This attractive, thorough, and comprehensible book, part of the People of the Ancient World series, offers a stellar introduction to life in ancient Rome. Each section covers a different aspect of Roman life. The first and most complex section describes the often-volatile Roman government as it evolved over several centuries, piecing together enough details about specific emperors and senate bodies to sketch a clear picture of its early rule. Later sections concentrate on Rome's impressive achievements in philosophy, writing, art, and architecture and then cover life for all different strata of the social system, from the aristocratic patricians down to the slaves. Special attention is given to cultural attitudes and how they differ from current perceptions. Several sections go to great lengths to extract from minimal archaeological and literary clues information on women in the culture, even citing one find proving there were female gladiators. This book's beautiful presentation, inviting details, and impressive extras (including a fully illustrated biographical dictionary) help make it an exceptional addition to any upper-elementary and YA collection.

Gr 4-7-Even libraries that have plenty of material on the topic may want to consider this volume for the full-color photos and reproductions alone. The writing style is lively and some lesser-known incidents from Roman history are included, which add great interest. For example, a law passed by the Roman Senate in 216 B.C. severely limited the ability of women to gain and hold wealth. By 195 B.C. the so-called "Oppian Law" was up for renewal, and Roman women took to the streets in a massive demonstration against it (described by the historical writer Livy). The law was repealed. Chapters cover not only government, the army, women, religion, and architecture, but also working-class Romans and slaves. The up-to-date bibliography includes videos and Web sites. An excellent introduction.-David Pauli, Hillsboro Public Library, OR Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.