The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (Oxford Illustrated History)
£3.20
sequence of political events, including detailed examinations of the three so-called Intermediate Periods previously regarded as ‘dark ages’.
Against the backdrop of the rise and fall of ruling dynasties, this Oxford History also examines cultural and social patterns, including stylistic developments in art and literature. The pace of change in such aspects of Egyptian culture as monumental architecture, funerary beliefs, and ethnicity was not necessarily tied to the rate of political change. Each of the authors has therefore set out to elucidate, in both words and pictures, the underlying patterns of social and political change, and
to describe the changing face of ancient Egypt, from the biographical details of individuals to the social and economic factors that shaped the lives of the population as a whole.
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Additional information
| Publisher | OUP Oxford (23 Oct. 2003) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| File size | 21402 KB |
| Text-to-Speech | Enabled |
| Enhanced typesetting | Enabled |
| X-Ray | Not Enabled |
| Word Wise | Enabled |
| Sticky notes | Not Enabled |
| Print length | 550 pages |
by Simon Hayter
If you can only have one book on Egyptology then this is the one.
Ian Shaw has gathered together experts to present a generally accepted history of this fascinating period of history. As a student of Egyptology I have a significant collection of books; but this is the one that I keep returning to. I’ve been using it for many years and can vouch for its broad coverage of a complex (and evolving) topic; the depth squeezed into a readable book is surprising.
by maryatlincoln
This is the whole story of Ancient Egypt in chronological order – in one volume. Very useful for clarifying the mind about the succession of Pharaohs and dynasties, and the main events in their times. It would be a good starting book for an (adult) Egypt-fancier -or for someone who has been reading about the subject for years and needs to get the subject straight in their minds at last.
by busybee
I cannot comment on the content of this book as it was ordered for my son as part of his A/S archaeology course, but I just wanted potential readers to be aware of the incredibly small print! It is very, very much smaller than usual print, even in text books, and not broken up by images or very many headings or paragraphs. Older readers in particular may struggle to read this print (it is even a struggle for me with prescription reading glasses on and I am in my forties.) My 16 year old son groaned when he saw the print and he is usually an avid reader of such books.
by Amazon Customer
I’m currently studying for an undergraduate degree in Egyptology and this book is perfect for covering both the basics and the more complex points. The chapters provide both a brief overview and a more in depth analysis of evidence, which is perfect for beginners and for those who are more familiar with the content. It covers a massive span of history, from pre-dynastic Egypt to Egypt as a province in the Roman Empire and regardless of this span, chapters remain detailed and thorough, yet are easy to follow. This is a perfect go to book for Egyptology, especially while studying it at an undergraduate level.
by Amazon Customer
I bought this book when planning for a Nile cruise and wanted to know what I was seeing. It covers a large swathe of Egyptian history and I felt I really benefitted when seeing the temples by knowing a bit about the kings that created them. Each chapter has a different author which gives a number of viewpoints which cross refer which is good but doesn’t create a narrative flow.
by PerspectiveX
Although there is much to learn from this book, the use of several authors makes it (inevitably) a very inconsistent read. While some write lucidly and evocatively about this fascinating subject, others are too prone to descending into arcane, archaeological jibberish. Referring to coded layers does little to enlighten the general reader, and the first chapter on Prehistory is rendered virtually unintelligble by the author’s inability to stand back from the detail and summarise the conclusions that can be drawn for the period as a whole. What was needed here was a single voice with a rational, coherent but engrossing style who could really inspire the readership as well as convey a sound knowledge of the subject. Ian Shaw’s chapter was so good, perhaps he should have written all of it.
by M. Pearson
This is an excellent resume of the whole of Ancient Egyptian history. Despite some of the negative reviews it is not boring, merely very thorough.
The style is variable because Ian Shaw has brought together different ‘experts’ to tell the history and some writers have a easier narrative style than others. It is more than a reference book because it does read as a story, but only just!
Its value lies in the comprehensive way it allows you to fit all the disparate bits of Egyptian history picked up from, school, casual reading the TV etc into a framework. Yes its is dry in places, but that’s only because it is thorough.
Buy this book if you want to get Egyptian history straightened out in your mind. Use it as a reference work to look up which part of the 5000 odd years of interlocking stories is being mentioned elsewhere.
Don’t buy this if you want a romance of ancient history.
Kindle readers (like myself) will be annoyed at the poor resolution of the maps, even when read on PC. The maps are almost essential at some points and unless you have access to historical atlas you will/may struggle at times.
It really is a shame that Amazon does not operate some form of quality control. It has the economic clout to tell e-publishers to get their act together!
This last should not prevent you from buying the book, even for Kindle, because I have not found another text to come even close to the usefulness of this work.
by Shaun
This book has been helpful on my Egyptology degree