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Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt
 
 
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Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt [Paperback]

Barbara Mertz (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)

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Book Description

February 24, 2009

World-renowned Egyptologist Barbara Mertz explores the reality behind the bestselling fiction she writes (as Elizabeth Peters) and casts a dazzling light on a remarkable civilization.

Afascinating chronicle of an extraordinary people—from the first Stone Age settlements through the reign of Cleopatra and the Roman invasions—Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs brings ancient Egypt to life as never before. Lavishly illustrated with pictures, maps, and photographs, it offers tantalizing glimpses into Egyptian society; amazing stories of the pharaohs and the rise and fall of great dynasties; a sampling of culture, religion, and folklore; stories of explorers, scientists, and scoundrels who sought to unravel or exploit the ageless mysteries; and new insights into the architectural wonders that were raised along the banks of the Nile.


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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This updated and revised version of Dr. Mertz's stunning collection of everything related to the civilization of ancient Egypt is brought to life through Lorna Raver's informative and entertaining narration. Presented as half textbook, half historical fiction, Raver finds a solid balance between the two genres. Her voice brims with mystery and the unknown as she, along with the listener, travels along the path that Mertz has meticulously paved from the earliest glimpses of the remarkable civilization to the very latest discoveries. Raver is solid and unwavering throughout, sounding as though she's enjoying the information she so clearly presents. She brings fun and excitement to a field that many consider to be overly analyzed and studied, offering a learning experience through an abundance of speculative fiction sure to capture the minds of even the youngest listeners.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

About the Author

Barbara Mertz is a New York Times bestselling author who writes the popular Amelia Peabody mystery series under the pen name Elizabeth Peters and romantic suspense novels as Barbara Michaels. She was born and brought up in Illinois and earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago's famed Oriental Institute. Named Grand Master at the inaugural Anthony Awards in 1986 and Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America at the Edgar Awards in 1998, she lives in a historic farmhouse in western Maryland.


Product Details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (February 24, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0061252778
  • ISBN-13: 978-0061252778
  • Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #500,003 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

28 Reviews
5 star:
 (20)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:
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2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (28 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 78 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Dated, but still a classic, September 2, 2007
As a graduate student in Egyptology/Egyptian archaeology, I have a slightly different perspective on this book than some people. As other reviewers have noted, the text is a bit dated, having been written a few decades ago. However, the basic facts are still solid and Mertz writes so well and brings so much of ancient Egyptian history to life that a few inaccuracies can be excused, especially as one hopes that so well-written a text will encourage people to go on to do more research.
Mertz also manages to capture and discuss, though not in detail, a bit of what it is like to study Egyptology professionally in a few humorous off-the-cuff remarks in the texts. If memory serves, she compares demotic to a series of frenetic commas. :)
In short, this is a book I re-read on occasion, even as a professional, not for any particular research needs, but more to remind myself what my own writing *could* be and, sometimes, to remind myself why I decided to do this for a living.
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42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent account of Ancient Egypt, July 18, 1999
By 
Firstly I must admit that I am not an expert on this subject. I learnt the basic stuff at High School and that's about it. My interest was sparked in Ancient Egypt after taking my daughter to watch 'The Mummy' and subsequently reading Bob Brier's book 'The Murder of Tutankhamen'.

As it has been previously noted by other reviewer's this book is somewhat dated (orginally published in 1964) but that does not detract from the wonderful narrative that the author weaves around the Pharaohs and their place in history.

The author does not get bogged down in technical details and you never lose interest in the story. She has a knack of writing about these far away times and people as if it was yesterday and draws you into her story. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to obtain a decent overview of Ancient Egypt.

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41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Not the latest, but maybe the greatest., January 28, 2000
I picked this book up in an airport when I was a teenager, and it sparked an interest in Egyptology which has lasted 30 years. Mertz is a graceful writer, deftly mixing scholarship with humor and 'human interest'. The book is not intended for Egyptologists, (Hence 'A Popular History') and bypasses, wisely in my opinion, the wrangling between experts which makes the field so frustrating to the lay reader. Honesty prevails, however; when she is stating a personal opinion, she says so. The result is a fascinating, funny and intelligent look at the ancient culture of which we know so much and understand so little.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
pyramid texts, seventeenth dynasty, royal titulary, funerary equipment, royal mummies, tomb robbers, mortuary temple
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Middle Kingdom, Old Kingdom, Valley of the Kings, First Dynasty, Twelfth Dynasty, Fourth Dynasty, Third Dynasty, Upper Egypt, Fifth Dynasty, Step Pyramid, Cairo Museum, Eighteenth Dynasty, Lower Nubia, West Bank, Near East, Great Pyramid, New Kingdom, Abu Simbel, King Ahmose, Nineteenth Dynasty, God's Wife, Second Dynasty, Bent Pyramid, Red Sea, Lower Egypt
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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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