The story of Ancient Egypt and the extraordinary civilisation that flourished along the banks of the River Nile can seem like a gorgeous pageant studded with exceptional events. Among them are the building of the pyramids, the conquest of Nubia, Akhenaten's religious revolution, the power and beauty of Nefertiti, the life and death of Tutankhamun, the ruthlessness of Ramesses, Alexander the Great's invasion, and Cleopatra's fatal entanglement with Rome which led to the fall of Ptolemaic Egypt. But while three thousand years of pharaonic civilisation have all the ingredients of an epic novel - glittering courts, dynastic intrigues, murky assassinations and epic battles; individual stories of heroism and skulduggery, of triumph and tragedy; and, powerful women and tyrannical kings - the real historical story is even more surprising and far more interesting. The Ancient Egyptians were the first group of people to share a common culture, outlook and identity within a defined geographical territory governed by a single political authority - concepts of nationhood that continue to dominate the planet. As the world's first nation-state, the history of Ancient Egypt is above all the story of the attempt to unite a disparate realm and defend it against hostile forces from within and without. In this magnificent history, Toby Wilkinson combines grand narrative sweep with detailed knowledge of hieroglyphs and the iconography of power, to reveal Ancient Egypt in all its complexity. For the first time we see the relentless propaganda, the cut-throat politics, the brutality and repression that lay behind the appearance of unchanging monarchy as well as the extraordinary architectural and cultural achievements for which it is justly famous.
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'A sophisticated and complete account of the world's first nation state' The Times Books of the Year 'Wilkinson's stirring and clear sighted account of the ancient world's most enduring civilisation comes as a welcome treat' Sunday Times Books of the Year 'I had always presumed, before I read Wilkinson's book, that it was impossible to write a history of Egypt which combined scholarship, accessibility, and a genuine sense of revelation. I was wrong' Observer 'A comprehensive, illustrated history focusing on the dark side of the Pharaohs and some harsh political realities' The List
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A brilliantly readable, beautifully illustrated general history of ancient Egypt, from the builders of the first pyramids to Cleopatra
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
43 of 46 people found the following review helpful
By Barista
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I started this book thinking it was an interesting, detailed history of Ancient Egypt "from 300BC to Cleopatra". But perhaps that sub-title should have set alarm bells ringing. Why not "Narmer to Cleopatra; or 3000BC to 30BC? For the first few chapters I was thinking "That's interesting" or "How does anyone know that?". But then the doubts set in. In the attempt to provide an accessible narrative history, Toby Wilkinson has washed away nearly all the ambiguity and careful weighing of fragmentary evidence that's surely an ineveitable part of Egyptology. And for this reader at least, he seemed to lose any flavour of how the nature of Egyptian civilisation changed during the course of 3000 years. (As an example, I read several early parts of the text as implying a monetary economy surely much too early in the story.) Instead of this, read Barry Kemp's "Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilization" (preferably the 2nd Edition), or if you must have narrative history, "The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt" (edited by Ian Shaw).
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
To me, Toby Wilkinson has a view of ancient Egypt that must have been shaped by some of Hollywood's best efforts. He appears to see the Pharaohs only as despots who took the produce of the country and gave nothing back. The book even starts with Shelly's 'Ozymandias' (based on one of the worst of the bunch, Rameses II). True, with some Kings, that's exactly how they did behave, but it isn't the whole story and many Kings were worshipped for centuries after their deaths as 'good Kings' who benefitted the land.
Having got my grumble about the book off my chest, it is an excelllent introduction to the history of the Two Lands, from the end of the Predynastic to the coming of the Romans and it is very easy to read. It is well illustrated and the end-notes give good references to other books for those of us who want to know more, and, best of all, it does give a timeline version of events so that we can read about which King followed which and how their reigns differed.
Originally, I only gave it 3 stars, but that was because I disagreed with some of Dr Wilkinson's conclusions - and that was unjust. It does deserve 4 stars, for the clarity of the writing and the general presentation.
Having got my grumble about the book off my chest, it is an excelllent introduction to the history of the Two Lands, from the end of the Predynastic to the coming of the Romans and it is very easy to read. It is well illustrated and the end-notes give good references to other books for those of us who want to know more, and, best of all, it does give a timeline version of events so that we can read about which King followed which and how their reigns differed.
