Product Description
"These entertaining, deftly organized books will make terrific light-hearted additions to cirriculum units on ancient civilizations." — Publishers Weekly

Stop the presses! What if ancient civilizations had daily newspapers? And they were amusing and compellingly informative? They might just look like this innovative series of historical nonfiction, presented in a unique, kid-friendly format. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great book idea!
My class really liked the format of this book, and it encouraged them to find out what this culture was about.

The Aztec News
Excellent bite sized tidbits of history presented in an interesting format. Inside you will find a map of the Aztec empire, articles detailing every day life of the Aztec from agriculture, the Spanish invasion, war, the ball game, a guide to the ancient city of Tenochtitlan, a girl talk section, food and classifieds that provide an insight to the culture.What a great series!I purchased a copy as a gift for my 9 year old niece and was so impressed that I am purchasing the whole series for her!What a find!A clever and delightful way to introduce history to youngsters.

School Project
I am in the process of doing a school project on the Aztec and this book has all the info I need!I would recomend this book to anyone! It has everything enterusting in it, there is not one boring word! ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1877.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Product Description
An ancient civilization comes to life when readers unlock this treasure chest and explore the activities and secret drawer within. The fully illustrated paperback guide offers remarkable insights into daily life in Mexico and in the golden age of Aztec rule in the 15th century. Over 100 color illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Ancient Aztecs
This "trasure chest" is great. My children loved it. They enjoyed it and learned so much about the aztecs. The cardboard temple and the map really helped my children understand how the aztecs lived backthen. The book was also great in depicting the lives of the aztecs withcolorful illustations. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Imagine you are growing up in an Aztec family. Music and dance are important parts of your life, for they are tied in with religion, and pleasing the gods is very important. You will learn how to sing, dance, and play a musical instrument by the time you are twelve years old, and how well you do so will reflect on your family. You study music, and you perform in an orchestra that plays for special religious celebrations. Imagine you are a dancer or a singer. You and your group shake bodies, hands, and feet in time to the drums. You sing together while holding flowers and wearing feathers. The songs and dances tell a story, perhaps one of the early Aztec legends or something to do with the gods. Hundreds of people join you in these dances and songs, and when you perform well, your parents are very proud. Find out more about these customs and how the Aztecs lived, worked, and played in the land that would become Mexico. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Ancient Americas: Maya, Aztec, Inca & Beyond
I could not put this book down.This is an excellent book on pre-Columbian America.The book presented a very stimulating account of the major civilizations in Mesoamerica and the Andes.The text illustrations and color plates were very helpful.If you need to read one book on pre-Columbian America, this should be it!This should be a required reading at the college level.Hats off to Nicholas Saunders. ... Read more

Product Description
Richard Townsend gives the complete history of the Aztec civilization’s rise from humble nomads to empire builders.Within a hundred years, the Aztecs established the largest empire in Mesoamerican history, and at Tenochtitlan built a vast, shimmering city in a lake, a Venice of the New World. The book ends with a dramatic narrative of the Spanish conquest, as seen from the Aztec viewpoint. 16 color and 154 black-and-white illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

aztec
i got this thinking it was have picture, i was goign to use it as a reference for my tattoos i was getting. but it's very interesting with tons of information about the aztecs.

Now in a revised and updated third edition
Now in a revised and updated third edition, The Aztecs is an in-depth history of this legendary civilization native to ancient Mexico. Exploring the influence of the cultures that preceded the Aztecs (Xochicalco and Tula), The Aztecs reveals breakthroughs in hieroglyphic cryptology (pictographic and phonetic elements combine in Aztec script similar to conventions in Classic Maya writing) and delves into what the latest discoveries (such as that of the twelve-ton monolith of the goddess Tlaltecuhtli) have to tell us about the Aztecs. Black-and-white and a handful of color photographs illustrate this excellent reference, thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds and particularly recommended for public and college library collections.

Scholarly yet accessable
Townsend's _The Aztecs_ provides a great introduction to one of the great Mesoamerican civilizations.Opening with the Spanish arrival and eventual conquest of the Aztec empire, he then goes back to explore how the Aztecs - who were at the zenith of their power when Cortez arrived in 1519 - became such a powerful state, and how this led to their eventual demise.The complaints I have are rather nit-picky: I struggled with the Aztec names (of places, of titles, of dieties, of rulers); I also wish he had gone into more detail about social heirarchy and especially gender relations.

To be fair, the book is meant to be an introduction - and as such, it exceeds expectations.While Townsend leans a bit heavily on political history, he devotes time to urban culture of the Aztecs - the importance of Tenochtitlan as a religious as well as commercial center; and entire chapters discuss Aztec artisans and farmers, another family and education, and a fascinating chapter on Aztec religion.Still, much of the book centers on the founding, growth and expansion of the Aztec empire and the role (both culturally, politically and religiously) that warfare played in this.In fact, Townsend makes a very convincing case that "The Aztecs had mastered the arts of war but not those of government" which eventually led to its destruction at the hands of the Spaniards.

Matters of historical controversey are readily admitted (always appreciated, and too often not s forthrightly addressed in historical ntroductions), and splendidly cited using primary sources from both Aztec and Spaniard.For those seeking a great starting place in understanding Mesoamerican civilization, this is the book I would recommend.

