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9780192804587

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Review from previous edition The approach combines traditional chronological history with cultural and social historical material to produce a well rounded picture ... chapters covering prehistory and the intermediate periods are particularly good, with Seidlmayer on the First Intermediate Period and Bourriau on the Second Intermediate Period outstanding. Bryan's chapter on the 18th Dynasty before the Amarna Period is also particularly good. Antiquity If you only want to read one book on Egypt, then read this one ... even people who consider themselves as experts on Ancient Egypt will find much to set them thinking: And while such Egyptologists will have a field day, the casual reader will find plenty to arouse their interest, ranging from the story of the world's first strike ... to the revelation that Scotland Yard possesses a print taken from the hand of a mummy. The Northern Echo splendid, lavishly illustrated book ... the only single-volume work to cover 700,000 years of Ancient Egypt from the stone age to Roman conquest ... Lucidly edited by Ian Shaw ... you get the facts without the dust. An excellent choice for enthusiasts and novices alike; even better if you can persuade someone to buy for you as a present. Roddy Phillips, Aberdeen Press and Journal From the Stone Age to the Roman occupation in the fourth centry AD, the mighty Egyptian dynasties are brought to life in almost 450 pages ... never anything but deeply informative, without losing sight of the essential attribute of any book - readability ... both stimulating to the casual reader or keen-to-learn holiday maker and the serious student alike. Peter Leach, North West Evening Mail brimming with ... intriguing facts ... also provides a first-rate overview of - le progres Egyptien - from the period when Homo erectus first stalked the land right up to Octavian's triumphant entry into Egypt in 30 BC. Douglas Kennedy, The Times

It is almost impossible to imagine Ancient Egypt without picturing exotic pharaohs and monumental pyramids, but, as this excellent overview ably demonstrates, there is much more to Egypt's past than dried-up mummies and tomb-raiding. Starting at 700,000 BC during the Palaeolithic period and ending with the declining days of Roman rule in AD 395, this lavishly illustrated book calls upon a host of world authories to conjure up the story of this fascinating ancient civilization. Each chapter covers a particular period and comprises an essay from an acknowledged expert in the field. As one would expect, the rise and fall of the ruling dynasties plays an important part, but the political elements are not allowed to overshadow the equally remarkable social, cultural and economic histories of the nation. To help the layman appreciate stylistic developments in art and literature a wealth of colour and black-and-white photographs is included. As one would expect, the coverage of funerary beliefs and practices is extensive and fascinating. The book shows how the simple single-pit burials of the earlier periods evolved into an increasingly elaborate use of cemeteries for the more important dead, then demonstrates how this ultimately grew into the grand-scale use of pyramids as tombs for the ruling families. Solid and authoritative, this book retains the clarity necessary for the enthusiastic amateur, but equally provides a comprehensive study for the student of Egyptology. This is a definitive overview of the complex history of a nation, and one that nobody with an interest in Egyptology can afford to be without. (Kirkus UK)

Author Information

Ian Shaw studied Archaeology and Egyptology at Cambridge University, gaining a PhD on the archaeological remains at Tell el-Amarna. He later undertook research into Egyptian quarrying and mining sites as a British Academy Research Fellow at New Hall, Cambridge. His other publications include Ancient Egyptian Warfare and Weapons (1992), The British Museum Dictionary of Ancient Egypt (1995), The Dictionary of Archaeology (1999), and Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology (2000)

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