STIMULATING HISTORIES

Press, 30 August 1980, Page 17

STIMULATING HISTORIES

The Rise of Islam. Renaissance Italy. Both in Longmans Great Civilisations series, 1980. 44 pp. each. $6.95.

(Reviewed by

Diane Prout)

The “Great Civilisations” series is a mini-encyclopaedia which provides information for children in the way Sir Kenneth Clark provided for the _ adult viewer and reader in his magnificent television series 10 years ago. “The Rise of Islam” and “Renaissance Italy” are volumes five and six respectively in a publishing enterprise which includes Ancient Egypt, China, Greece and Rome, and at the surprisingly reasonable cost of S 7 a volume, considering the high quality of text, paper and illustrated reproductions of the world’s finest art treasures, the books are well worth the investment. Both volumes contain inside the hard covers an excellent time-line of the most significant events of the periods

as well as a glossary of common social, political and philosophical terms which are well within the comprehension of a 12-year-old. Colour, contrast and varied typography make these books visually stimulating as well as intellectually exciting. In addition to the historical facts, there is an anecdote, or less common piece of information which provides a highlight. For example, a sixteenthcentury Italian banker called Agostino Chigi, who boasted solid-silver fittings in his bathroom and a bed of silver and ivory, once gave a famous feast to display his wealth to his guests. After every course of the meal, he ordered his servants to throw the silver serving dishes into the Tiber in a gesture of. one-upmanship. However, he had laid nets in the river beforehand to catch the silver. When his guests had gone home, Chigi got his silver back! famousfea stcied?ttt 8n