The Vikings

The new Living History series uses computer technology in an innovative manner--color images of live actors, scale models, sets and stock photos are combined to recreate scenes from history. Thus readers see Columbus confronting the Tainos, view the construction of the pyramids and witness a Viking duel. The result is mixed at best. Action scenes generally have a posed feel, like dioramas in a museum. And some details jar: contemporary faces peer out from under period wigs and haberdashery; heavily made-up Britons make unconvincing Egyptians. Further adding to the discordancy is the fact that while the texts are in past tense (somewhat diminishing the topics' immediacy), the photographic captions are in present tense. Each volume does provide overviews of the latest scholarship, much detail of everyday life, a useful ``How Do We Know?'' end note, and a timeline and map as end-papers. But the subjects--traditional, all--are presented in a flat textbook-like manner. Clare also aims for even-handedness, on issues, succeeding mainly in losing a consistent focus, for example ``balancing'' Columbus's life with a token two pages on the Taino people. The technology's possibilities aren't realized here, and these books seem unlikely to generate the intended enthusiasm for history. Ages 8-12. (Sept.)