SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD

The author of Rushmore (1999) and other visits to modern wonders turns to the seven originals—though, as he points out, the list only became set in stone (as it were) within the last 500 years, long after all but the Great Pyramid at Giza had vanished. Next to monumental, full-page views done with a severe formality reminiscent of Leonard Everett Fisher’s work, Curlee surveys what we know of each Wonder from ancient sources and modern archaeology. Though many mysteries remain, such as what the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus actually looked like (Curlee supplies four possibilities) or exactly where the Colossus of Rhodes stood, for most the size, materials, even sometimes the names of the artist-builders have been preserved—as well as each structure’s eventual fate. Curlee cites no books or Web sites to fan any flames of interest he might kindle, but he does supply a map. After references to other human-made Wonders past and present, he gathers his once-mighty subjects (quietly substituting Babylon’s Ziggurrat of Marduk, which has a more impressive silhouette, for the Hanging Gardens) for a final, to-scale, group portrait alongside the Statue of Liberty and the US Capitol. It’s a memorable tour, whether fueled by interest or class assignment. (Nonfiction. 8-10)