Mark Bergin (1961-) Biography

Born 1961, in Hastings, England; Education: Attended Bexhill College, 1976-78; Eastbourne College of Art, diploma, 1983. Religion: Church of England (Anglican). Hobbies and other interests: Historic reconstruction.

Career

Illustrator of children's books, 1983—.

Member

Chartered Society of Designers (diploma member).

Honors Awards

Times Educational Supplement award for book illustration in the senior age group, 1991.

Writings

SELF-ILLUSTRATED

Space Shuttle, Macdonald Young (Hove, England), 1998, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1999.

(With David Salariya) Wonders of the World, Macdonald Young (New York, NY), 1998, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1999.

Castle, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1999.

(With David Salariya) Wonders of the World, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1999.

(With David Salariya) Exploration of Mars, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 2001.

(With David Salariya) Robots, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 2001.

A Medieval Castle, Peter Bedrick Books (Columbus, OH), 2003.

Warfare in the Ancient World ("Battle Zones" series) Peter Bedrick Books (Columbus, OH), 2003.

Warfare in the Sixteenth to Nineteenth Centuries: The Age of Empires ("Battle Zones" series) Peter Bedrick Books (Columbus, OH), 2003.

Warfare in the Twentieth Century: The Age of Global Conflicts ("Battle Zones" series), Peter Bedrick Books (Columbus, OH), 2003.

ILLUSTRATOR

Leonard Matthews, The Journeys of St. Paul, Rourke Enterprises (Vero Beach, FL), 1984.

Leonard Matthews, Jesus's Wonderful Miracles, Rourke Enterprises (Vero Beach, FL), 1984.

Edwina Conner, A Child in Victorian England, Wayland (Hove, England), 1986.

Robin May, A Colonial American Merchant, Wayland (Hove, England), 1986, Rourke Enterprises (Vero Beach, FL), 1987.

Robin May, A Plains Indian Warrior, Wayland (Hove, England), 1986, Rourke Enterprises (Vero Beach, FL), 1988.

Robin May, A Plantation Slave, Wayland (Hove, England), 1986.

Marion Morrison, An Inca Farmer, Rourke Enterprises (Vero Beach, FL), 1986.

(With John James) Miriam Moss, A Slave in Ancient Greece, Wayland (Hove, England), 1986.

Stewart Ross, A Crusading Knight, Wayland (Hove, England), 1986, Rourke Enterprises (Vero Beach, FL), 1987.

Lucilla Watson, Boudicca and the Ancient Britons, Wayland (Hove, England), 1986.

Fiona Somerset Fry, A Soldier in Wellington's Army, Wayland (Hove, England), 1987.

Miriam Moss, A Norman Baron, Wayland (Hove, England), 1987.

Miriam Moss, A Teenager in the Sixties, Wayland (Hove, England), 1987.

Stewart Ross, The Ancient Britons, Wayland (Hove, England), 1987.

Michael Gibson, A Sailor with Captain Cook, Wayland (Hove, England), 1987.

Nigel Hunter, An Australian Pioneer, Wayland (Hove, England), 1987.

Robin May, An American Pioneer Family, Rourke Enterprises (Vero Beach, FL), 1987.

Fiona Macdonald, A Medieval Castle, Peter Bedrick Books (New York, NY), 1990.

Jacqueline Morley, A Roman Villa, Peter Bedrick Books (New York, NY), 1990.

Richard Humble, A World War II Submarine, Peter Bedrick Books (New York, NY), 1991.

(With John James) Jacqueline Morley, An Egyptian Pyramid, Peter Bedrick Books (New York, NY), 1991.

Eryl Davies, Transport on Land, Road, and Rail, Franklin Watts (London, England), 1992.

(With Carolyn Scrace) David Lambert, Seas and Oceans, Franklin Watts (London, England), 1992.

Fiona Macdonald, A Greek Temple, Peter Bedrick Books (New York, NY), 1992.

Peter Turvey, Inventions, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1992.

Fiona Clarke, Columbus and the New World, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1993.

(With John James) Fiona Clarke, Greece in the Time of Pericles, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1993.

Fiona Clarke, Rome in the Time of Augustus, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1993.

Richard Humble, A Sixteenth-Century Galleon, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1993.

Lizzy Pearl, The Story of Flight, Eagle Books, 1993, Troll Associates (Mahwah, NJ), 1994.

Scott Steedman, A Frontier Fort on the Oregon Trail, Peter Bedrick Books (New York, NY), 1993, published as A Nineteenth-Century Frontier Fort, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1994.

Fiona Macdonald, A Sixteenth-Century Mosque, Peter Bedrick Books, 1994.

Francesca Baines, Castles, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1995.

Macdonald, How Would You Survive as an Aztec?, created and designed by David Salariya, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1995.

