Rise and fall Great empires that shaped the world

This visually enticing work takes a boisterous romp through nine civilizations that made far-reaching, lasting impacts, managing to pack in amazing amounts of information through judiciously selective text and minutely detailed illustrations. Taking a global view and beginning back in 2200 BCE with the Minoans, brightly colored, page-filling illustrations portray busy vistas of everyday life, with multiple characters engaged in described activities along with a host of other tasks. Large font headings draw attention to brief, descriptive paragraphs, and explanatory captions appear in even smaller fonts, allowing the energetic drawings to propel the action. Subjects are presented in roughly chronological order (the Minoans; Persians; Vikings; Kamakura shogunate; Kingdom of Benin; Mongol, Mali, and Aztec Empires; and the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, aka Siam). Multiple-page spreads cover how each civilization came into power, basic aspects of size and scope, governance and notable rulers, significant contributions in fields ranging from diplomacy and military tactics to art and culture, and inevitable declines and falls. There is a detailed glossary but no notes or references. This title will enliven world history shelves and has multiple social studies and STEAM connections. This is also a book to savor, preferably over multiple perusals, and will appeal to curious browsers and budding historians alike.