The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt: The History of a Civilisation from 3000 BC to Cleopatra by Toby Wilkinson

Oct 03, 2011 Terence rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: History buffs (esp. Egyptian)

Recommended to Terence by: New Book shelf at library

Shelves: history-ancient, history-general

By its nature The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt skips over a lot of history but as an introduction to the five-millennia-long history of Egypt - up to the Roman conquest in 31 BC - Toby Wilkinson's effort excels. If you want to know the details of a particular era, the book's near-80 pages of notes and bibliography provide a rich vein to mine.

While I am familiar with the general outline of Egyptian history, every section had something new to say to me that enriched my understanding or revealed...more By its nature The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt skips over a lot of history but as an introduction to the five-millennia-long history of Egypt - up to the Roman conquest in 31 BC - Toby Wilkinson's effort excels. If you want to know the details of a particular era, the book's near-80 pages of notes and bibliography provide a rich vein to mine.

While I am familiar with the general outline of Egyptian history, every section had something new to say to me that enriched my understanding or revealed some aspect I hadn't considered or known. A few of the many examples I could list include the political unification of the Nile Valley c. 3000 BC. It began with the rise of three power centers (Tjeni, Nubt and Nekhen) and ended when Tjeni's ruler (the man we know as Narmer or Menes) conquered his rivals to inaugurate the First Dynasty. From its birth, Egypt displayed many of the stereotypical images moderns associate with it, including the absolute despotism of the pharaohs. Or there's Hatshepsut, the famous female pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty. Her rule is justly famous but she was only one in a line of powerful women who played significant roles in the government. Then there is Wilkinson's focus on the Heretic Pharaoh Akhenaten's dictatorship and fanatical monotheism, rather than on the usual emphasis on his possible role in Jewish history. (And, returning to remarkable females, it's possible that Nefertiti reigned as pharaoh for several years after his death.) Another interesting period comprised the reigns of the 25th Dynasty's pharaohs, Kushites who conquered Egypt - ironically - in a religiously motivated campaign to restore the proper worship of Amun. And as a final example, it's instructive to see the Persian and Macedonian conquests through Egyptian eyes: Wedjahorresnet, an offical who collaborated with the Persian regime and convinced Cambyses to adopt pharaonic regalia, and Sematawytefnakht, who witnessed Alexander's victory over Darius.

This is a very readable and interesting synopsis of a land and people that deserve to be better known, and comes highly recommended.(less)

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Aug 09, 2012 Jan Derksen marked it as to-read · review of another edition

In deze meesterlijk geschiedenis van het oude Egypte vertelt Toby Wilkinson het verhaal van een van de grootste beschavingen die ooit hebben bestaan. De geschiedenis van het oude Egypte en de uitzonderlijke beschaving die gedurende drieduizend jaar bloeide langs de oevers van de Nijl, lijkt een spektakelstuk vol bijzondere gebeurtenissen: de bouw van de piramides, de verovering van Nubia, de kracht en schoonheid van Nefertiti, de invasie van Alexander de Grote en Cleopatras fatale relatie met R

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In deze meesterlijk geschiedenis van het oude Egypte vertelt Toby Wilkinson het verhaal van een van de grootste beschavingen die ooit hebben bestaan. De geschiedenis van het oude Egypte en de uitzonderlijke beschaving die gedurende drieduizend jaar bloeide langs de oevers van de Nijl, lijkt een spektakelstuk vol bijzondere gebeurtenissen: de bouw van de piramides, de verovering van Nubia, de kracht en schoonheid van Nefertiti, de invasie van Alexander de Grote en Cleopatras fatale relatie met Rome die leidde tot de val van de Ptolomeeën. De oude Egyptenaren waren de eerste groep mensen die een gemeenschappelijke cultuur, opvatting en identiteit deelden in een begrensd geografisch territorium dat bovendien bestuurd werd door één enkele politieke instantie. Het oude Egypte was daarmee de eerste natiestaat ter wereld die zich door zich te verenigen kon beschermen tegen vijandelijke krachten van buitenaf én van binnenuit. In dit magnifieke boek combineert Toby Wilkinson gedetailleerde kennis van het oude Egypte met een uiterst spannend verhaal dat leest als een epische roman. We lezen over de meedogenloze propaganda, de gewelddadige politiek, de wreedheid en de repressie die schuilgaat achter de verschijning van deze standvastige monarchie en de indrukwekkende architecturale en culturele successen waardoor zij zo beroemd is geworden.

