The Seven Wonders of the World: A History of the Modern Imagination - Softcover

Romer, John; Romer, Elizabeth

Softcover

ISBN 10: 184188037X ISBN 13: 9781841880372

Publisher: Cassell PLC, 2001

Synopsis

Now they exist only within the precise, rectangular pits of excavated remains that capture a once-powerful dream whose images continue to echo around us. But, centuries ago, the Seven Wonders of the World were advertisements for a contemporary, thrilling, and heroic way of life, the finest examples of a brand-new civic architecture, the ancestors of every modern city on the planet. Here is the history behind these legendary lost structures: the enormous statue to the Greek god Zeus, carved by Phidias and holding a figure of Victory in one hand and a scepter in the other; the Colossus of Rhodes, a tribute to freedom looking up to Olympus and over the sea; the elegant lighthouse on the island of Pharos in Alexandria; the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, adorned with numerous statues and carvings; the many-tiered Hanging Gardens of Babylon; the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, as beautiful as the goddess for whom it was named; and the eternal Pyramids and the Rise of Wonder.

About this title

About the Author:

S John Romer did post graduate studies at the Royal College of Art and spent his early career recording wall reliefs in Ancient Egypt. For the last 25 years he has alternated professional archaeology and conservation with writing books and writing and presenting TV programmes. Co-author Elizabeth Romer has worked with John on most of his books. She too graduated from the RCA and worked as an archaeologist. John and Elizabeth Romer live in South Tuscany. PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED TITLES by John Romer include Valley of the Kings, Ancient Lives and Great Excavations, Elizabeth Romer has also written a number of cookery books, including The Tuscan Year. John Romer is a graduate of the Royal College of Art. He began work in archaeology on the University of Chicago's epigraphic survey at Thebes in Upper Egypt. For the last 25 years he has alternated professional archaeology and conservation with writing books and TV series, which he also presents to critical acclaim. This is his fourth series. John Romer lives and works around the Mediterranean and in the Middle East. He has a house in Tuscany with his wife, the author Elizabeth Romer, who is responsible for many photographs in this book.

Review:

History and archaeological discoveries blend in a title which examines the ancient world and the images which help modern historians recreate events and history. The making and unmaking of the seven wonders are recounted in a fine archaeological focus upon the hunt for their remains. -- Midwest Book Review

About this edition

• Publisher: Cassell PLC
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 184188037X
• ISBN 13: 9781841880372
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 244