Originally, I only gave it 3 stars, but that was because I disagreed with some of Dr Wilkinson's conclusions - and that was unjust. It does deserve 4 stars, for the clarity of the writing and the general presentation.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a truly amazing read.
The author doesn't like the political and economic system of ancient Egypt. The Pharaoes suffered from megalomania, and they suppressed and exploited there population. This we are told at every other page, ad nauseam. It is not surprising, that the rulers of the past do not live up to the standards of today, but it is strangely anacronistic to be told this throughout the book.
Who cares about Wilkinson's moral judgment, except himself?
Worse, after having found out that Ancient Egypt was bad, he loses interest. There are a thousand fascinatiing questions which could have been raised, e.g. the intricate problems of chronology and the question what we know for certain and what are merely educated guesses. But nothing in the book about this. Nor about hieroglyphs. And very little about the economic system (market versus planeconomy, how did they manage without money?). We are told about the system of granarie, but mainly when this system breakes dow And of course: The rulers did not establish the granaries for the benefit of the people, but because they themselves had an interest in it!
There is also very little about everyday life, that is apparantly precluded by the authors vendetta - after so many thousand of years! - against the rulers.
The main problem with moral history is that it makes the author not curious in his subject. Amazing that such a thrilling subject can be made boring.
The author doesn't like the political and economic system of ancient Egypt. The Pharaoes suffered from megalomania, and they suppressed and exploited there population. This we are told at every other page, ad nauseam. It is not surprising, that the rulers of the past do not live up to the standards of today, but it is strangely anacronistic to be told this throughout the book.
Who cares about Wilkinson's moral judgment, except himself?
Worse, after having found out that Ancient Egypt was bad, he loses interest. There are a thousand fascinatiing questions which could have been raised, e.g. the intricate problems of chronology and the question what we know for certain and what are merely educated guesses. But nothing in the book about this. Nor about hieroglyphs. And very little about the economic system (market versus planeconomy, how did they manage without money?). We are told about the system of granarie, but mainly when this system breakes dow And of course: The rulers did not establish the granaries for the benefit of the people, but because they themselves had an interest in it!
There is also very little about everyday life, that is apparantly precluded by the authors vendetta - after so many thousand of years! - against the rulers.
The main problem with moral history is that it makes the author not curious in his subject. Amazing that such a thrilling subject can be made boring.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt
I think that if we has been introduced to this book when I was at school I would have paid a lot more attention in class, plus how much more interesting the History lesson would... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Beryl
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting read
Always been interested in ancient Egypt. Found the book interesting and attractively written. It could easily arose an interest in Egypt for someone reading about it for the first... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Gordon Berry
5.0 out of 5 stars
A sparkling gem
This book is amazing! It is a comprehensive history of ancient Egypt. I thought I knew about Ancient Egypt before I read this book but it turned out that all I knew about were the... Read more
Published 7 months ago by SAP
2.0 out of 5 stars
Tedious and tendentious diatribe against the Pharaohs
On page 10 of this book, Toby Wilkinson describes ancient Egypt as "a society in which the relationship between the king and his subjects was based on coercion and fear, not love... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Aquilonian
1.0 out of 5 stars
For something written by a Ph.D in 2010 this is disturbing
Despite being written in 2010, Toby Wilkinson's `Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt' reveals a crass, outmoded way of thinking, which is all the more startling given that Wilkinson is... Read more
Published 12 months ago by C Coke
5.0 out of 5 stars
Solid overview
From first picking this book up, it became difficult every time I had to put it down. The combination of fluid, easy writing and the fact that this book is packed to the rafters... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Isis
5.0 out of 5 stars
An absolutely first-rate longitudinal history of a unique civilization
It took me 3 tries to find a book that would offer a comprehensive tour of Egyptian civilization, from its origins in prehistory to its end with Cleopatra 3000 years later. Read more
Published 15 months ago by rob crawford
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Overview
For the non specialist reader who wants a general narrative overview of the entire course of Egyptian history from the predynastic to the roman period this is an excellent choice. Read more
Published 15 months ago by planner
5.0 out of 5 stars
very good
The book was received in a timely manner and it came in a very good shape, just as described by the seller.
Published 19 months ago by Morris
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thom F. Cavalli, Ph.D., author, Embodying Osiris
Toby Wilkinson should be commended for taking on the daunting task of giving us a comprehensive, narrative history of ancient Egypt. Read more
Published on 30 Mar 2011 by Thom F. Cavalli PhD
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