Customer Reviews:
  Excellent Overview March 6, 2007
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
It's an excellent overview and it's not as in-depth as some of the study books on my list I've been reading throughout my first two years studying Egyptology.
Would be an excellent book for someone who wanted an introduction into Ancient Egyptian History, it has some lovely detailed maps included.
It makes an excellent edition to my little Egyptian library, which now stands at nearly 1000 books on this subject. :-)
Very Good Book July 4, 2006
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is a great book for the layperson wanting an overview of Ancient Egyptian history through pictoral means. The maps are well-conceived, clear, and easy to understand. The book makes use of relatively recent discoveries in Egyptology (up until 1996, which is when the book was published). I have not come across a better compilation of maps depicting changes throughout Ancient Egypt's history anywhere (even including the internet). The book is also helpful in that it concentrates on trade between Egypt, the Middle East and Nubia. My only disappointments with this book were some inopportune typos and the ordering of the book. I thought it would be more helpful to have sections based on trade, administration, military action, etc. throughout the dynastic period rather than dividing it up based off of the typical time periods: Prehistory, Old Kingdom, etc. In that sense, it's a little bit harder and more artificial to grasp what the changes were between Egypt and its neighbours than I would have liked. I do highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Ancient Egypt.
An excellent introduction to the history of ancient Egypt. November 12, 2001
76 out of 79 found this review helpful
Study of ancient Egypt can prove more difficult than is initially apparent to many who make the attempt. The Dynastic period alone stretches across more than 3,000 years, and unraveling the immense volume of knowledge now available in this subject area can be a daunting task. 'The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Egypt', as the title suggests, portrays a history in a format very much based on a series of maps - of which there are over fifty, all in colour. More than merely illustrate the political, geographical, and economic aspects of ancient Egypt, these maps also have a temporal quality which makes use of a factor pertinent to the whole of Egyptian history, the shape of the land itself - one aspect which changes little of the 'Two Lands' we now call Egypt.
Thus the maps provide a fixed set of references, like a series of snap shots taken of the same area across time. The land is a stage upon which many plays are enacted. A base upon which to construct the ever changing scenes - some transient; others leaving permanent traces in the historical and archaeological records - as the political ebb and flow causes Egyptian civilisation to germinate, grow and flower into empire; before the final decline, decay, and subjugation at the hands of Persians, Greeks and finally, Rome.
The lively text which accompanies the maps cuts the chronological narrative into easily digestible chunks; making a relatively easy read - for novice, and more advanced student alike - of what could be considered fairly complex subject areas. Smaller diagrams are inserted at frequent intervals to assist in the assimilation of the layout of specific sites of importance and judicious use is made of small, yet adequate, colour pictorial illustrations, which guide the reader across the vastness of ancient Egyptian History. The text is not annotated in the strict academic tradition, however, there is a list giving a suitable selection of books and journals for further reading. Most of these titles are by recognised writers, well accredited within the discipline and acknowledged as current authorities in the subject area. A chronological table lists the dynastic rulers of Egypt, and a useful 'Timeline' section establishes parallel events in neighbouring countries in Africa and the Near East.
The 'Atlas' would make an excellent introduction to the subject of Egyptology; placing many events and places into their context within the span of Egyptian history; and, as such, would make a useful text to take on an Egyptian holiday - to put a little 'flesh' on the 'bones' of ancient sites and monuments. The work, recomended reading for the 'Introduction to Ancient Egypt' module taught at the University of Exeter, is equally valuable to anyone embarking on a serious study of the subject. A handy, simple to use, reference - and one that should not outlive its usefulness for some time.
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