Another Thames and Hudson success
I wondered as i was reading this book how it was that the Aztecs who had historically recorded populations of 100,000 plus,never had a terrible ecological disaster as the Mayan civilization supposedly did.Surely with Aztecan confederacy type populations there must have been a high use/misuse of resources. Could it be that the Aztecs had thought out a way to avoid such disasters as faced the Mayan civilations.Probably?
One way was the setting aside of large areas of timber and etc. and designating them as sacred so people could not inhabit them without offending the Gods. This seems like an early form of todays National Parks,the Aztecs therefore early consevationists.These are some of the type interpretations a person could gather from reading Townsends' book.Tenochtitlan while no doubt an architectural splendour,would not have downgraded to any degree the vast Aztecan style ceremonial centers in the outlying and mountainous regions of the Mexican valley.You get the feeling from this book of the Aztecs as an industrious,religious,artistic type people.
No doubt however that Aztecan society was highly stratified and warfare, tied to their religion,a major force in the expansion of their empire.The Aztecan empire was still in existence when the Spanish arrived so there is some written records available.I found the descriptions and numerous pictures of the "skull racks" along with the authors familiarity with Aztec warfare and human sacrifice,morbidly fascinating.Ther are lots of pictures and maps.Another excellent Thames and Hudson book.I was wondering after reading the book and noting the similarities between these Mesoamerican Sun Kingdoms. Maybe when the Mayan civilization collapsed,the remnants moved to the Mexican valley and tried to improve on the lessons from the Yucatan Peninsula.

Atztec overview
Good for the Aztec virgin. Used as a primer, an introduction, to the great mesoamerican culture, the Aztecs. Written with no fat or pretension. Great buy, fair price, good edition, nice paper. ... Read more

Product Description
This book introduces the reader to the fascinating world of the Aztecs. This book looks at how the Aztecs ruled their empire and prayed to their gods. It also explores the many aspects of daily life, from food and farming to Aztec arts and crafts. Did you know? The Aztecs worshipped hundreds of gods and goddesses. The clothing the Aztecs wore represented their status in society. The Aztecs played a sport called ulama, a mix of basketball, volleyball, and soccer.The Ancient Civilizations series tells the stories of the greatest cultures in human history and explains the lives of ancient people with amazing facts and stories. ... Read more

Product Description
This text opens with a description of the origins and rise to power of this great Central American civilzation, and ends with its sudden and cataclysmic fall 200 years later at the hands of the Spanish conquistadores. In its central section, aspects of Aztec life and culture is looked at, including war, religion, technology, Aztec arts and crafts and everyday life in their great city of Tenochtitlan. The final chapter looks at the Aztec legacy. This book is part of a series of reference works that look at the way of life, beliefs and achievements of the ancient cultures. The emphasis is on primary source material, with contemporary quotations offering insights into how life was actually lived. ... Read more

Product Description
The palace of Montezuma, the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan, a typical Aztec house, and the temple of the Aztec Knights are depicted on acetate that can be peeled back to reveal the activities inside, complemented by an informative textual survey. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very informative and interesting.
The book may be written for junior high or middle school students, but as an college librarian, I learned a lot and found it most enjoyable.The book gave me a sense of what it was like to live as an Aztec.Highly recommended for all ages. ... Read more

Product Description
Each book in the "Insights" series provides children with a broad range of topics in history, natural history and science. Six pages with fold-out flaps allow children the opportunity to discover historical facts or animal physiology, such as the exact movement an animal makes when it runs, jumps, flies or crawls. This volume explores the Aztec peoples, their territory and ways of life. It questions the evidence we have of their existence, their skills and crafts, how they hunted and prepared for war, and the catastrophic events that occurred after the arrival of European explorers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

great way to learn plenty about the Aztecs
I use this book every time I teach kids about the Aztecs.It's engaging (great illustrations), informative, and fun.Every student enjoys reading MacDonald's book.The fold-out pages give her plenty of space for details (from human manure to steam baths) as well as drawings and photographs.

Too many insights
As a 6th grade teacher, I found this book to be a good reference tool for myself.However, my students were overwhelmed and did not know where to start with it.The text layout is scattered and busy.It does have some beautiful photographs and great illustrations with captions that provide an ample amount of good information.MacDonald's "How Would You Survive..." book is much more reader-friendly for those interested in the Aztecs. ... Read more

Product Description
Describes easy-to-make crafts that replicate the arts of the ancient Aztecs. Includes historical material, a timeline, a glossary, and resources. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This Aztec craft book is awesome!
It teaches about history and shows how to make very unique artistic crafts.I have never seen a craft book where the crafts you learn to make look like they belong in a museum. With the guidance of this comprehensive book i proudly made the Aztec bowl using things i had around the house. ... Read more

Product Description
Here's an exciting, hands-on collection of ideas and activities designed to introduce students to the life of the ancient Mayans and Aztecs.

Ancient history will come to life for students as they write number glyphs using the code of the Maya, design their own battle uniforms using ideas from the Aztecs and learn about the diet, work, entertainment, worship and warfare of these people who were the forerunners of modern Mexico. They'll discover the fierce side of both cultures and their preoccupation with blood and death.

Students will begin to understand why the Mayans and Aztecs lived as they did and how a European desire to discover gold in the new world brought an end to their vibrant civilizations. A variety of creative activities are included to involve students in exploring these ancient peoples for themselves. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
The book goes on to discuss and illustrate the beauty of the colossal stone sculptures of the Toltec, and the magnificent jade carvings of the Olmec, and the turquoise mosaics of the Aztec.The book has a highly visual approach, with over 230 supe ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

the art and architecture
"An illustrated encyclopidia" says the title... that is deceiving. Probably they don't know what encyclopedia means... in this case the book lacks information and depth. ... Read more