Review: Temples, Tombs and Hieroglyphs by Barbara Mertz
Temples, Tombs and Hieroglyphs: A Brief History of Ancient Egypt
by Barbara Mertz
Barbara Mertz is the author of the Amelia Peabody series under the pen name of Elizabeth Peters
Originally written in the 1960s, and updated in 2010, Temples, Tombs and Hieroglyphs is a history of Egypt from its formative years in the Stone Age all the way through to the fall of Egypt as it subsumed into the Roman Empire. To reduce thousands of years of history into a book just over three hundred pages in a monumental task, especially when the historical account co-mingles with the tales of the archaeologists who excavated the sites and artifacts associated with the ruler or dynasty under discussion. Yet somehow, Mertz succeeds not only in crafting a coherent narrative, but telling it a pretty darn entertaining manner.
Mertz writes in a breezy, chatty style that will be very familiar to fans of her Amelia Peabody mysteries; indeed, Peabody could very well have authored this book. It's a perfect companion to the series. Mertz sets the scene in each chapter, describing a particular moment in history as it would have been experienced by an individual scribe or pharaoh. She then quickly outlines the major events and accomplishments of the dynasty, as well as how it was discovered. So if she talks about the Step Pyramid, she introduces Imhotep and Djoser, describes the appearance of the pyramid both in ancient and modern times, and then discusses its excavation and study by Egyptologists in the 19th and 20th centuries. Then she'll jump right back into the history of Egypt's fourth dynasty. Throughout the book, black and white drawings and photographs are printed, and there's an inset of color photos too.
This is a great overview of Egyptian history - especially for students, I think. It's of sound scholarship and, thanks to the 2010 revision, relatively up to date, and very easy to understand. Serious students of Egyptology will want something that goes into greater depth, but for a college student taking a general education survey course, or someone who just needs a quick refresher, it's perfect.
5 out of 5 stars
To read more about Temples, Tombs and Hieroglyphs, buy it or add it to your wishlist click here.
Peeking into the archives...today in:
2014: The Midnight Dress by Karen Foxlee
2013: Congratulations to the book winners!
2012: Book Reviews by Author, A-H
2011: Sailor Moon is coming back to the United States!
2010: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith
2009: News: 'The Lost City of Z' author David Grann on The Colbert Report
by Barbara Mertz
Barbara Mertz is the author of the Amelia Peabody series under the pen name of Elizabeth Peters
Originally written in the 1960s, and updated in 2010, Temples, Tombs and Hieroglyphs is a history of Egypt from its formative years in the Stone Age all the way through to the fall of Egypt as it subsumed into the Roman Empire. To reduce thousands of years of history into a book just over three hundred pages in a monumental task, especially when the historical account co-mingles with the tales of the archaeologists who excavated the sites and artifacts associated with the ruler or dynasty under discussion. Yet somehow, Mertz succeeds not only in crafting a coherent narrative, but telling it a pretty darn entertaining manner.
Mertz writes in a breezy, chatty style that will be very familiar to fans of her Amelia Peabody mysteries; indeed, Peabody could very well have authored this book. It's a perfect companion to the series. Mertz sets the scene in each chapter, describing a particular moment in history as it would have been experienced by an individual scribe or pharaoh. She then quickly outlines the major events and accomplishments of the dynasty, as well as how it was discovered. So if she talks about the Step Pyramid, she introduces Imhotep and Djoser, describes the appearance of the pyramid both in ancient and modern times, and then discusses its excavation and study by Egyptologists in the 19th and 20th centuries. Then she'll jump right back into the history of Egypt's fourth dynasty. Throughout the book, black and white drawings and photographs are printed, and there's an inset of color photos too.
This is a great overview of Egyptian history - especially for students, I think. It's of sound scholarship and, thanks to the 2010 revision, relatively up to date, and very easy to understand. Serious students of Egyptology will want something that goes into greater depth, but for a college student taking a general education survey course, or someone who just needs a quick refresher, it's perfect.
5 out of 5 stars
To read more about Temples, Tombs and Hieroglyphs, buy it or add it to your wishlist click here.
Peeking into the archives...today in:
2014: The Midnight Dress by Karen Foxlee
2013: Congratulations to the book winners!
2012: Book Reviews by Author, A-H
2011: Sailor Moon is coming back to the United States!
2010: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith
2009: News: 'The Lost City of Z' author David Grann on The Colbert Report