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Minerva
'Highly recommended...remarkable vignettes of the normal people of ancient Egypt.'
Reference Reviews
'A unique and unprecedented insight into an ancient culture...unusual and refreshing.'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
In many ways, this book is exactly as advertised: brief insights into the lives of 100 Egyptians from across the broad span of ancient Egyptian history.
I suppose I expected to find a deeper level of intimate detail about the lives of the people depicted than the the historical record actually permits. As one would expect, there is abundant reference to stelae and other "public" texts but little that is comparable to the letters of one of the figures (a farmer). No new light is shed on such well-known figures as Akhenaten.
Even so, the book is an enjoyable read which offers insight into the fundamental values of Egyptian society and the careers that some individuals at least were able to carve out for themselves. There are some interesting comments made almost as asides, e.g. about the readiness of the Egyptians to accept other cultures, that will inspire me to read further.
The same author's The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt is a more substantial text and highly recommended. This book is more by way of introduction and, taken in that spirit, it's effective.
I suppose I expected to find a deeper level of intimate detail about the lives of the people depicted than the the historical record actually permits. As one would expect, there is abundant reference to stelae and other "public" texts but little that is comparable to the letters of one of the figures (a farmer). No new light is shed on such well-known figures as Akhenaten.
Even so, the book is an enjoyable read which offers insight into the fundamental values of Egyptian society and the careers that some individuals at least were able to carve out for themselves. There are some interesting comments made almost as asides, e.g. about the readiness of the Egyptians to accept other cultures, that will inspire me to read further.
The same author's The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt is a more substantial text and highly recommended. This book is more by way of introduction and, taken in that spirit, it's effective.
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Thhis is an excellent book which allows many ancient Egyptians, some famous, some not, to speak for themselves. Toby Wilkinson has chosen 100 people who lived from the Old Kingdom, until the coming of the Romans (number 100 is Cleopatera 7, herself).
The result is a tapestry of background descriptions given by the author, then excerpts from letters or tomb paintings which were written by the Egyptians themselves. Each entry paints a picture of the time in which the person lived, some troubled, some very peaceful and their actions - which sometimes affected the period and which sometimes simply rsulted from the situation in which the person found themselves.
For me, my favourite entry is number 19, Harkhuf, who travelled to the far south and brougt back, amongst other things, a dwarf wo delighted his King. Harkhuf copied the King's letter into his tomb, where it can still be seen today, from a 7-year old boy delighted by the thought of a servant his own size.
The result is a tapestry of background descriptions given by the author, then excerpts from letters or tomb paintings which were written by the Egyptians themselves. Each entry paints a picture of the time in which the person lived, some troubled, some very peaceful and their actions - which sometimes affected the period and which sometimes simply rsulted from the situation in which the person found themselves.
For me, my favourite entry is number 19, Harkhuf, who travelled to the far south and brougt back, amongst other things, a dwarf wo delighted his King. Harkhuf copied the King's letter into his tomb, where it can still be seen today, from a 7-year old boy delighted by the thought of a servant his own size.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
A Beautiful, Kaleidoscopic View of Ancient Egypt
29 Feb 2008
Format:Hardcover
Toby Wilkinson's "Lives of the Ancient Egyptians" is published by Thames & Hudson. That in itself, as lovers of books on art and archaeology will attest, means superb physical quality with thick, glossy pages, and crisp printing, and well-reproduced illustrations. But the illustrations here illuminate rather than overwhelm Wilkinson's text.
The author states that he set out, through the presentation of short biographies, to tell the story of three thousand years of Ancient Egyptian history, cutting across chronological, geographical, and social boundaries. And he has largely succeeded. As Wilkinson himself states in his foreword, the limits of available evidence of course did constrain him from achieving a uniformity of coverage. A full tenth of the included biographies deal with the last half of the 14th century BCE, the time of Akhenaten and Nefertiti and their successors (a fascinating period, to be sure, and deserving of this closer focus). The majority of the biographies are those of kings and queens, but a good number of relatively low-level commoners are included as well, evidence permitting.
All in all, "The Lives of the Ancient Egyptians" is a vivid presentation of a wonderful stretch of history, from Narmer, the first pharaoh of the First Dynasty to Cleopatra VII and the fall of Egypt under Roman domination, looking at day-to-day life as well as great events. The organization of the book, mostly biographies a few pages long, makes it ideal for browsing, dipping in for a quick read and then coming back to it days or weeks later (which is not to say that it cannot or should not be read as a continuous kaleidoscope of Ancient Egyptian history). This volume immediately won a permanent spot on my over-crowded bookshelves.
The author states that he set out, through the presentation of short biographies, to tell the story of three thousand years of Ancient Egyptian history, cutting across chronological, geographical, and social boundaries. And he has largely succeeded. As Wilkinson himself states in his foreword, the limits of available evidence of course did constrain him from achieving a uniformity of coverage. A full tenth of the included biographies deal with the last half of the 14th century BCE, the time of Akhenaten and Nefertiti and their successors (a fascinating period, to be sure, and deserving of this closer focus). The majority of the biographies are those of kings and queens, but a good number of relatively low-level commoners are included as well, evidence permitting.
All in all, "The Lives of the Ancient Egyptians" is a vivid presentation of a wonderful stretch of history, from Narmer, the first pharaoh of the First Dynasty to Cleopatra VII and the fall of Egypt under Roman domination, looking at day-to-day life as well as great events. The organization of the book, mostly biographies a few pages long, makes it ideal for browsing, dipping in for a quick read and then coming back to it days or weeks later (which is not to say that it cannot or should not be read as a continuous kaleidoscope of Ancient Egyptian history). This volume immediately won a permanent spot on my over-crowded bookshelves.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Wonderful Book!
19 Feb 2009
Format:Hardcover
I've been to Egypt twice and have read many books... this book is one of my favorites! I love to hear the stories of everyday people and what their lives were like. The author gives a highly readable account of those lives.
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