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David Long Books

Flight: From a Balloon to the Moon – and Beyond

Non-fiction

From a hot air balloon to holidays on the moon, award-winning David Long captures the astonishing true stories of advances in aviation.

From the Wright Brothers’ twelve seconds aloft to the Moon landings less than a lifetime later, the story of aviation is not just a series of astonishing advances made at breathtaking speed. It’s also about the courage and ingenuity of the men and women who made such rapid progress possible; about the romance of soaring above the clouds; and perhaps most of all about the exciting and exhilarating realisation of a dream which is literally centuries old.

What it was like to be an Ancient Greek

David Long & Stefano Tambellini

Non-fiction

Blue Peter Award winning author David Long takes readers on a captivating exploration into the culture and legacy of ancient Greek civilisation.

Around 3,000 years ago, the ancient Greeks created one of the world’s most advanced civilisations. While most worked as farmers and fishermen to feed their families, others studied hard to become brilliant astronomers, navigators, philosophers, artists and athletes. Then, under the rule of Alexander the Great, their language, art and ideas spread through an enormous empire that stretched from Egypt to India.

From the myths and legends of the gods atop Mount Olympus to the origin of marathon races, find out what life was really like in Ancient Greece in this fascinating new exploration from award-winning writer David Long.

Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.

What It Was Like to be an Ancient Egyptian

David Long & Stefano Tambellini

Dyslexia-friendly, Non-fiction

From sacred cats to the invention of toothpaste, Blue Peter Award winning author David Long takes readers on an intriguing investigation into the ancient Egyptian civilisation.

The incredible civilisation of ancient Egypt lasted for 3,000 years. Ruled over by pharaohs, the Egyptians developed agricultural skills and trading partnerships that enabled them to build a rich and powerful nation centred on the Nile.

Far more advanced than any European coutnries at the time, the Egyptians achieved incredible feats of building, created a new way of writing, and revolutionised farming.

Find out what life as an ancient Egyptian was actually like, both for pharaohs and ordinary people, in this fascinating new exploration by award-winning author David Long.

We Are the Ancient Egyptians

Allen Fatimaharan & David Long

Non-fiction

Illustrated by World Book Day 2022 Illustrator Allen Fatimaharan!

Step back in time to Ancient Egypt and meet some of the many people who lived, worked, and played during that time. From a necropolis builder to a tomb robber, a brewer to an embalmer, and a slave girl to the Pharaoh himself – each one will share with you the story of their own daily life. Together, they are the Ancient Egyptians.

Featuring 19 different characters from Ancient Egyptian times, as well as an introduction to the Ancient Egyptian world, a key to decoding hieroglyphics and a timeline of key events, this book provides a new angle on a classic subject, bringing the ancient world to life.

What It Was Like to be an Ancient Roman

David Long & Stefano Tambellini

Dyslexia-friendly, Non-fiction

‘What was it like to be an Ancient Roman’ is clearly written and easy to read. In 10 quick-to-read chapters, this short book describes many facets of Roman life – including the gory parts. Topics include how the empire began, life in towns, entertainment, life in the countryside, rulers and armies, religion, inventions and the end of the empire. The final chapter speaks about the huge impact Romans had on the world and the legacy they have left behind.

This would be great as a class read when learning about the Roman Empire in lower KS2, but equally could be used by pupils for individual research. The dyslexia-friendly format from Barrington Stoke is wonderfully accessible and each chapter would be a great basis for reading comprehension lessons.

An absolutely great short chapter book, highly recommended.

What it was like to be an Ancient Maya

David Long & Stefano Tambellini

Dyslexia-friendly, Non-fiction

An interesting and accessible guide to daily life for the Ancient Maya.

This is a short chapter book, at just under 90 pages, but it is packed with knowledge, presented in an accessible way. It has 9 sections, covering who the Maya were, daily life, inventions and discoveries they made, as well as theories about what happened to them. Throughout the sections, illustrations and helpful diagrams are also included.

This is such a useful book, great for teachers to use to support them with lesson planning, but also great for children to access if they want to learn more about a particular area of Ancient Maya.

Survivors

David Long & Kerry Hyndman

Non-fiction, Short story collection

This is an exciting non-fiction text containing a collection of captivating real-life tales of men, women and children who have survived the most perilous situations against all odds.

The book of short stories features a mixture of well-known adventurers, like Shackleton, and lesser-heard stories like that of Poon Lim, a man who wrestled for survival by living alone at sea on a raft for months and, desperate for something to drink to stay alive, captured and killed a shark in order to drink its blood! Many of the stories are truly incredible and they encapsulate how the sense of sheer determination, guile and radical bravery found deep within the human spirit enables people to overcome adversity in the most unlikely situations.

This is a superb non-fiction-that-feels-like-fiction text that we highly recommend to KS2 classrooms.

What It Was Like to be a Viking

David Long & Stefano Tambellini

Dyslexia-friendly, Non-fiction

The Vikings were a terrifying force that changed history across the globe – from Canada all the way to Iraq. But they were merchants as well as marauders, explorers as well as adventurers. The greatest seafarers and shipbuilders of their age, they were also skilled metalworkers and artists, farmers and fishermen, healers and herders. They were even democrats who established the world’s oldest surviving parliament. Award-winning writer David Long’s concise but wide-ranging account brings their fascinating civilisation into focus, explaining what Viking life was actually like as well as considering their lingering influence throughout the world.

Tutankhamun’s Treasure: Discovering the Secret Tomb of Egypt’s Ancient King

David Long & Stefano Tambellini

Dyslexia-friendly, Non-fiction

On 4 November 1922, a young Egyptian boy working on Howard Carter’s archaeological dig in the Valley of the Kings stumbled across a strange piece of rock. On closer inspection it turned out to be a stone step that would lead Carter to a long-lost tomb – and to treasures beyond his wildest dreams.

The tomb belonged to boy pharaoh Tutankhamun and was packed full of priceless artefacts. It had been largely untouched for over 3,000 years and remains one of the most important archaeological discoveries of all time. But did the opening of the tomb trigger a deadly curse?

David Long’s fact-filled account shows how Carter’s amazing discoveries told us so much about life in Ancient Egypt.

We Are the Romans: Meet the People Behind the History

Allen Fatimaharan & David Long

Non-fiction

If you’re teaching a topic that includes a look at Roman Life then this book will enrich your curriculum and would be useful both when planning and for wider reading and research from students.

After a short introduction to the Roman Empire, on each page we travel back in time to meet a member of Ancient Roman Society, from all walks of life – a diverse selection from slave to Emperor. As they tell their individual stories, we learn about the hierarchy and workings of Roman Society and the everyday lives of many people, including some of the more ‘interesting’ details from history that children love! As well as gaining a glimpse into the luxurious lives of the rich, we learn about the hard life lived by legionaries from Secundus Nigilius, who often marches 30 miles a day; scribe Cordia Verbis teaches us how she mixes ink from soot and glue; and the Banker, Lucretius Tappo, teaches us the origins of the English word ‘money.’

The final pages of the book include more general information: a map of the Roman Empire, a timeline of key events, lists of famous Romans, inventions and Gods and Goddesses. They also include interactive elements. You can learn Latin and Roman Numerals and there’s a recipe to follow too (thankfully it’s for baking bread and not for the Roman delicacy of dormice dipped in honey!)

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