This handsome volume presents seven notable “wonders” of ancient Asia: the Great Wall of China, Mahabodhi Temple in India, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Todaiji Temple in Japan, Pha That Luang in Laos, Borobudur Temple on Java in Indonesia, and the Banaue Rice Terraces of the Philippines. Visually, each chapter opens with a large photo of the site and a small, attractive map that places it within its country and region. The text offers a history of each place, explaining its origins within the context of the society that constructed it. With good writing and a nice design, this book offers a fine introduction to some historically significant places that are not well represented in American libraries. A timeline, a glossary, a selected bibliography, and source notes conclude the volume, along with a challenge for readers to choose an “eighth wonder” of ancient Asia.
