Product Description

This is an account of the rise and fall of the civilization in the Nile Valley, covering the first human settlement (c 120,000 BC) to its conquest by Alexander the Great in 333 BC. It is the first reign–by–reign history of ancient Egypt to be published since Sir Alan Gardiner′s Egypt of the Pharaohs (1961) and takes full account of the many archaeological, scientific and linguistic discoveries of the last three decades.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #264129 in Books
• Published on: 1994-10-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 528 pages

Review
"Very up–to–date . . . The index, the illustrations, the bibliography and the tables make this book an excellent reference tool." La Croix.

"The range of recent revisions, particularly chronological, and the ever increasing amount of archaeological material demanded a new synthesis. Here it is, both lively and well written." Le Quotidien de Paris.

From the Back Cover
This is an account of the rise and fall of the civilization in the Nile Valley, covering the first human settlement (c. 120,000 BC) to its conquest by Alexander the Great in 333 BC. It is the first reign–by–reign history of ancient Egypt to be published since Sir Alan Gardiner′s Egypt of the Pharaohs (1961) and takes full account of the many archaeological, scientific and linguistic discoveries of the last three decades. The author blends archaeological and textual evidence into a lucid and vivid narrative and, by quoting extensively from contemporary sources, such as the funerary autobiographies of individuals and the official accounts of military campaigns, adds a strong sense of atmosphere to the unfolding of events.

Nicolas Grimal recounts the political, cultural and economic history of the Egyptians within the framework of an intricate and well–argued chronology. At a time when the vast accumulation of information from ancient Egypt is becoming almost too diverse for a single mind to encompass, he has managed to transform – without disguising current gaps in knowledge – disparate sources of evidence and the findings of many different disciplines into a coherent historical sequence. This is in itself a considerable achievement: it has also provided the means of presenting one of the most scholarly and at the same time most readable histories ever written of a civilization whose mysteries and achievements have fascinated the West for well over two millennia.

For the paperback edition a section of further reading in English has been prepared by Kent R. Weekes, Professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo.

About the Author
Nicolas Grimal is Professor of Egyptology at the University of Paris, Sorbonne.

Ian Shaw is Lecturer in Egyptian Archaeology at the University of Liverpool.

Customer Reviews

Classic Text Book
A serious but readable survey of Ancient Egyptian history,one to read to counter all the rubbish written about UFO's etc which seem to be so popular.Will give you a good gounding in the subject.

Dry as dust!
This is not for the uninitiated. A comprehensive review which in the first 80 pages seems more interested in who is who's mother, how long each pharoah may have reigned and where they chose to build their tombs than introducing interesting information or stories to draw the reader into the subject. Not for the beginner. Terminology is not explained. A difficult book to enter for those like myself who are just looking for an introducion to the subject of the history of Ancient Egypt. I can't imagine who the targeted audience may be. Anyone interested in the points discussed would be more than likely well versed in the subject and go to specialised books on specific periods rather than an overall history.