For nearly two thousand years after the last pharaoh ruled Egypt the wonders of this ancient culture remained hidden, seemingly lost and forgotten for ever. Then, in the late eighteenth century, Napoleons invasion of the country sparked an explosion of interest in ancient Egypt that burns as strongly today as ever. The obsession with anything and everything Egyptian has inspired many to dedicate their lives to the search for treasure in Egypts sands. All of these explorers, collectors and archaeologists can be loosely classified as Egyptologists and this relatively new science has been blessed with more than its fair share of intriguing characters, some of whom, by virtue of their larger-than-life personalities, curious habits or spectacular finds, have come to dominate the story of the rediscovery of ancient Egypt - the story of this book. In 'Egypt: How A Lost Civilization was Rediscovered', highly respected author and archaeologist Joyce Tyldesley follows these real-life Indiana Joneses in their quest for the splendid monuments, tombs and artefacts that have unlocked many of the secrets of this mesmerizing civilization. From the nail-biting race to crack the hieroglyphic code to Howard Carters dramatic discovery of the golden treasures in Tutankhamen's tomb - surely the most heart-stopping moment in the history of archaeology - we experience the excitement, emotion and intrigue of this gripping adventure story. Praise for Joyce Tyldesley: Tyldesley has added a new, more human dimension her book should be required reading. Sunday Times on Ramses: Egypts Greatest Pharaoh
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"An enthralling account of how this ancient land was rediscovered... This is a book that will appeal to both budding Egyptologists and casual historians in equal measure" (Global Magazine )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I am a dedicated amateur Egyptologist who has attended many night-school courses and who has been lucky enough to visit Egypt several times.
Having watched the BBC TV series “Egypt” I was keen to read this book. I was not disappointed. There are many excellent books about Egyptology and several excellent books about the discovery of Ancient Egypt, but this is the only one I have found which combines the two.
I was very pleased that it included a wider range of Egyptologists than the television series (Flinders Petrie, for example, is included in the book, which makes up for him not being in the television series) and that it excluded some of the more speculative TV moments (like the “romance” between Howard Carter and Lady Evelyn!).
This book is well-written and informative. I found a good deal of information which was new to me, but it would also be an excellent introduction to the subject for a newcomer.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By Griffith1001
Format:Hardcover
I watched the recent BBC television series ‘Egypt’ with great pleasure – despite a few minor quibbles I thought it was both serious in intent and extremely entertaining. This book of the series by Joyce Tyldesley is even better. Rather than concentrating on only three individuals (Carter, Belzoni and Champollion) as the TV series did, Dr Tyldesley gives a much broader, fuller and more balanced account of the history of Egyptology from its early beginnings up to the present day.
Carter, Belzoni and Champollion are given the recognition they deserve, but so are other giants of the subject such as Lepsius and Petrie, and the discoveries of current Egyptologists (of whom the best known is perhaps Dr Zahi Hawass) are also set in their historical context.
I found this overview of the history of archaeological activity in Egypt fascinating, useful and well-written. There are plenty of books describing the history of Egypt, but this is the first one I have come across which gives such a succinct account of the subject itself. It deserves to become a classic of Egyptological writing.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
By missreader
Format:Hardcover
A fascinating insight into Egypt's history and archaeology. I was given this book as a christmas present and having watched the BBC series I was keen to learn more.
The book is divided into sections each covering a different aspect of Ancient Egypt's 'rediscovery' - The Explorers, The Archaeologists and so on. The narrative, which is engaging from the outset, generally follows a linear time pattern, with some crossover (e.g. with Belzoni and Champollion), and proceeds to the present day.
This book is very well written and it was hard to stop reading at times. There are three sections of photographs dispersed throughout and this brings me to my only criticism - there could have been more photographs towards the end as some of the descriptions do require more than imagination.
All in all an engrossing read - not to be missed by anyone.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well detailed and entertaining
A great introduction to Egyptology - I read it prior to visiting Egypt and it gave a great foundation to the wealth of knowledge inherent in such a trip.
Published 4 months ago by Loguey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just what i needed
Having just spent two weeks in Egypt visiting many of the sites mentioned in this book i found it an invaluable guide to the history of men who brought the wonders of this ancient... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Beach Buff
4.0 out of 5 stars
Exceptionally Good - Your Present, Too?
We went to Egypt for the first time a few weeks before Christmas. It was a quite wonderful time for us and we are eager to return. Read more
Published on 24 Jan 2010 by Mr. P. Bargery
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fill in the gaps in the tv programmes
I bought this after a recent trip to Luxor - our second trip to Egypt in as many years - having immediately re-run the DVD of the Egypt series as soon as we returned. Read more
Published on 14 Feb 2009 by D. A. Kearns
2.0 out of 5 stars
Great Subject - Unsatisfying Read
Browsing in a post Christmas sale I found this book had a chapter dedicated to a historian about whom I wanted to know more - so I snapped it up. Read more
Published on 4 Jan 2006 by Gildas Sapiens
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Read
Having recently started reading books about different aspects of history, this was a book that caught my eye. Read more
Published on 21 Dec 2005 by A. Beasley
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