Deze grondige en kritische beschrijving van de geschiedenis van de beschaving en de grootmacht van het oude Egypte beperkt zich niet tot de bekende highlights, maar voegt juist veel onbekende informatie toe: over paleisrevoluties, het Egyptische leger, orakels als machtsmiddel en het lot van het gewone volk. De auteur, een Engelse egyptoloog, werkte mee aan de bekroonde BBC-documentaire over de piramide van Cheops en aan de 'Dictionary of Ancient Egypt' ('Het oude Egypte in woord en beeld', 2006)*. Hij weet publiek uitermate te boeien, dat merk je meteen als je dit boek leest: het is bijna een historische roman die je niet weg wilt leggen. De overzichtelijke lijst met dynastieen en historische gebeurtenissen is erg handig. Met afbeeldingen in zwart-wit en enkele katernen mooie kleurenfoto's met bijschriften, zoals van een papyruskaart met locaties van goudmijnen en steengroeven, beschouwd als de oudste topografische kaart ter wereld. Het boek wordt afgesloten met eindnoten, aanvullende noten, een uitgebreid literatuuroverzicht en een register.

Paulien Andriessen
(source: Bol.com)

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Mar 29, 2013 Wolfgang Schwerdt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Zweifellos eröffnet Toby Wilkinson seinen Lesern tiefe und oft genug auch weitgehend unbekannte Einblicke in die wechselvolle Geschichte des afrikanischen Landes, das eben nicht nur als mächtiges Großreich brillierte, aber noch in seinem Untergang eine große kulturelle Faszination auf die zeitgenössischen Mächte ausübte. Natürlich sind es die großen Pyramiden des Alten Reiches oder die mächtigen Königsgräber und Nekropolen und die schillernden Persönlichkeiten des Neuen Reiches, die zunächst in...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Socraticgadfly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

Religious exploitation? Climate problems? Barbarians at the gate? Check, check, and check.

But, no, this isn't Gibbon's "The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire."

While not as long or as in depth as that classic, "The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt" is still worthy of a full read. Toby Wilkinson documents the "bootstrapping" arrival of the Old Kingdom out of nowhere, then shows how it, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom in turn had individual rises and falls.

Even for those who have some degree...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Chris Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'd been looking for a good and comprehensive history of ancient Egypt on and off for some years, ever since I was fascinated as a child. A few years ago I spent half a day in the Egyptian Art department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and my interested was rekindled. I stumbled upon this book recently on a trip to San Francisco, at City Lights Books. The book more than satisfied my curiosity, and at long last the history has come into focus for me.

I have several minor critici...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Anastasia Fitzgerald-Beaumont rated it 4 of 5 stars

At the end of this week I’m leaving on a long planned trip to Egypt, one that will take me from the Great Pyramid at Giza in the north to the temple of Abu Simbel in the south, from Lower Egypt to Upper Egypt. And just to confuse you the former is the north and the latter the south! It’s the ancient Egyptian view of the world, you see, all upside down.

A lot of my extramural reading for the past while has been dedicated to books with an Egyptian theme, including Lawrence Durrell’s Alexandria Qua...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Douglas Hackney rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

In the future, when someone uses the phrase, "monumental effort," I will think of this book.

Mr. Wilkinson has not only attempted, but delivered, a summary history of the Egyptian civilization, from conception to Cleopatra.

Aside from the scope of the work, coupled with actually having achieved it, the most remarkable thing about this book is that Mr. Wilkinson was able to craft such an accessible work.

Even when faced with source material that was both sparse, thousands of years old and almost...more In the future, when someone uses the phrase, "monumental effort," I will think of this book.

Mr. Wilkinson has not only attempted, but delivered, a summary history of the Egyptian civilization, from conception to Cleopatra.

Aside from the scope of the work, coupled with actually having achieved it, the most remarkable thing about this book is that Mr. Wilkinson was able to craft such an accessible work.

Even when faced with source material that was both sparse, thousands of years old and almost exclusively the output of dictatorial propaganda departments, Mr. Wilkinson created a narrative that is both engaging and enlightening for the everyday, non-academic reader.

To give some perspective to the scale of the timeline involved, Thutmose IV, who reigned from 1399 BC to 1389 BC, excavated and restored the Great Sphinx of Giza, built by a previous Pharaoh, which was by then buried in shifting sands and already more than 1,000 years old. In today's world of countries that are mostly less than 300 years old, it is challenging to imagine unearthing a national monument 1,000 years old in a nation that would survive 1,000 years more.

