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crownoflaurel's review against another edition
5.0
This was both hilarious and informative, so win/win!
Barbara Mertz's alter-egos have always been included in my favorite authors, and it was fun to read a non-fiction book that felt so familiar to those books. Honestly, it felt very contemporary in tone, full of snark and humor about the imperfections of how Egyptology establishes time periods, or about the naming traditions of the kings/pharaohs.
Barbara Mertz's alter-egos have always been included in my favorite authors, and it was fun to read a non-fiction book that felt so familiar to those books. Honestly, it felt very contemporary in tone, full of snark and humor about the imperfections of how Egyptology establishes time periods, or about the naming traditions of the kings/pharaohs.
amy_h_45's review against another edition
4.0
I never thought that I’d read a book about ancient Egypt and end up crying at the end, but that’s exactly what this book did to me. I read this book with my daughter as part of her homeschool curriculum, so it wasn’t of my choosing, but I’m so glad I read it. Barbara Mertz lovingly takes her reader through the history of ancient Egypt, with a tone that I can only think of as sassy grandma. As an Egyptologist, with a PhD, she has spent her fair share of time studying her subject. She writes with warmth and humor. She is not afraid to insert her thoughts and opinions about current theories historians and archaeologists hold about ancient Egypt. This is a history book unlike other history books that I’ve ever read—more like you’re sitting at lunch with an expert who is talking to you like a friend and not like a student. I absolutely loved it!
bookishnorth's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
jmeston's review against another edition
It's been a good book for dipping in occasionally. I like the enthusiasm and breezy assertiveness. But I find I distrust her confident conclusions. Maybe I'll try another more recent take on the ancient Egyptians.
psalmcat's review against another edition
5.0
It's so much fun to find that a fiction writer you love is just as good at writing nonfiction! Mertz knows when the discussion of pharaohs gets boring and switches up with a perfect tangent that encapsulates the life of one of the many Amenhoteps and Ramses in the list. She also manages to explain the different periods, why they exist, and ties it all together with other historical events in what we now call the Middle East. And the parts that bore her? She skips lightly over them with a caustic comment.
There are a lot of caustic comments about things she doesn't skip as well.
There are a lot of caustic comments about things she doesn't skip as well.
carriegessner's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this book! I listened to it on audiobook. Very informative if you want to get a basic grip on Egyptian history. Both the author's style and the reader's inflection were vibrant, engaging, and at times even laugh-out-loud funny. Highly recommend.
bookaddictkatie's review against another edition
5.0
Barbara Mertz/Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters is amazing!
lisa_setepenre's review against another edition
5.0
If you want a book that could be an introduction or refresher course on Ancient Egyptian history that's both informative and entertaining, I can only recommend this. It covers what I consider to be the "real Ancient Egypt" – starting with the predynastic Egypt and ending just as Alexander the Great conquers Egypt.
This is a book very much about the Egypt of the (dynastic) pharaohs, so if you want detailed information about the Greco-Roman period and it's personalities, it's best to look elsewhere. No doubt some people will be disappointed by this. I've always found the Greco-Roman period and even Cleopatra dull by comparison to the earlier times, so I'm not disappointed at all.
I could complain about the lack of detail given to some periods or pharaohs, but with 3,000 years of history to cover, it would be nitpicking. You can feel the love and enthusiasm the author has for the subject in almost every page, which makes it stand out all the more.
This is a book very much about the Egypt of the (dynastic) pharaohs, so if you want detailed information about the Greco-Roman period and it's personalities, it's best to look elsewhere. No doubt some people will be disappointed by this. I've always found the Greco-Roman period and even Cleopatra dull by comparison to the earlier times, so I'm not disappointed at all.
I could complain about the lack of detail given to some periods or pharaohs, but with 3,000 years of history to cover, it would be nitpicking. You can feel the love and enthusiasm the author has for the subject in almost every page, which makes it stand out all the more.
thebookewyrme's review against another edition
4.0
A rousing enjoyable read. Ms. Mertz takes us on a historical journey from the beginning of recorded history in Egypt through to the conquest of that land by Rome. She spends an extensive amount of time on the heretic Akhenaton, but we all must be allowed our favorites. I most appreciate her presentation of both facts and her own theories. She never pretends her theories are more than that, unlike some scholars who tout theories as fact. Definitely highly recommend this for students of Egyptology at any level.