Customer Reviews

The Pyramids of Egypt: Revised Edition (Penguin Archaeology)

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If you are interested in the details of the extant pyramids of Egypt--their historical development, layouts, discovery, and state of preservation--then this small book is ideal for you. I.E.S. Edwards (a curator at the British Museum for a number of years, I believe) writes well about his assigned topic, including a chapter on each of the major pyramid-producing dynasties or periods from Djoser (Dyn III) to the late pyramid-shaped tombs at Meroe.

For me, the most interesting and valuable part of this book were the architectural diagrams; nearly all the extant pyramids discussed are given with renderings of their substructures. There is also a handy table in the back that links the pyramids with their builders (when possible) and locations.

It takes a few attempts to get through this book. I read it through about 3 times before I could understand what the authors point was. It is more of a documentary then anything else. Perhaps he could have ellaborated on the myths and ledgends, as well as zodiac references to the pyramids. Other than that, it's an interesting read.