Lives of the Ancient Egyptians: Pharaohs, Queens, Courtiers and Commoners [Hardcover]

Toby Wilkinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 2007

The greatest civilization of the ancient world revealed through the tales of the men and women, both rulers and commoners, who lived in those times.

The one hundred biographies included here give voice not only to ancient Egypt's rulers but also to the people who built the great monuments, staffed government offices, farmed, served in the temples, and fought to defend the country's borders. Spanning thousands of years of ancient Egyptian history, the book offers a fresh perspective on an always fascinating civilization through the lives of:
•the god-kings, from great rulers like Khufu and Ramesses II to less famous monarchs such as Amenemhat I and Osorkon;
•Egypt's queens: the powerful Tiye, the beautiful Nefertiti, Tutankhamun's tragic child-bride Ankhesenamun, and the infamous Cleopatra;
•the officials who served the pharaoh: the architect Imhotep who designed the first pyramid; the court dwarf Perniankhu; and the royal sculptor Bak;
•ordinary women who are often overlooked in official accounts: Hemira, a humble priestess from a provincial Delta town, and Naunakht, whose will reveals the trials and tribulations of family life;
•commoners and foreigners such as the irascible farmer Hekanakht, the serial criminal Paneb, and Urhiya, the mercenary who rose to the rank of general in the Egyptian army.

Profusely illustrated with works of art and scenes of daily life, Lives of the Ancient Egyptians offers remarkable insights into the history and culture of the Nile Valley and very personal glimpses of a vanished world. 200 illustrations, 80 in color.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sifting through 3000 years of Egyptian history, Wilkinson (Genesis of the Pharaohs) presents detailed portraits of 100 ancient Egyptians, mostly men who comprised the civilization's small, literate ruling class and left their imprint on everything from tombs to papyrus. Rulers range from the iron-fisted leader Narmer, depicted in temple decorations beating a bound captive in 3000 BC, to the powerful and popular female pharaoh, Hatshepsut, who reigned in the 18th Dynasty. Wilkinson gives equal attention to everyday citizens, such as Naunakht, who, during the late Ramesside Period, cut her two ungrateful daughters from her will; Mes, a treasury scribe during Ramesses II's reign, emerged victorious in a century-long family feud and the details of his court case are inscribed for perpetuity on his tomb's walls. Lavishly illustrated with 200 photos, 80 of them in color, this volume beautifully gives a voice to long-dead souls, both regal and more ordinary, whose ambitions, loves and disappointments resemble ours in significant ways.
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About the Author

Toby Wilkinson is a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge. He lectures widely on ancient Egypt and has extensive experience of the archaeological sites in the Nile Valley and Egyptian deserts.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (November 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500051488
• ISBN-13: 978-0500051481
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #656,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #94 in Books > History > Ancient > Africa

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful, Kaleidoscopic View of Ancient Egypt, February 29, 2008

By 

Bruce Trinque (Amston, CT United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lives of the Ancient Egyptians: Pharaohs, Queens, Courtiers and Commoners (Hardcover)

Toby Wilkinson's "Lives of the Ancient Egyptians" is published by Thames & Hudson. That in itself, as lovers of books on art and archaeology will attest, means superb physical quality with thick, glossy pages, and crisp printing, and well-reproduced illustrations. But the illustrations here illuminate rather than overwhelm Wilkinson's text.

The author states that he set out, through the presentation of short biographies, to tell the story of three thousand years of Ancient Egyptian history, cutting across chronological, geographical, and social boundaries. And he has largely succeeded. As Wilkinson himself states in his foreword, the limits of available evidence of course did constrain him from achieving a uniformity of coverage. A full tenth of the included biographies deal with the last half of the 14th century BCE, the time of Akhenaten and Nefertiti and their successors (a fascinating period, to be sure, and deserving of this closer focus). The majority of the biographies are those of kings and queens, but a good number of relatively low-level commoners are included as well, evidence permitting.

All in all, "The Lives of the Ancient Egyptians" is a vivid presentation of a wonderful stretch of history, from Narmer, the first pharaoh of the First Dynasty to Cleopatra VII and the fall of Egypt under Roman domination, looking at day-to-day life as well as great events. The organization of the book, mostly biographies a few pages long, makes it ideal for browsing, dipping in for a quick read and then coming back to it days or weeks later (which is not to say that it cannot or should not be read as a continuous kaleidoscope of Ancient Egyptian history). This volume immediately won a permanent spot on my over-crowded bookshelves.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book!, February 19, 2009

By 

D. R. Camp (Boynton Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lives of the Ancient Egyptians: Pharaohs, Queens, Courtiers and Commoners (Hardcover)

I've been to Egypt twice and have read many books... this book is one of my favorites! I love to hear the stories of everyday people and what their lives were like. The author gives a highly readable account of those lives.