Traitors' Gate
and Other Doorways to the Past
Take a walk in time by passing through remarkable entrances of kings, saints and slaves.
Many doors have an astonishingly rich history that goes back for centuries. TRAITORS’ GATE, the notorious entry into the Tower of London, has been a gateway into a fortress, a royal palace and even a prison.
The glorious and sometimes blighted history of doorways colorfully unfolds in profiles that richly tell the story of each history-rich portal.
Other famous doorways featured include:
• The magnificent portal of al-Khazneh, carved into the side of a cliff in southern Jordan
• The entrance to Sankoré Mosque in Timbuktu, where 16th-century students entered to study under world-famous scholars
• The door of the Castel Sant’Angelo, through which people fled to safety before invaders sacked Rome
• Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, where men, women and children stumbled out the door and onto slave ships bound for the Americas
• Meridian Gate in Beijing’s Forbidden City – palace, government headquarters and tourist center
• The Kremlin’s gold-encrusted entry, where subjects nervously waited for the infamous Ivan the Terrible
• The T-shaped doorway of Spruce Tree House in Mesa Verde National Park.
Filled with fascinating facts and surprising stories, and accented by a superb selection of photographs, Traitor’s Gate is an irresistible doorway to the past.
Reviews:
“… Eamer’s text is always solid and sometimes soars.”
—Booklist, 12/08
“… intriguing … The author’s clear, readable style will stimulate curiosity about these buildings and their truly remarkable entrances.”
—School Library Journal, 02/09
“… a well-told romp through history and archaeology.”
—Quill & Quire, 10/08
“… stunning … an eye-candy prize.”
—Canadian Children’s Book News, 10/08
“... a beautiful book with colourful architectural images and a fascinating historical narrative that is easy to read. I highly recommend it.”
—Professionally Speaking, 03/10