A History of Ancient Egypt [Hardcover]

Nicolas Grimal (Author), Ian Shaw (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1992 | ISBN-10: 0631174729 | ISBN-13: 978-0631174721

This account of the rise and fall of civilization in the Nile Valley is the first detailed, reign-by-reign history of ancient Egypt to be published in English since Sir Alan Gardiner's Egypt of the Pharaohs (1961). Nicolas Grimal's description of the political and economic history of the Egyptians is recounted within the framework of an intricate and well-argued chronology. At a time when the vast accumulation of information from ancient Egypt is becoming almost too diverse for a single author to encompass, Grimal successfully transforms the raw archaeological sources into a coherent historical sequence. From the first human settlement in the Nile Valley (c. 120,000 BC) to the appearance of Alexander the Great (c. 331 BC), this history blends archaeological and textual evidence into a lucid and informed narrative. Numerous quotes from the original documentary sources, such as the funerary autobiographies of individuals and the official royal accounts of military campaigns, add a strong sense of atmosphere to the unfolding events. A full and up-to-date bibliography allows readers to pursue particular topics in greater depth where necessary.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

These fine works both reflect the increasingly interdisciplinary approach embraced over the last 20 years by Egyptology, once fiercely proud of its academic borders and rooted in philological studies. Grimal (Egyptology, Sorbonne) has written a history of Egypt from its beginnings to the conquest of Alexander, drawing upon textual and archaeological sources. Scholarly without being pedantic, this gracefully written book never becomes tedious, even in matters of chronological argument. Grimal's insight into the essence of ancient Egyptian culture and reinterpretation of its relations with outsiders throughout its history give the book additional value. Strouhal, a Czech physical anthropologist and archaeologist, has drawn upon a variety of sources, including texts, evidence from tomb reliefs and townsites, and, most remarkably, skeletal remains, to study aspects of the daily life of Egyptian farmers, craftspeople, and scribes. Arranged thematically, this work includes information on Egyptian life from childbirth to death, including such areas as education, diet, the status of women, the building of pyramids and royal tombs, and medicine. It evokes the atmosphere and feeling of Egyptian life through text and illustrations. Both books belong in collections for lay readers as well as scholars.
- Joan W. Gartland, Detroit P.L.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Very up-to-date . . . The index, the illustrations, the bibliography and the tables make this book an excellent reference tool." La Croix.

"The range of recent revisions, particularly chronological, and the ever increasing amount of archaeological material demanded a new synthesis. Here it is, both lively and well written." Le Quotidien de Paris. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Blackwell Pub (December 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631174729
• ISBN-13: 978-0631174721
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #931,122 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Its what I'll use unless I find something better, October 23, 2002

By 

TammyJo Eckhart "TammyJo Eckhart" (Bloomington, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A History of Ancient Egypt (Paperback)

This is one of the textbooks we used in a class at Columbia University. It is rather older than I'd ideally like an introductory textbook to be, but until I see a better and more accessible book this may have to do. I think Grimal (and Shaw) do a good job of interweaving economics, culture, and political history together; a rather difficult thing to do at times and there are moments of confusion in the text. However, many other books on Egyptian history focus on one particular issue or use one historical approach and those are just not appropriate for introductory texts in either the classroom or for the layperson. I think that if a teacher were to use other information in lecture or assignments this particular textbook is just fine for the college level.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction to Egyptology, April 6, 2006

By 

Neutiquam Erro (Isles of Llyonnesse) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A History of Ancient Egypt (Paperback)

A History of Ancient Egypt, a translation from the original French, is an excellent and readable introduction to Egyptian History. It provides an overview of the major political and social events in Egypt beginning with a brief survey of prehistory and ending with the conquest by Alexander the Great. The book covers the old, middle, and new kingdoms as well as the intermediate periods and ends with two chapters on the Nubian/Saite and Persian/Greek periods. It also includes a chapter on the "invasion" of the Hyksos as well as chapter describing the religious changes made by Akhenaten.

The book's great strength is its readability and continuity. While other histories of Egypt often get bogged down in archeological details, Grimal's work connects the dots in a smooth and engaging narrative style. It may be that he occasionally glosses the fine points to provide continuity, but having read more detailed texts (Oxford History of Ancient Egypt), I believe his book provides a clearer picture for the beginner.

This is not to say that the book lacks accuracy but scholars of Egyptian history will no doubt have their difficulties with some of Grimal's details. The book was first published in 1988 and, as such, is slightly out of date. Grimal also tends to use Greek names for most pharaohs as well many place names ie. Cheops instead of Khufu for the builder of the great pyramid. This can be a little confusing to the inexperienced reader if they have previously encountered other variants.

While the book covers the major political events in ancient Egypt, the inclusion of chapters explaining the Egyptian system of religious beliefs, funerary practices and a long description of the temple complexes at Karnak provide much needed background. The plates (all black and white) in the book are adequate, although often the maps lack detail. For the interested reader I would recommend "Le Description de L'Egypte", put out by Benedikt Taschen Verlag. This book, a beautiful collection of paintings, architectural drawings and maps, produced by a team commissioned by Napoleon, fills in many of the visual details missing in Grimal's work.

I would strongly recommend "A History of Ancient Egypt" to the casual reader, interested in Egyptian history, who does not want to be swamped with details. For the more scholarly it includes a brief glossary, a chronology of dynasties, an extensive bibliography, annotated suggestions for further reading and a fairly detailed index. Because of this it might also be useful as an introductory text in Egyptology, but given its age and narrative style, it will likely not be the first choice of experienced Egyptologists.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An exhausting resource in that I doubt it could be exhausted, April 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A History of Ancient Egypt (Paperback)

While a little dry, this work does manage to span the whole of Egyptian history--Archaic period to Graeco-Roman times--which is a feat in itself, especially when all possible facts are squeezed in wherever possible. While this last factor does become a little overwhelming in places, it still shows why "A History of Ancient Egypt" finds a place in many of the bibliographies of its successors. The chapters in the new Kingdom--particularly the XVIIIth Dynasty--are a wonderful source of knowledge pertaining to the pharaohs within. The plates are fine, although some are a bit grainy. For those of you who wonder, I make a habit of commenting on the quality of the plates because they make up part of any book's price. What few faults this book has are mostly in readability, not scholarly details, so nevermind the one or two fuzzy plates and indulge. While not the first thing I would recomend, it beats Kent Week's take on KV5 without trying and has no such petty and careless mistakes as miscounting the number of Akhenaten and Nefertiti's daughters (six, not five, Kent).