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The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How They Were Built

chris scarre

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Abu Simbel, Angkor Wat, Petra: today we stand in awe before the great monuments of the past as we wonder who built them and for what purpose. This authoritative and profusely illustrated compendium celebrates the achievements of those ancient builders who created huge and impressive structures without the benefit of modern technology. Expanding upon the theme of the traditional Seven Wonders, The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World incorporates marvels from around the globe, spanning the centuries from the first stone monuments of the fifth millennium b.c. to the Great Temple of the Aztecs in the sixteenth century a.d. The shaping of the Great Sphinx at Giza, the raising of the stones at Stonehenge, the laying out of the Nazca Lines on the face of the Peruvian desert, or the construction of the Great Wall of China (probably the greatest building project ever attempted in ancient times) are all described and explained in light of the most up-to-date archaeological research. So too are the erection of Egyptian obelisks and Easter Island statues, and the building of Roman roads and Inca bridges. Neglected monuments such as the giant stelae of Aksum or the mountain palace at Sigiriya are set beside the great Baths of Caracalla in Rome and the palace of Persepolis. Packed with factfiles, diagrams, photographs, and newly commissioned perspective views, The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World provides a testament to the skill of the ancient engineers and architects who created lasting memorials--some for practical ends, others for prestige and propaganda--that have continued to impress successive generations through the ages.

304 pages, Hardcover

First published October 30,1999

This edition

Format
304 pages, Hardcover
Published
January 1, 1999 by Thames \u0026 Hudson
ISBN
9780500050965
ASIN
0500050961
Language
English

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chris scarre

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Rating(4.1 / 5.0, 10 votes)
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Alainpogi
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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I should have read the subtitle: "...and how they were built." For what it purports to do, it does well but in a 90s oversized Nat Geo style. I would have preferred a more general summary of the great monuments and how they were used by their civilizations, and less about how they were built, although it does give me a greater appreciation for the sheer enormity of monumental building in terms of physical man-power.
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ILEGENES
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Wonderful but brief snippets of information about so many remarkable locations around the world. Many of these places are already on my bucket list to visit, but I've added several more just from scouring this book. Amazing structures, if only we could know more.
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thunderturd12000
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Not what I thought it would be, but then again, I did not see the subtitle when I ordered this from a book club long ago.

I thought this would be a book about 70 wonders of the world, their history, other useful cultural tidbits.

Instead, this is more of an architecture book, describing the construction of each of the monuments, and why such construction is unique and significant.

It is an interesting book, just not what I thought it might be. Still useful for trivia and for D&D RPGing.
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decapitron
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Very heavy on the construction and the architecture of each monument, but still really intriguing to have such an insight into so many incredible feats of engineering that I’d bet many are not familiar with.
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Tessa
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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more focused on engineering & architecture than I thought
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LHTdota2
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Listakirja on listakirja. Olihan tässä hyvätkin hetkensä, mutta kun 70 kertaa listataan kivilohkareiden pituuksia ja painoja, niin tylsäksi käy väistämättä.
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