosthenes and Euclid, Archimedes and Alexander the Great are just a few of the famous people connected to its story. Today, historians still argue about how the library was destroyed, and no one knows exactly what it looked like, yet there is no question that the library continues to fascinate and intrigue us. This extensively researched look at what we do know about the Library of Alexandria features Kelly Trumble’s short, accessible chapters, and richly detailed full-color paintings by Robina MacIntyre Marshall. Together, they tell the story of one of the wonders of the ancient world, and show how its influence as continued long after its destruction. Glossary, suggested reading, selected bibliography, index.

About this title

About the Author:

Kelly Trumble is the author of Cat Mummies and The Library of Alexandria. She lives in Kirkland, Washington, where she has studied library technology, volunteers at an animal shelter, and is finally learning to play the piano.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-9-In this well-organized and thorough resource, Trumble delves into the people, legends, and politics surrounding the creation and ruin of the largest library in the ancient world. The chapter on collecting books details its methods of acquisition, which ranged from payment to thievery. A section on Alexandria's competitor, Pergamum, located in Asia Minor, provides an opportunity to describe and contrast the use of parchment and papyrus. Much attention is paid to the scholars who utilized the library and their achievements. For example, Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of the Earth. Herophilus practiced dissection and probably vivisection, adding much to contemporary understanding of the function of human organs and systems. Back matter includes maps, the Ptolemy family tree, and a description of sites in ancient Alexandria. The full-color, single-page illustrations, rendered in watercolor and gouache, are uneven. Marshall is more successful at depicting the flow of fabric, architectural ornamentation, and inanimate objects than in capturing the proportions and physicality of the human body. The modern-day Bibliotheca Alexandrina, an institution inspired by its ancient predecessor, is given only a brief mention. These flaws notwithstanding, this book is a unique and timely celebration of the age-old passion for and preservation of ideas.
Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
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About this edition

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0395758327
• ISBN 13: 9780395758328
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 80
• Illustrator: Marshall Robina MacIntyre