More than two thousand years ago, with his land under constant attack from nomads, the First Emperor of China came up with a simple solution: build a wall to keep out enemies. It was a wall that kept growing and growing. But its construction came at a huge cost: it is believed that more than a million Chinese died building it, earning the wall its nickname--the longest cemetery on earth. Through the story of the wall, Patricia Brennan Demuth is able...

"Describes what life would be like to work on the Great Wall of China"--Provided by publisher.

Through an examination of allusions to the Wall in an eclectic array of texts--ranging from official dynastic histories, elite poetry, and popular folktales to contemporary tourist testimonials, children's songs, and avant-garde performance art--this study maps out a provocative new framework for understanding the structure's function and significance.

"Current day kids Annie and Nico travel back to--ancient China to witness the construction of one of the most impressive architectural feats: The Great Wall of China. A system of walls and borders built to bolster the Silk Road and keep out intruders. Discover all the ins and outs of this gargantuan structure (in fact: it's comprised of 16 walls) with Nico and Annie as your friendly time-traveling tour guides. Who knows, their fun fact finding journey...

Panoramic illustrations and fascinating text reveal the story of the Great Wall and the individuals who helped build it, bringing to life key periods and turning points in the Great Wall's history.