Egypt: People, Gods, Pharaohs (Jumbo) [Hardcover]

Rose-Marie Hagen (Author), Rainer Hagen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1999 | Series: Jumbo

What do we really know about our ancestors? Not about the rulers and generals, but about laborers, farmers, soldiers and families. Egypt is a perfect case in point, almost a blank slate for most of us as it regards details of their everyday life. This useful and informative book attempts to set the record straight by offering a distinctive take on that most mythologized of epochs. Who would have guessed, for example, that the first strike in recorded history took place in 1152 BC during work on the necropolis in the Valley of the Kings, a protest by construction workers against delayed deliveries of oil and flour? Two fairly banal commodities maybe, but essential: oil protected the skin against the savage desert climate, whilst flour was the base ingredient for thirty different kinds of nutritional cake. It is this detailed examination of the evidence that distinguishes this volume, with chapters on

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The authors: Rose-Marie Hagen was born in Switzerland and studied History and Literature in Lausanne. Rainer Hagen studied Literature and Theater Science in Munich. They are also the authors of What Great Paintings Say. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Taschen (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3822870587
• ISBN-13: 978-3822870587
• Product Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,624,983 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't judge this book by its cover!, September 19, 2003

By 

Diotima "Mantinea" (Western Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Egypt: People, Gods, Pharaohs (Jumbo) (Hardcover)

The best picture is on the cover (courtesy of e.t. archive, London).

There's nothing new here: all the pictures are reproduced from various photo archives. Quite a few photos are out-of-focus and/or over-exposed.

If you're looking for really good pictures that have been newly photographed see those by Araldo De Luca in "The Valley of the Kings" - edited by Kent R. Weeks (ISBN 1-58663-295-7) and "Tutankhamun" - text by T. G. H. James (ISBN 1-58663-032-6).

The Hagens' book is divided into 15 thematic chapters (such as "Survival Techniques - Mummies" and "Tomb Robbers and Curses") - each opening with a metallic gold page which shows up finger marks. The text is comparable to that of a voice-over in a television documentary.

This one is for the mass tourist market.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Pictures, December 23, 2002

By 

O. B. Makhubela (South Africa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Egypt: People, Gods, Pharaohs (Jumbo) (Hardcover)

I bought this book simply for its pictures!! They are great! They are large, sharp - especially given their size, and they are taken from unique angles. The book does not intend to be a comprehensive reference book on ancient egyptian history. its aim is to capture many of the various unique aspects of ancient egypt. i would have liked more full page(s) pictures.

a must buy if you are collecting books on ancient egypt and in the category of pictures! be informed that there are two pictures of explicit sex scenes. it is rare that u will see egyptian artifacts showing egyptian sex scenes, let alone explicit ones. so, be not shocked, the ancient egyptians were human afterall, or weren't they??!!

4.0 out of 5 stars A great pocket companion, July 14, 2006

By 

Hideyo Kusano "Hyokano" (Honolulu HI, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Egypt: People, Gods, Pharaohs (Jumbo) (Hardcover)

To put it simply, this is a neat book! For its size, the illustrations and photographs are great and really enjoyable to look at. Perhaps not a good source for detailed information about Egypt, but general information regarding the art and artifacts are very useful and trivial. A perfect handbook to carry with you where ever you go, and fairly priced despite its enduring quality. A must buy for readers just interested or even proffesional. Beware, some information may be outdated in the 2002 issue.