Tikal: The Center of the Maya World (Wonders of the World Book)

By Elizabeth Mann

Book Overview

During the first millennium AD, one of the world's great civilizations appeared in the dense jungles of Mesoamerica. All over the Yucatan Peninsula, the Maya mastered sophisticated principles of mathematics, architecture, agriculture and astronomy and created scores of powerful city-states. At the center of this world was the largest city of them all -- Tikal.

Sprawling over twenty-five square miles, Tikal was situated in the heart of the Yucatan, near rivers that flowed to every corner of the Maya world. Tikal prospered from trade and military triumphs. Its rulers used its wealth to build a magnificent city of palaces, grand plazas and some of the largest stone pyramids seen in the Americas.

As with all great achievements of a civilization, Tikal is a window into the culture that created it. By telling the story of the city -- from its humble beginnings, through its bloody wars, to its "golden age" -- Tikal illuminates the Maya world in all its grandeur, glory and genius.

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

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 193141405X
• ISBN13: 9781931414050
• Release Date: November 2002
• Publisher: Mikaya Press
• Length: 47 Pages
• Weight: 1.24 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 10.6" x 9.8"
• Age Range: 9 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 8

Customer Reviews

A Combination of History and Architecture

Elizabeth Mann's "Wonders of the World" series examine buildings and other structures that range in time from Ancient Egypt to the Great Depression. Typically, her books begin by placing the featured building in their proper historical context. Once this context is established, Mann delves into the construction details of the buildigns. Each book is accompanied with detailed illustrations. It has been only in the last fifty years that the history of Tikal has been slowly unraveled with the decyphering of Mayan glyphs. Mann uses the latest archaeological findings to take young readers back to the 800's when Tikal reached its full glory. Mann writes well and both children and adults will enjoy reading the book. Of special note are the carefully rendered illustrations of Tom McNeely. His water color paintings remind me of the beautiful illustrations that graced John L Stephen's classic "Incidents of Travel in the Yucatan". Tikal is a great purchase for all those who love that heady mix of history and architecture. Highly recommended.

The splendors of Tikal

This is a very good book to get the attention of youth about the Maya. It is enjoyable for us oldsters too.