The Great Wall: The story of thousands of miles of earth and stone that turned a nation into a fortress

by Elizabeth Mann, Alan Witschonke (Illustrator)

Overview

This is the story of a people's struggle for absolute security in a violent and dangerous world. Needing defense against the Mongols whose empire encompassed most of the known world, the Chinese built the Great Wall of China over 200 years. Thousands of miles long, the Wall was guarded by over a million soldiers manning thousands of forts and towers.

Wonders of the World series

The winner of numerous awards, this series is renowned for Elizabeth Mann's ability to convey adventure and excitement while revealing technical information in engaging and easily understood language. The illustrations are lavishly realistic and accurate in detail but do not ignore the human element. Outstanding in the genre, these books are sure to bring even the most indifferent young reader into the worlds of history, geography, and architecture.

"One of the ten best non-fiction series for young readers."
- Booklist

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781931414128
Publisher:	Mikaya Press
Publication date:	02/04/2006
Series:	Wonders of the World Book
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	1,108,822
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.25(d)
Lexile:	910L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Elizabeth Mann has written nine Wonders of the World books, an award-winning series. She is former teacher in New York, holds an M.S.E. and is cofounder of Mikaya Press.

Alan Witschonke is the illustrator of four Wonders of the World books: The Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building, The Great Wall and Hoover Dam.

Editorial Reviews

Informative, entertaining, often riveting, these books offer readers important pieces of history and bring the civilizations to life... A must-have series! Highly recommended.

Canadian Materials - Gail Hamilton

In this Wonders of the World title, Mann (The Brooklyn Bridge) sets the story of the Great Wall into a thorough yet concisely wrought framework of Chinese history and culture. Noting that the differences between the traditions of the Chinese and those of the nomadic Mongols led to centuries of conflict, Mann describes how rulers from various dynastiesbeginning with China's very first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, who died in 210 B.C.attempted to build walls to protect their people from the bellicose nomads. When the Mongols became even more powerful and feared in the mid-15th century, the Ming court began the colossal task of building the Great Wall, a laborious process that Witschonke illustrates in two full-page, informatively captioned pictures. The artist also offers some enticing panoramas of Chinese landscapes and several dynamic action scenarios: on horseback, Genghis Khan and his warriors charge at the reader; and a four-page foldout shows the Mongols attacking one of the Great Wall's forts. Reproductions of Chinese art cap this accessible view of a momentous era. Ages 8-up. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 4 Up--A look at the story behind the building of the famous wall. Told in story format, the readable text is presented in a concise, straightforward manner. Beginning with the kidnapping of the Ming dynasty's sixth emperor in 1449, Mann traces the roots of the historical battles for land and power between the Chinese and the nomadic Mongols. As a result of the constant fighting, the first attempts at building a wall date back to the first emperor of China, around 200 B.C. However, the majority of the text focuses on the period after Khubilai Khan's rule through the year 1644. The text is surrounded by ample margins and accompanied by a full-color, captioned illustration on each spread. The vivid paintings, done in earthy tones, blend in with the photographs and museum reproductions that also appear throughout. A time line highlighting the various Chinese dynasties, a chart of the Mongol invasion, and a map showing the approximate location of the Wall round out the presentation. This title includes more detail than Leonard Fisher's The Great Wall of China (Macmillan, 1986); fans of Mann's The Great Pyramid and The Brooklyn Bridge (both Mikaya, 1996) will not be disappointed with it.--Shirley N. Quan, Orange County Public Library, Stanton, CA

School Library Journal

Part of the publisher's "Wonders of the World" series, this excellent book combines history and adventure in a winning package...Sure to be popular both as education and entertainment, this title is highly recommended for grades 4 to 6.

Catholic Library World

Chinese history abounds with drama, intrigue, greatness and sadness. In this book all the elements on which the nation was founded are melded into a riveting account of how the Great Wall was built and its physical and mental impact on the Chinese people. The writing is infused with a genuine enthusiasm for the subject. The book's value is bolstered by strong and splendid illustrations. The Great Wall is a great book.

Parent Council

2,000 years of Chinese history read like an adventure story.

Sacramento Bee

Readers who loved Elizabeth Mann's The Brooklyn Bridge and The Great Pyramid, will be instant fans of The Great Wall.... Although it is a complicated story of politics and power, Mann tells it simply and skillfully...Brilliant illustrations by Alan Witschonke convey the enormity of the construction...a stunning visual history that will enrich any study of Chinese history and culture.

Library Talk