Thutmose IV is but one of 168 Pharaohs who are individually addressed in the book, along with relevant geopolitical and regional context for their times. Somehow, Mr. Wilkinson has derived, extracted and discovered anecdotes that illuminate the life and times of many of these pharaohs, from the famous, such as Tutankhamun and Cleopatra, to the obscure, such as Neferefra and Sobekemsaf II.

While pedants may long for more detail and champions of a particular period, Kingdom or Pharaoh may wish for a more sympathetic endorsement, the overall tone of the book is even and mostly suitably detached, all while avoiding academic sterility. The flaw in this regard is the author's persistent hectoring of the ancient Egyptians for not being a replica of modern Sweden, along with its leading U.N. Gini index. Despite his sterling credentials, Mr. Wilkinson loses perspective and thus credible assessment of the realities of ancient societies when he repeatedly calls the ancient Egyptian theocratic dictatorships to task for not being more of a socialist paradise. It is hard to imagine how such a goal could have been either achieved or sustained in an era of almost universal illiteracy, cultural isolation and xenophobia. However, in the scope of a work of this magnitude, this is a minor quibble.

It is daunting to even consider addressing, in a meaningful way, a time span of 3,000 years. Mr. Wilkinson has done so, and in a very readable and entertaining fashion.

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Jul 16, 2011 Starling rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, non-fiction

I read this in a library copy. I was rather surprised to see it there. Frankly books about ancient history written for the general reader have been out of favor for a couple of decades, except for American history.

This is a full scale history of Ancient Egypt, starting very early in pre-history and going to the death of Cleopatra. I'm not sure when the last book of this type was written, but I think it might have been before World War I (and that is WW I and not WW II). A lot has changed in what...more

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May 30, 2011 Monica rated it 5 of 5 stars

An enjoyable and through romp through the entire history of ancient Egypt, and I could not help but pause at several points along the way to think about the strong continuity shown in this history between ancient and modern events. The author himself marvels at it from time to time, using the famous French phrase "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose" (The more things change the more they stay the same) to describe his own feelings.

Given current events in Egypt, I found much in this long bu...more An enjoyable and through romp through the entire history of ancient Egypt, and I could not help but pause at several points along the way to think about the strong continuity shown in this history between ancient and modern events. The author himself marvels at it from time to time, using the famous French phrase "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose" (The more things change the more they stay the same) to describe his own feelings.

Given current events in Egypt, I found much in this long but well-written history particularly fascinating, and I wonder if, in the future, another historian will call the modern Egyptian efforts to throw off their recent forms of governance another "Intermediate Period" in the long, deep, and fertile history of that civilization.

After reading this book, I am truly impressed by just how Arab the country has become since its long ago pharaonic days. I wonder if this Arab overlay over their native culture is truly unshakable, or if, like the Christian overlay they once had, they will find themselves shaking it off in their next dynasty, and reverting to something more in line with their own place in the modern world and perhaps, with their own underlying ancient and robust culture.

If history is any guide, then the next stable government to arise and restore order in Egypt will be headed by another strong dictator who will arise from their military but have the backing of their religious leaders, and will further be backed either openly or secretly by a powerful foreign country or coalition whose gain will be to exploit Egypt for their own benefit and to the continued impoverishment and enslavement of most ordinary Egyptians. The Egyptians will regain a law-and-order society, but at what cost?

Whether modern Egypt can achieve prosperity free of being robbed by powerful foreigners is possible for this ancient land at the current time is unlikely - there are too many great powers in play looking greedily at the remaining resources in that part of the world. And Egypt is not strong enough or rich enough to play at that level right now, other than as a pawn. Some powers are just rising to the top (like ancient China, rising to predominance once again), while some are struggling to hang on (like the US and its "western" allies) and will see Egypt as a valuable "counter" in the international game of King of the Hill that is nearly as ancient as civilization itself. Egypt has been exploited by foreign powers for so long now, I wonder if it is even possible for their people to actually reclaim some measure of their ancient independence and predominance on the world stage - or are they so used to overt or covert foreign dominance as a precursor of having a well-ordered society that they cannot now summon any image of life as a truly free people and keep order at the same time.(less)

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Sep 29, 2010 Miles rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

Howard Carter in 1922, along with three companions including the Earl of Carnarvon, walked down the newly discovered steps in the bedrock of the Valley of Kings. The 26th November will long be remembered for one thing only, the day Carter brought Egyptology to the masses by discovering King Tutankhamen’s tomb.

