Chronologica compiled by the Whittaker's Almanack Team
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781472932945
(Age: 10+) Recommended, History, Non fiction. Subtitled The
incredible years that defined history, this massive tome is a
fascinating book to dip into and read about an event which readers
may not know a lot about. Beginning with 753 BC, and travelling
through the execution of Joan of Arc in 1431, shipwreck of the
Batavia in 1629, the first hot air balloon in 1783, to the Fall of
the Berlin Wall in 1989, each year covered, and there are a hundred
of them, has several pages devoted to it. The topics covered are as
varied as they are different, as interesting as they are
entertaining, and they all point to the importance of that year.
Each page offers an illustration pertinent to the text, and a page
of text for kids to read, giving a potted overview of the topic.
Each of the one hundred dates chosen represents an incredible year
in world history, be it the Cornish Rebellion of 1497, 1796 and the
first vaccinations, 1895 seeing the first Nobel Peace Prizes being
awarded, or 1846 when the first saxophone is patented. The list of
things recounted is so varied, it is hard to put a finger on why
each is included, or what may follow. But always interesting,
intriguing and informative, this book will be read by those kids who
hang out looking for facts to read and entertain themselves and
others. There was always a bunch of them looking at the almanacks
and Guinness books of Records and so on in my library, and this will
be eagerly included.
Fran Knight