Terra Cotta Warriors: Ancient China's Legendary Underground Army

This little book is a lovely introduction to a wondrous treasure trove of art and history - the ancient statues of the otherworldly army of China's first emperor. For a recreational traveler like me, planning to visit the Silk Road soon, this is just what I need to prepare myself for an encounter with Emperor Qin Shi Huang's two-thousand-year-old warriors.Don't expect a coffee table book. The format is small for an art book. Still, every spread is rich in high-quality photography, beautifully designed and instructively written.The content is broad and covers such delicious details as the scandals surrounding Qin's birth, the blood bath he conducted to secure his throne, his conquest and unification of all Chinese kingdoms, his invention of bureaucracy, and his fatal pursuit of immortality.The book tells how battles were fought by Qin, including weaponry and martial music. It describes Qin's armory for the afterlife. There are pages displaying and describing the non-military figures in Qin's entourage as well - entertainers and civil servants, cavalry and foot soldiers, archers, stable boys and generals.There is also informed speculation about the splendors remaining in the actual tomb of Qin, yet to be excavated. And for thrills and chills, the book tells of rumors of a curse that threatens violators of Qin's tomb grounds. Archeologists aren't scared, but the locals are!Although this book is replete with scholarship, it's also an all-too-human story of one man's power over vast lands and his ultimate powerlessness over fate. I enjoyed it immensely.

Thought this was going to be a much larger book. A Christmas gift requested by my 11 year old. She loved the book, though.

Lovely little book that is very informative and has great photos of these magnificent historical artifacts. I highly recommend this book.

Excellent, easy read filled with great details. Thoroughly enjoyed reading from cover to cover.

enjoyed - looking forward to seeing them