All you need to know about books at www.booksmonthly.co.uk                                                     Issue 4 July 2008

BARBARA TAYLOR: ROMANS ~ "Romans" showcases one of the most spectacular civilizations in history, exploring the rise and fall of the Empire and its legacy. It tells the stories of the Roman army's greatest triumphs, its most powerful and infamous leaders, including Julius Caesar, and Rome's bravest gladiators. Young readers are fascinated by the mysteries of the past and how people lived many centuries ago. This book illuminates the lives of ordinary people who lived in towns such as Pompeii, the town buried in volcanic ash in 79 AD. We discover what they ate, where they lived, their language and pastimes - and how their lives are relevant to us today.Lavishly illustrated with stunning artworks, maps and photographs, this book is a wonderful introduction to the Roman world for every young reader.

BARBARA TAYLOR: PLANET ANIMAL ~ "Planet Animal" showcases some of the world's best-loved animals now at risk due to hunting, habitat destruction, and more recently, climate change. Featuring a host of animals, from polar bears, to elephants and albatrosses, this book uses a new, dynamic format and sumptuous photographs, to explore each animal in the context of its habitat. The special features, such as flaps and pull-outs help the reader to get a sense of how each animal moves, hunts or migrates, and quick reference booklets and number icons explain clearly the reasons why the animals are threatened, how many are left, and what is being done to help them.The special items include: a researcher's-eye view of a mountain gorilla's day; fascinating fact cards on 6 types of crocodile; a handy guide to an elephant's favourite foods; and a pull-out booklet on endangered rhinos.

100 BIRDS TO SEE BEFORE YOU DIE ~ "100 Birds to See Before You Die" is a must-have book for anyone interested in birds, with entries on 100 of the most incredible avian species across the world, illustrated with stunning photographs of each. Entries describe the natural history and significance of the featured species, with summary information including Size (and Wingspan, where applicable); distribution; habitat; classification; population & conservation status; and the reason for inclusion.Whilst many of the species would be on any bird enthusiast's wish list, the list has been fiercely debated over by two renowned birding authors, using various criteria to arrive at a top 100. Some species are endangered and therefore a must to see and conserve; others are quite common but have a particular plumage or behaviour that makes them exceptional; and others have a legendary status amongst birdwatchers and the layman, such as the dancing Red-crowned Cranes and the spectacular Gyr Falcon.

DES McHALE: QUICK WIT ~ "Quick Wit" is the second volume in Des MacHale's best-selling "Wit" series, the best-ever collection of humorous remarks, amassed over a period of 20 years. Taken from every source imaginable they have a breadth and freshness that simply cannot be matched by a trawl through a standard book of quotations. Here you'll find not only W. C. Fields and George Bernard Shaw but also a huge range of others from Paul Merton to Margaret Thatcher. Arranged thematically, the quotes in this unputdownable collection not only stand alone to tickle the humour buds but feed off - and even argue with - one another. On politics: "John Major delivers all his statements as though auditioning for the speaking clock." - Steven Glover. On sport: "I am the greatest golfer in the world. I just haven't played yet." - Muhammad Ali.

THE TREASURES OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES ~ The first time that the summer Olympic Games has been celebrated in such a glorious form, through 200 colour photographs and 25 removable facsimiles of rare Olympic memorabilia.A book of dreams...for the first time the official Olympic Museum have co-operated in producing an interactive book which allows readers to get closer to the world's greatest sporting spectacle than has ever been possible before.Published in association with Olympic Museum, this exceptional illustrated title brings to life, through over 200 photographs and 25 removable artefacts, the glorious history of the summer Olympic Games.Beginning in 776 BC in ancient Greece through to its revival in 1896 and the 24 subsequent modern games, "The Treasures of the Olympic Games" beautifully captures the organization's absorbing history and a wealth of sporting achievement

Books Monthly (formerly Gateway Monthly) is published by Paul Edmund Norman on the first day of each month. You can contact me via e-mail at: editor@booksmonthly.co.uk. If you'd like to get a story published in Books Monthly just e-mail it to me and I'll consider it - no payment though, I'm afraid!