Egypt in the Age of the Pyramids [Paperback]

Guillemette Andreu (Author), David Lorton (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1997

The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt comes alive as Guillemette Andreu recreates the details of daily life. Construction sites teem with workers building the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. Administrators bustle to and fro, handling their assignments from the pharaoh's court. Scribes train themselves to draft a variety of letters. Andreu describes the Egyptians as they spend a day in the marshes with family and friends. They glide on light skiffs through the papyrus plants, stopping occasionally to marvel at the marsh creatures: frogs, butterflies, kingfishers, ibises, herons, lapwings, weasels, and mongooses. Because the marshes also shelter crocodiles and hippopotami, the day is not without its perils. In her vivid representation of Egyptian life, Andreu makes use of letters from family archives, full of household instructions from travelers and nostalgic greetings from grown children living away from their parents. The principal source of evidence for Egyptian life-styles between 2650 and 1750 B.C. are the scenes carved or painted on the walls of tombs. Short hieroglyphic inscriptions accompany these images, recording what might have been said by the men and women pictured. Andreu's book is amply illustrated and supplemented by a bibliography. It will delight tourists planning to visit Egypt, museum goers, as well as students.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Drawing on letters, artifacts, and hieroglyphic inscriptions, Andreu provides a vivid slice of everyday life in ancient Egypt. After a brief historical summary of the dynastic era (2700^-1750 B.C.E.), the author concentrates on re-creating the daily lives and tasks of a host of Egyptians from a variety of backgrounds and social classes. Laborers, farmers, scholars, and artisans are all represented in an informative and evocative sociological survey. In addition, religious, political, and cultural activities and traditions are also outlined. An engaging introduction to the manner in which ordinary routines and sacred customs were practiced during one of ancient Egypt's golden ages. Margaret Flanagan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Perfect for any study of Egypt is this focus on ancient Egyptian daily life, which uses archaeological evidence to reconstruct Egyptian life styles between 2650 and 1750 B. C. Hieroglyphic inscriptions and tomb paintings serve as the foundation for Andreu's account: her background as an Egyptologist at the Louvre Museum and her academic credentials add authority to her study. -- Midwest Book Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Cornell University Press (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801483131
• ISBN-13: 978-0801483134
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #922,683 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars not hieroglyphics, July 24, 2000

By 

marzipan "panchild" (Greenwich, CT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Egypt in the Age of the Pyramids (Paperback)

This book is for the person just beginning to read about Ancient Egypt, as well as the more advanced reader. It's scholarly, well-organized, and up-to-date, but this narrative of the Old and Middle Kingdoms, and people who lived in those times, is also vivid and moving. Day-to-day life of those long gone becomes real, for Guillemette Andreu has given the Ancient Egyptians the immortality they yearned for. I haven't seen the book in its original French, but the translation by David Lorton must be excellent, it reads so well.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars accurate presentation of the Age of the Pyramids, June 13, 2000

By 

Francesca Jourdan (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Egypt in the Age of the Pyramids (Paperback)

An extremely well-written thoroughly-explained book, it provides an expressive picture of everyday life of the Ancient Egyptians and the pharaohs of the time. In the first chapter, the history of the dynastic era (2700-1750 B.C.E.) is briefly summarized. Throughout the remainder of the book, the author attempts to recreate the daily lives, labours and religious beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians, with the aid of letters, artifacts, hieroglyphic inscriptions and tomb scenes. Highly recommended for all and particularly for those whose primary interest lies in the Age of the Pyramids.