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Top 5 books on Ancient Egypt


Ursus

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Egypt: Land and Lives of the Pharaohs Revealed. Ancient Civilizations. This is a brilliant "coffee table book" that surveys all areas of Egyptian history. Highly informative for a mass market book. Great photos and illustrations. Includes an informational CD. To be enjoyed by casual and serious students alike. No public library should be without it.

 

The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Ian Shaw. Not for the casual student, but delivers some great essays on all areas of Egyptian history. Quality varies with essay (some of these Oxford professors are extremely long winded), but overall an excellent reference guide.

 

Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt. Rosalie David. If you only read one book on Ancient Egypt, read this. Written for the general reader, it summarizes all areas of life. It has one of the best summaries of AE's long history to be found anywhere. Best of all, it is cheap!

 

Egyptian Mythology. Geraldine Pinch. A very readable introduction to the various deities of Ancient Egypt and their mythologies.

 

Ancient Egyptian Literature: An Anthology. John. L. Foster. A sweeping survey of Egyptian literature as recovered from papyri and epigraphy. Includes religious hymns, folk tales, wisdom literature, and funerary dedications.

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  • 3 weeks later...

That sounds like a good list, especially the Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt and the book on Egyptian literature. I own a few books on Ancient Egypt, and its stuff that I brought a good few years ago. People of the Pharaohs by Hilary Wilson was a good read if I recall. It basically tells you about the occupations of the different people in Egypt, from mudbrick makers to bakers and priests etc.

 

Ancient Egyptians by Anton Gill is another good read. Its a book based on the British Television series (one of the most expensive drama/documentaries ever made) which shows Ancient Egypt from the eyes of those who lived during the period, fromt the Pharaoh Thutmose III to grave robbers, murderous priests and two orphaned twins. Every chapter is based on an actual event from Egyptian history, but what makes them interesting is that they are retold by the average person on the street from that era - and they are actually based on real people, not characters.

 

I will be looking out for some of these titles in the future, and I'll hopefully be able to buy two of them, when I get more money of course!

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  • 6 years later...

I would add Barry Kemp's Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilization (second edition, 2006). It really delves into what made ancient Egypt unique, using not just the written sources, but also the available archaeological material. A superlative read, though perhaps not the most accessible one. Really comprehensive notes, too; ideal if you want to go further into a particular topic.

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