Fiona Macdonald, How Would You Survive as an Ancient Greek?, created and designed by David Salariya, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1995.

Fiona Macdonald, A Viking Town, Peter Bedrick Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Jacqueline Morley, How Would You Survive as a Viking?, created and designed by David Salariya, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1995.

Scott Steedman, How Would You Survive as an American Indian?, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1995.

Brian Williams, The Spanish Armada, Hamlyn (London, England), 1995.

Daisy Kerr, Ancient Greeks, Franklin Watts (London, England), 1996, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1997.

Peter Lafferty, A History of Flight: From Balloons to Boeings, created and designed by David Salariya, Macdonald Young (London, England), 1996.

Andrew Langley, Elizabeth I, Heinemann (London, England), 1996.

Fiona Macdonald, First Facts about the American Frontier, Peter Bedrick Books (New York, NY), 1996.

Fiona Macdonald, The Roman Colosseum, Peter Bedrick Books (New York, NY), 1996.

(With John James) Jacqueline Morley, The Ancient Egyptians' Facts of Life, created and designed by David Salariya, Macdonald Young (London, England), 1996, published as First Facts about the Ancient Egyptians, Peter Bedrick Books (New York, NY), 1996.

Jacqueline Morley, First Facts about the Vikings, Peter Bedrick Books (New York, NY), 1996.

Daisy Kerr, Knights and Armor, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1997.

Andrew Langley, Food and Farming, Heinemann (London, England), 1997.

(With James Field) Andrew Langley, Tudor Palaces and Other Great Houses, Heinemann Library (London, England), 1997.

Fiona Macdonald, First Facts about the Ancient Greeks, NTC/Contemporary Publishing, 1997.

(With John James and Gerald Wood) Fiona Macdonald, First Facts about the Middle Ages, NTC/Contemporary Publishing, 1997.

Fiona Macdonald, Marco Polo: A Journey through China, created and designed by David Salariya, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1997.

Fiona Macdonald, Castle Siege, Reader's Digest Children's Publishing, 1997.

(With James Field and John James) Jane Shuter, Clothes and Costume, Heinemann (London, England), 1997.

(With James Field) Jane Shuter, Tudor Family Life, Heinemann Library, 1997.

(With Nicholas Hewetson and John James) Giovanni Caselli, Wonders of the World, Dorling Kindersley (New York, NY), 1998.

Jen Green, Race to the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11, created and designed by David Salariya, Franlin Watts (New York, NY), 1998.

(With James Field and John James) Andrew Langley, Trade and Transport, Heinemann (London, England), 1998.

Fiona Macdonald, Inca Town, created and designed by David Salariya, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1998.

Fiona Macdonald, Magellan: A Voyage around the World, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1998.

Hazel Martell, Roman Town, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1998.

(With James Field and John James) Brenda Williams, Houses and Homes, Heinemann (London, England), 1998.

Terry Whalin, Joshua and the Jericho Project, Broadman & Holman (Nashville, TN), 1998.

Terry Whalin, Moses and the Great Escape, Broadman & Holman (Nashville, TN), 1998.

Terry Whalin, Daniel and the Babylon Adventure, Broadman & Holman (Nashville, TN), 1998.

Terry Whalin, Jesus and His Miracles, Broadman & Holman (Nashville, TN), 1998.

Moira Butterfield, Aircraft, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1999.

(With Jeremy Pike and Mike Taylor) Amdrew Langley, Spanish Galleon, Reader's Digest Children's Publishing, 1999.

Christopher Maynard, Racing Cars, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1999.

Jacqueline Morley, Viking Town, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1999.

Moira Butterfield, Airplanes, Barrons (Hauppauge, NY), 1999.

Stephen Johnson, A Roman Fort, Peter Bedrick Books (New York, NY), 2000.

(With David Salariya) Ian Graham, Cars, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 2000.

(With David Salariya) John Malam, Super Structures, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 2000.

(With Nick Hewetson and David Salariya) Ian Graham, Super Trucks, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 2001.

(With others) Anne Millard, Going to War in Ancient Egypt, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 2001.

John Malam, An Ancient Greek Temple: The Story of the Building of the Temple in Ancient Greece, Peter Bedrick Books (Columbus, OH), 2001.

Adrian Gilbert, Going to War in Ancient Greece, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 2001.

(With others) Paul Cooper, Going to War in the Eighteenth Century, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 2001.

Gerald Legg, Bears, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 2002.

(With Carolyn Scrace) J. A. Cooper, Dinosaurs, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 2002.

Penny Clarke, Sharks, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 2002.

(With Carolyn Scrace) Penny Clarke, Snakes Alive, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 2002.

(With David Salariya) Penny Clarke, Spiders, Insects, and Minibeasts, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 2003.

