The Great Pyramid: Ancient Egypt Revisited [Hardcover]

John Romer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521871662 | ISBN-13: 978-0521871662 | Publication Date: April 30, 2007 | Edition: 1

The Great Pyramid's eerily precise architecture has for centuries both astounded and puzzled archaeologists and has given rise to numerous modern fantasies concerning the so-called 'Mystery of the Pyramids'. Sweeping away centuries of myth and confusion, John Romer describes for the first time exactly how the Great Pyramid was designed and built. He argues that the pyramid makers worked from a single plan whose existence has long been doubted and even denied by scholars. Moreover, the Great Pyramid's unique architecture is integral to the way it was built, and for its builders the tasks of construction and design were not separate as they are now. By placing this awesome monument in its genuine contemporary context, this book underlines the extraordinary talents and the originality of the ancient Egyptians at the time of King Khufu.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The largest and most precise stone building in the world and a feat of Bronze Age technology, the Great Pyramid of Giza was built around 2478 B.C. in the reign of King Khufu. But how did the Great Pyramid's makers go about their daily work? what were their timetables, their ambitions? Transposing to Giza some known facts about the building rates of the Red Pyramid during the reign of Khufu's father, Sneferu, archeologist Romer (Great Excavations) concludes that it would have taken 14 years to build the Great Pyramid and that a nationwide workforce of around 21,000 was employed during the first year of construction and almost half that number as it approached completion. Taking traditional Egyptologists to task, Romer warns readers against swallowing the "myth" that the Great Pyramid was built by a mindless rural labor force kidnapped from distant villages and enslaved by a bureaucracy governed by talented noblemen. Instead, he posits that the workers were intelligent and inventive. Moreover, the author believes that the builders worked from a single construction plan, a "hidden logic" denied by many scholars but that he claims he alone has recovered. Romer is a bracing writer with attitude to spare, yet highly technical data render this volume more suitable to architects than lay readers. Illus. (Apr.)
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Review

"A vast amount has been published on the pyramids, but this book offers a refreshing and distinctive approach based on sound scholarship and written in a style that often strikes a spark in the reader's imagination. One comes away reminded what an astonishing building the Great Pyramid is, out on its own in the realm of ancient Egyptian architecture, and therefore something that does not fit into the generalizations that we tend to seek." Barry Kemp, Professor of Egyptology, University of Cambridge and author of Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilization

"If you read only one pyramid book this year, read archaeologist Romer's, a winner both in size and in substance. Romer (Ancient Lives: The Story of the Pharaoh's Tombmakers) does a fabulous job of breaking down our preconceived notions of the Great Pyramid (completed c.2500 B.C.E.). He reexamines all the old ideas, myths, and legends and washes away years of misinterpretation and misinformation. For example, he reassesses the scarce evidence about King Khufu (a.k.a. Cheops to the Greeks) and presents a revised profile of the pyramid workers' lives, families, and culture. He delves into the Great Pyramid's plan (he stipulates that there was one consistent plan throughout its building), materials, construction, shafts, ramps, burial chamber, and grand gallery. Scholarly yet written for a general audience, this title will be coveted in all public and academic libraries. Highly recommended."
Melissa Aho, Metropolitan State Univ., St. Paul, MN, Library Journal

"Compellingly written and judiciously illustrated, this authoritative book will appeal to both scholars and the general public. Highly recommended." --Choice

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 586 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (April 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521871662
• ISBN-13: 978-0521871662
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #752,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another fascinating Romer Book, April 23, 2007

By 

M. Kraft - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Pyramid: Ancient Egypt Revisited (Hardcover)

John Romer has always had the talent to bring Ancient Egypt to life and he's done it again with his latest book. It is large and beautifully illustrated, but the main reason for buying this book is Romer's lucid writing; detailed but never boring. A must for anyone interested in Ancient Egypt. P.S. When will his TV series called Ancient Lives be available on DVD?

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, May 13, 2007

By 

Greg Slater - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Pyramid: Ancient Egypt Revisited (Hardcover)

John Romer has outdone himself with his book, The Great Pyramid. Highly readable, this well researched book shows the remarkable engineering skills of the ancient Egyptians. For those who will look for such silly theories as building assistance by extra-terrestrias and other rubbish, this is not the book for them. It is a book for rational, intelligent readers who admire and wish to have a better understanding of the creative abilities of older civilizations.
Greg Slater
Australia

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating and Memorable Book, July 9, 2007

By 

S. D. de Kock "Out of Africa" (Republic of South Africa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Pyramid: Ancient Egypt Revisited (Hardcover)

Since many illustrious and famous Egyptologists have already written their praise for this book on its cover, I shall not try to emulate their eloquent praise for John Romer's quite extraordinary book. However, as an amateur lover of ancient Egypt's history, engineering and artistic achievements, I was spellbound by Romer's quite amazing conhesion of painstaking research and found myself totally absorbed and amazed. The reader is taken on a spellbinding journey through every aspect of the building of the great Pyramid and back in time. His text is elegant and fluidly written, the pictures and diagrams most interesting and easy to understand. I loved this book.
Out of Africa. Johannesburg