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A review by lisa_setepenre
Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt by Barbara Mertz
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.