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archkeyblader's review against another edition
4.0
A great start for anyone looking to dip into the history of Ancient Egypt. A bit outdated, but still worthwhile.
lupalionessa's review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely loved the authors style of presenting info. A fun way to casually read up on the history of ancient Egypt. I had a hard time keeping focus at some parts but otherwise great!
sjgochenour's review against another edition
5.0
I heartily recommend this book, though I confess I will need to investigate other more recent works to see if any of the theories have been proven/disproven. Aside from giving an overview, this is full of entertaining and thought-provoking anecdotes about archaeological puzzles and interesting tidbits from the historic texts.
That being said, I'm not going to pretend that it isn't wildly satisfying for a fan of Amelia Peabody to read this book and locate all the things that Barbara Mertz worked into the series (the tale of Sinuhe, the butchered skull of the pharaoh Sekenenre, the workmen's village at Deir-el Medina, and of course and always, the innumerable mysteries of Akhenaten.) The author knew what she found fascinating and kept coming back to those questions over a forty-year career.
That being said, I'm not going to pretend that it isn't wildly satisfying for a fan of Amelia Peabody to read this book and locate all the things that Barbara Mertz worked into the series (the tale of Sinuhe, the butchered skull of the pharaoh Sekenenre, the workmen's village at Deir-el Medina, and of course and always, the innumerable mysteries of Akhenaten.) The author knew what she found fascinating and kept coming back to those questions over a forty-year career.
claudia_is_reading's review against another edition
5.0
I adored this. It's fun, entertaining and filled with lots of interesting information, never dull or dry.
It's quite obvious that the author knows very well how to engage the readers and now I must go searching for her fictional works :P
Is this a complete history of Ancient Egypt? Nope, and the author tells us that from the beginning, stating that she will go about what interests her, and I had no qualms with it. I enjoyed every minute of it and, as a plus, learn quite a bit. If you have at the less a minimum interest in old archaeology and/or Ancient Egypt, you'll have a good time reading this =D
Lorna Raver's narration is very, very good.
It's quite obvious that the author knows very well how to engage the readers and now I must go searching for her fictional works :P
Is this a complete history of Ancient Egypt? Nope, and the author tells us that from the beginning, stating that she will go about what interests her, and I had no qualms with it. I enjoyed every minute of it and, as a plus, learn quite a bit. If you have at the less a minimum interest in old archaeology and/or Ancient Egypt, you'll have a good time reading this =D
Lorna Raver's narration is very, very good.
jaclyn408's review against another edition
3.0
Too many names, places, etc to keep them straight or have a true understanding
allisonarthur's review against another edition
3.0
This book was not only very informative, it was very laid back. Mertz didn't bore me to death with a million facts, she wrote it as if she was teaching the subject to a class. I literally felt like I was sitting in the back row of Egyptian history 101: I leaned forward and read the good parts eagerly, and on the more boring parts, I kind of zoned out. I feel like I learned a lot, but Mertz only took 2 sentences to go over Cleopatra. If you're looking for a romantic Egyptian history, this is not the book. However, you will learn a lot.
enutzman's review against another edition
5.0
Fabulous, rolicking, overview of ancient Egyptian history told by a great storyteller.
zephyrsilver's review against another edition
4.0
I have to say, this is probably one of the best non-fiction books I've ever read. Mertz, being a fiction writer of the Amelia Peabody series, has a great writing style, and she herself is incredibly witty. There were a few times where I had to put the book down because I was laughing at some of the snide comments she made. She definitely knows how to make an interesting read. Also a very good introduction to Egyptian history. She acknowledges what's important and what's really not, so you're not forced through every pharaoh ever. Definitely a good start for Egyptology 101.
redhairedashreads's review against another edition
3.0
This book covers the history of Ancient Egypt from the Stone Age settlements through to the reign of Cleopatra and the Roman Invasion. While this was very interesting, it is a bit dated at this point since it was written in 1964. Also, some of this information is biased, but she does usually inform you of it, so you need to be aware of that going into this.
Overall, while this was informative, it was also a bit overwhelming with the amount of information presented in it, especially in the audio format. Also, I could have done with less opinions and speculations and more of the facts as they were known at the time.
Also, I didn’t know before I started reading this book that Barbara Mertz is also Elizabeth Peters, and I love that she also writes nonfiction.
You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
Overall, while this was informative, it was also a bit overwhelming with the amount of information presented in it, especially in the audio format. Also, I could have done with less opinions and speculations and more of the facts as they were known at the time.
Also, I didn’t know before I started reading this book that Barbara Mertz is also Elizabeth Peters, and I love that she also writes nonfiction.
You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.