Customer Reviews

The Royal Tombs of Egypt: The Art of Thebes Revealed

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a lover of all things Egyptian and a trained Egyptologist I had high expectations for this book.... and it delivered in every way. The fold-out pages give a fantastic view of the insides of the tombs that the average tourist isn't permitted to take photos of. And instead of viewing a small section at a time you have entire vistas laid out for you. The high quality photography shows the smallest details so clearly that you can see the individual bushstrokes and even places where the painter accidentally dripped some paint and forgot to clean it up. Every time I turned a page memories of my time in Egypt came flooding back.

If I have to make one complaint it would be that there are not enough images of the tomb of Nefertari, and perhaps also the tomb of Seti I. The images that there are are quite selective and do not give an overall impression of their beauty. Admittedly, the focus is on the Valley of The Kings, but Nefertari was a queen and henceforth royal, too.

All in all, this is a MUST have book for anyone who loves Egypt.

This is an excellent book. There are dozens, if not hundreds of books filled with pictures of Egyptian art these days -- but this back far surpasses all the others I've seen.

Don't judge this book by the cover on the Amazon page. The cover is rather bland, colorwise, in contrast to the spectacular color illustrations.

The description says there are 30 foldouts -- but it doesn't say that these are huge foldouts--several pages long.

The thoughts that ran through my mind as I looked at the book were, "this is a cultural achievement -- the greatest tribute to the Royal Tombs of Egypt yet paid in modern history" and "surely this is a labor of love by Zahi Hawass, Director of Egyptian Antiquities."

For $65 (the original US price), this book is a bargain -- and even more so with the discounted price (as of this writing) of only $41.

Nothing short of exceptional!!! I had heard that the book was a bit tricky to read - what with many foldout pages - but I didn't find that to be the case at all. This might be the situation for someone who is leafing through the book quickly - but this a book that needs to be savored. The photography is fantastic - you get a REALY good idea of what the insides of the Royal Tombs look like. I have no complaints, gripes, nit picks, etc. - This is a book to own and re-read and puruse for years to come.

Another exceptionally fine book from the publishing house of Thames and Hudson. Exquisitely photographed by Sandro Vannini and sterling text by Zahi Hawass, the highly respected expert in the field of ancient Egypt. For those who will never have the opportunity of visiting Egypt, this "virtual" tour of its royal tombs is an essential addition to any library of those interested in this extraordinay civilization.
Greg Slater
Australia

This is a museum and collector quality book that is worth the price it asks, for its value is far higher. Excellent for a home or school library, to being on a collectors shelves, this book will serve well.

"Tombs Of Egypt" is, first of all, a magnificently produced large-format book with hundreds of full-color photos, laid out in full-page, three-page, and even _six_ page spreads. It is not every day you get to see a 4' x 1' photograph of one whole side of a Theban burial chamber, and for this alone the book is a must-have.

The second great thing about this book is its text. Unlike some coffee-table books, SCA Director Zahi Hawass actually explains in detail what you are seeing in all those beautiful photographs. It is like speaking with an expert in Egypt's religion of the afterlife, right there in the tombs themselves, who is pointing everything out to you on the wall as he goes. I've been there and done that, but reading this book I discovered a _lot_ of things that I had missed the first time around!

My wife and I had just returned from a trip to Egypt when we found out about this book. We had seen a few of the places in the book, but obviously not all of them. We were blown away by the quality and size of the photos, of both places we'd seen [but weren't allowed to take pictures] and places we hadn't.

I've purchased and browsed through so many books on Egyptian tomb art, then left them at the book store or passed them on to others. This one will never leave me. This must have been a labor of love for everyone involved.

Beware, though - this is not a book to be read casually curled in a recliner. This is a "coffee table book" that you will want to have on a stable surface as you read it. It's heavy. The large foldout photographs need support at the same time that the book itself does. An added bonus - it's right there whenever you're tempted to tour Egyptian tombs!

I'm ashamed to admit that I've still not read all of the text, even though I've gone through the book several times. I get lost in the visual impact of the photographs.

If you love art, history, Egypt, or just flat out great photograhpy, get this book.

I knew this book would be great because Dr. Zahi Hawaas wrote it, but the tomb painting photos make it truly fantastic. As these tombs continue to decay as a result of tourism and other factors, its more important to document them in photos than ever before. Dr. Hawaas knows this better than anyone in Egypt, and his expertise in explanation of their use and meaning is complete and scholarly. This book is for anyone intrigued with Egyptian tomb painting or ancient art.

Got the book for my husband. It is wonderful.