Pyramid (Paperback)

~ David Macaulay (Author) "Life in ancient Egypt was fairly simple..." (more)
Key Phrases: casing stones, mortuary temple, valley temple, Mahnud Hotep

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

When children catch their first glimpse of a pyramid, a sea of questions inevitably tumbles forth. "Why are they shaped like that?" "How were they made?" "Who made them?" "What were they used for?" Perplexed adults can sigh with relief now that David Macaulay has found a way to thoroughly answer all those deserving questions. His exquisitely crosshatched pen-and-ink illustrations frame the engaging fictional story of an ancient pharaoh who commissions a pyramid to be built for him. With great patience and respect for minute detail (not unlike the creators of the early pyramids), Macaulay explains the sometimes backbreaking tasks of planning, hauling, chiseling, digging, and hoisting that went into the construction of this awe-inspiring monument. Just when the narrative teeters on the edge of textbook doldrums, Macaulay brings us back to the engaging human drama of death and superstition. This respectful blending of architecture, history, and mysticism will certainly satiate pyramid-passionate children as well as their obliging parents. ALA Notable Book. (Ages 9 and older) --Gail Hudson --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"David Macaulay's brilliant Pyramid shows, detail by detail, how the great pharaohs' burial places were conceived and constructed . . . His draftsmanship is unexcelled, and his book is pharaonic in opulence and design." -- Review

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Graphia (April 26, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395321212
• ISBN-13: 978-0395321218
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #10,777 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How did this guy learn to draw?, August 31, 2001

By	Charles Flemming (Burleson, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Who hasn't wondered how the Great Pyramids came to be? In this stunningly illustrated, richly detailed book, David Macaulay skillfully shows one way they could have been built. I had ordered the book for our family's study of ancient Egypt, based on a recommendation in The Greenleaf Guide to Ancient Egypt, which raved about it. I was not disappointed. In fact, I was stunned at the detail and care of the drawings and fascinated by the accounts. Although the long descriptions were daunting for my then-first grader, the illustrations caught her eye, and her older siblings dug into it with enthusiasm.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read on a deep topic, July 20, 1999

By	J. Moore "Creosis" (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a fabulous book for anyone looking to learn more about the pyramids of Ancient Egypt without the burden of scholar-like vocabulary and disturbing depth. But at the same time the book conveys the mysteries of the pyramids with a keen intellect of the topic. The author knows his topic but writes his book so anyone can enjoy the knowledge and enlightenment a deeper understanding of the past can provide.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Egyptian Pyramids, August 6, 2001

By	Cletus F. Wallace (Coatesville, PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pyramid (Hardcover)

David MacAulty's book discusses and illustrates "one method" by which the pyramids of Egypt may have been built, and follows the construction step by step. His pen and ink drawings are excellent. The book may have been written for children (ages 9 and older) but, I enjoyed the book. I highly recommend it for adults and children with an interest in the pyramids. My eight year old son was fascinated by the book. Hopefully, his interest in Egyptology has been sparked by this fine book. I tend to disagree with the author when he refers to the pyramids as tombs. No bodies have been found within the pyramids. Its more likely the pyramids were used as structures for initiation ceremonies. Although, not specifically stated the entire book, except for a brief discussion of the Queen's pyramid and the mummification process, is devoted to the Great Pyramid of Khufu. The brief discussion of the mummification process is just the right amount of information for a child's book.