Ancient Egypt: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) [Paperback]

Ian Shaw (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0192854194 | ISBN-13: 978-0192854193 | Publication Date: October 21, 2004

The ancient Egyptians are an enduring source of fascination--mummies and pyramids, curses and rituals have captured our imaginations for generations. We all have a mental picture of ancient Egypt, but is it the right one? How much do we really know about this once great civilization?

In this absorbing introduction, Ian Shaw, one of the foremost authorities on Ancient Egypt, describes how our current ideas about Egypt are based not only on the thrilling discoveries made by early Egyptologists but also on fascinating new kinds of evidence produced by modern scientific and linguistic analyses. He also explores the changing influences on our responses to these finds, by examining the impact of Egyptology on various aspects of popular culture such as literature, cinema, opera, and contemporary art. He considers all aspects of ancient Egyptian culture, from tombs and mummies to the discovery of artifacts and the decipherment of hieroglyphs, and from despotic pharaohs to animal-headed gods. From the general reader interested in Ancient Egypt, to students and teachers of ancient history and archaeology, to museum-goers, this Very Short Introduction will not disappoint.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ian Shaw is Lecturer in Egyptian Archaeology at the University of Liverpool. He is currently involved in fieldwork at the Gebel el-Asr gneiss quarrying region in Upper Egypt. His books include The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology, and Exploring Ancient Egypt.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (October 21, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192854194
• ISBN-13: 978-0192854193
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #694,839 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Misleading Title: VSI to Egyptology, not to Ancient Egypt, January 24, 2009

By 

Robert J. Pekkanen (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ancient Egypt: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Kindle Edition)

Be careful to buy this book only if you want to learn about Egyptology as an academic discipline, more than about what scholars think really went on in ancient Egypt. This book is a learned and fascinating introduction to the study of ancient Egypt. If you are looking to understand how scholars painstakingly piece together tiny shards of ambiguous and insufficient evidence to construct an understanding of ancient Egypt, this is your book. If you seek a primer the current state of knowledge on life, religion, politics, culture, and society in ancient Egypt, you should probably buy another book. I bought the book out of a desire to learn more about what current scholarly thinking about ancient Egypt in order to open up a window on that fascinating civilization. Instead, I discovered a compelling (if dry) narrative on how Egyptologists work and reach conclusions. This is a really interesting topic in its own right, and, of course, it is fundamental to evaluating what is presented as "what we know" about ancient Egypt in an intelligent fashion. However, you might not want to spend time learning about Egyptology, but instead want to learn about ancient Egypt. If so, this is likely not the book for you right now.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very satisfying introduction, December 3, 2006

By 

Peter Reeve (Thousand Oaks, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ancient Egypt: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

The title of this excellent entry in an excellent series should be 'Egyptology', as it is more about the study of ancient Egypt than the history itself. At 190 pages, it is a little longer than many entries in this series, but the final 30 of those pages are References, Timeline and so on, which provide a good springboard for further study.

Pharaonic Egypt was Earth's first great empire and it lasted for 3 millennia. The author examines the way in which that civilization has been perceived, interpreted and mythologized by, among others, Victorians seeking verification of Biblical stories and by modern, popular culture.

Ian Shaw writes well and comes across as an erudite and objective scholar. He has not used this book as an opportunity to put forward any unorthodoxy of his own, and has not been afraid to include many quotations from other Egyptologists. All of this makes the book a perfect introduction to this fascinating subject.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Egyptology, not Ancient Egypt, June 10, 2009

By 

WT - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ancient Egypt: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

I agree with the other reviewers that this book is not so much about Ancient Egypt as it is about Egyptology. I would say it even expects a previous knowledge of the periods and dynasties of Ancient Egypt. In that respect it fails to live up to its title.
As a book about Egyptology it's slightly dry and not very tight. The author seems to be all over the place. After reading this book, I have learned very little of Egyptology as a discipline except for a few theories expounded in the text.
I would not recommend this book. I am interested in reading Egyptian Myth: A very short introduction as a possible better introduction to Egyptian history, myths, and beliefs.