(With Bob Hersey and David Salariya) Gerald Legg, Rats, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 2003.

Jen Green, Gods and Goddesses in the Daily Life of the Vikings, Peter Bedrick Books (Columbus, OH), 2003.

(With John James) Peter Hicks, Gods and Goddesses in the Daily Life of the Ancient Romans, Peter Bedrick Books (Columbus, OH), 2003.

Peter Hepplewhite, The Adventures of Perseus, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2004.

Fiona Macdonald, Warfare in the Middle Ages, Peter Bedrick Books (Columbus, OH), 2004.

Sue Reid, The Voyages of Odysseus, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2004.

Sidelights

British illustrator Mark Bergin has illustrated a vast array of books for young readers since finishing art college in 1983. With a broad expertise in aviation, historical engineering and technology, and the maritime, Bergin creates visual images that conjure up long-lost worlds to supplement the texts of fact-based history books for elementary-age readers. Some of the first titles Bergin illustrated belong to the "How They Lived" series. Published in the late 1980s, books such as A Plains Indian Warrior, An Inca Farmer, and A Colonial American Merchant focus on a particular segment of society and examine that community's daily life. Bergin's illustrations enhance the details provided in the text regarding food, housing, dress, and other characateristics.

As Bergin once explained of his illustrations: "I like to illustrate things so the viewer can get the most information from looking at the images. Hopefully they will interest and entertain at the same time. For historical references and artifacts on recreation work, I use museums and consultants. I also try and get a new angle on the subjects when I can, i.e., eye levels or three-dimensional perspectives."

Bergin won especial praise for his detailed artwork for A World War II Submarine, a 1991 work by Richard Humble. The book chronicles the origins of the submersible from the American Revolutionary War era to modern times, and concentrates on the submarines used in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans during the 1940s. Bergin's drawings, which incorporate cutaways, depict how a crew goes about its job on a daily basis to keep their vessel both up to speed and out of harm's way.

Bergin has also illustrated a series of books that profile architectural styles throughout history, among them Fiona Macdonald's A Medieval Castle, published in 1990. Incorporating what Booklist contributor Gillian Engberg dubbed an "intriguing visual approach," illustrations dominate each page in the book. Beginning with a castle's design stage and construction, drawings then reveal how a castle's residents lived. Bergin's images Bergin shares his considerable expertise in all things flight-related in a series of picture books featuring his meticulously detailed and technically accurate illustrations. (From Space Shuttle.) Readers interested in how things worked in past times will be fascinated with the wealth of information in A Medieval Castle, which covers the technology, customs, and manner of everyday life in England during the Middle Ages. capture the full range of life inside a castle, going beyond showing how nobles and knights lived to provide a glimpse of the meals, customs, and other aspects of daily life for servants and laborers as well.

Another collaboration between Bergin and Fiona Macdonald, 1992's A Greek Temple includes full-color illustrations that, lavish in scope, tell much of the story. A Greek Temple concentrates on the most famous Greek temple of all, the Parthenon. Reviewing this work together with a similar title that Bergin also illustrated, Jacqueline Morley's A Roman Villa, School Library Journal critic Rosie Peasley called them "two attractive books that present an interesting array of information in short, easily digestible bites."

Bergin has also created images for Morley's An Egyptian Pyramid, which is aimed at readers in grades four through six. Here, his watercolor illustrations reveal how these amazing, massive structures were constructed by ingenious methods of ancient engineering. Bergin also depicts how the people who built the pyramids lived during the time. Reviewing An Egyptian Pyramid for School Library Journal, Cathryn A. Camper observed that the illustrator's "well-executed" drawings "expand the text."

Bergin's drawings for A Frontier Fort on the Oregon Trail, a 1993 title written by Scott Steedman, show how a typical fort's soldiers and families lived. Specific sections demonstrate to young readers the purpose of the fort and how daily duties were divided among the structure's inhabitants. Detailed illustrations depict the construction and maintenance of the defense structure, how a buffalo was killed and quartered for its meat and hide, and the importance of the railroad to the community. George Gleason, reviewing A Frontier Fort for School Library Journal, called the book "a treasure on the topic."

Other cultures and eras explored by Bergin include ancient Britain, Viking society, and medieval Europe's age of exploration. Two titles representative of this last category are also authored by Macdonald: Marco Polo: A Journey through China and Magellan: A Voyage around the World. Bergin has also illustrated several books in the "Metropolis" series from Franklin Watts that present a specific place in time to help readers understand history on a more intimate level. Inca culture and how it impacted daily life is sketched in Macdonald's An Inca Town, which reveals life in fifteenth-century Cuzco, a famous Peruvian city. Roman Town, written by Hazel Martell, is another title from this series; it was also published in 1998.