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The Emperor's Silent Army

Terracotta Warriors of Ancient China

Author Jane O'Connor
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Hardcover
$19.99 US
Penguin Young Readers | Viking Books for Young Readers
On sale Apr 15, 2002 | 48 Pages | 9780670035120
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Lintong County, People's Republic of China, March 1974

Three farmers are digging a well when suddenly their shovels hit something hard. It is a clay head of a mad who stares back at them, open-eyed and amazingly real looking. The farmers have never seen anything like it; neither have the archeologists who arrive and being to uncover more and more pottery men—first dozens, then hundres and eventually thousands! Buried for more than 2,200 years, they are soldiers, life-size as well as life-like, and they stand at attention as if waiting for the command to charge into battle. The only thing missing is their weapons, and soon those are found too—thousands of real bronze swords, daggers, and arrowheads still so sharp they can split a hair.

Now, after almost thirty years of ongoing excavation, a buried army of 7,500 terracotta soldiers and horses has emerged. And this site that three farmers accidentally stumbled upon ranks along with the Great Pyramids in Egypt as one of the true wonders of the ancient world.

The Emperor's Silent Army features more than forty full-color photos that showcase the terracotta troops. A vivid and engaging text tells all about the army as well as the extraordinary story of the men who commanded its creation—the ruthless and tyrannical first emperor of China.
The Emperor's Silent ArmyChapter 1
A Strange Discovery

Chapter 2
The Quest for Immortality

Chapter 3
Buried Soldiers

Chapter 4
The Faces of Ancient China

Chapter 5
Inside the Emperor's Tomb

Chapter 6
The Emperor's Legacy

Author's Note
Bibliography
Index

  • WINNER
    IRA Teachers' Choices
Jane O'Connor is the award-wining author of over 100 children's books, including the New York Times best-selling Fancy Nancy series. She lives in New York City. View titles by Jane O'Connor

About

Lintong County, People's Republic of China, March 1974

Three farmers are digging a well when suddenly their shovels hit something hard. It is a clay head of a mad who stares back at them, open-eyed and amazingly real looking. The farmers have never seen anything like it; neither have the archeologists who arrive and being to uncover more and more pottery men—first dozens, then hundres and eventually thousands! Buried for more than 2,200 years, they are soldiers, life-size as well as life-like, and they stand at attention as if waiting for the command to charge into battle. The only thing missing is their weapons, and soon those are found too—thousands of real bronze swords, daggers, and arrowheads still so sharp they can split a hair.

Now, after almost thirty years of ongoing excavation, a buried army of 7,500 terracotta soldiers and horses has emerged. And this site that three farmers accidentally stumbled upon ranks along with the Great Pyramids in Egypt as one of the true wonders of the ancient world.

The Emperor's Silent Army features more than forty full-color photos that showcase the terracotta troops. A vivid and engaging text tells all about the army as well as the extraordinary story of the men who commanded its creation—the ruthless and tyrannical first emperor of China.

Table of Contents

The Emperor's Silent ArmyChapter 1
A Strange Discovery

Chapter 2
The Quest for Immortality

Chapter 3
Buried Soldiers

Chapter 4
The Faces of Ancient China

Chapter 5
Inside the Emperor's Tomb

Chapter 6
The Emperor's Legacy

Author's Note
Bibliography
Index

Awards

  • WINNER
    IRA Teachers' Choices

Author

Jane O'Connor is the award-wining author of over 100 children's books, including the New York Times best-selling Fancy Nancy series. She lives in New York City. View titles by Jane O'Connor

Other Books by this Author

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