Although discovered weeks earlier, Carter had to wait for Carnarvon’s arrival before he would step inside the tomb for the first time. Days later Carter went in search of the burial chamber...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Laura C. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

A somewhat pedantic, which is not to say uninteresting, review of 5,000 years of Egyptian history. Mr. Wilkinson states his intention of showing the cost of the great Egyptian saga – both in human and political terms. And “The Lessons Of History” are bluntly stated, in case you miss them. I am sufficiently thick headed that this didn’t really bother me. What did bother me was that much of the juicy tidbits of history – the stuff that makes it all so fascinating – were missing. (Yes , I know – su...more

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Apr 23, 2011 Bob Mustin rated it 4 of 5 stars

I remember wondering as a small boy about life in the kingdoms of ancient Egypt. Maybe it was Sunday school lessons, Moses, and all that, but the Egyptian period of human development has always had me in its spell.

And Wilkinson’s book makes the spell even deeper. His story begins with Narmer, the first king of a more or less united Egypt and continues through the pyramidal age to the New Kingdom and its fully fleshed art, architecture, literature, government and religion. Wilkinson takes us fro...more
I remember wondering as a small boy about life in the kingdoms of ancient Egypt. Maybe it was Sunday school lessons, Moses, and all that, but the Egyptian period of human development has always had me in its spell.

And Wilkinson’s book makes the spell even deeper. His story begins with Narmer, the first king of a more or less united Egypt and continues through the pyramidal age to the New Kingdom and its fully fleshed art, architecture, literature, government and religion. Wilkinson takes us from there through Egypt’s wars with Abyssinia and Persia, Alexander the Great’s appearance and ends with the Roman conquest of Egypt and Cleopatra’s death. Rather than a dry litany of dates, names and events, the author retells the story of a culture. He has an agenda here, and he doesn’t try to hide it, but that’s where the story lies.

Wilkinson is looking through time from the vantage of a twenty-first century writer, one who sees the evolution of a culture in which some people become more important than others. These elites use humanity’s tendency to fear to subjugate them, to keep them under royal and religious thumb. The four thousand years of Egypt’s rise and dominance and its subsequent fall, then, are the product of this abuse of masses of humanity for the benefit of the few.

What's unexamined are the stories buried in the developments Egypt gave birth to: building techniques for its massive structures. A unique written language. An enduring religion that has given subsequent religions many of its tenets, cloaked in newer cultural clothes. A central governmental structure not unlike our modern ones. Art. Medicine.

The lesson drawn from Wilkinson’s examination of these four millennia? That even in a culture based on subjugation of the masses, much good arose and endured, and from that good the structure of today’s reality has been drawn.

Wilkinson is a gifted writer, despite what appears in the first hundred or so pages to be a political rant disguised as history. I suspect he realized early in the book’s development that readers would understand without the editorializing, that there was much more to tell of this culture than the enduring story of man’s dominance of man.
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Jan 24, 2011 Tim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, 2011

Covers an amazing amount of ground (3000 years) and is generally very readable and easy to follow.

My only minor criticisms are that Wilkinson does not discuss the problems of interpreting the primary sources or the debates around specific issues in the main text. As far as these are addressed at all, they are relegated to the footnotes. At times, also, I felt that Wilkinson was over-selling the achievements of Ancient Egypt. Its cultural achievements and influence, for example, pale into insigni...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Austin Burbridge rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: civilization

This book takes into account the circumstances of the governed, as well as the activities of their governors — something which (as far as I know) is uncommon in books on the subject of ancient Egypt.

We thrill at the weirdness of the heretic king Akenaten and his works, but do not question what it is like to live under a despotic, fanatical ruler (despite the modern parallels, such as in North Korea, that fill our television screens). . . . ancient Egypt was a society in which the relationship b

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Nov 08, 2011 Brad Geagley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Most histories of
Ancient Egypt have depicted Egypt as a lively, warm and sunny culture - even
though obsessed with death - in which a relatively easy and stable way life
was achieved along the banks of the Nile. In a stunning reversal of this,
Wilkinson reveals a much darker side of Ancient Egypt, one in which an
almost fascist control of the people by Pharaoh and his priests snuffed out
every bit of personal freedom. Writing with verve and clarity, Mr.
Wilkinson easily becomes the new voice of Egypti...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Tricia Long rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, historical

If you're looking for a casual read with interesting stories of ancient Egypt, this is not the book for you. While factually accurate, in fact staggeringly so, "The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt" is about as dry as the deserts of that land. It was difficult to keep most of the Old and Middle Kingdom pharaohs straight, though that could be due to a lack of archeological evidence available. I would have liked to know more about their old religions, but the author primarily focused on the politica...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Jonathan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, ancient-history

This is an extremely readable history of the Pharonic state from it's founding to its conquest by Rome. While I enjoyed the narrative, my pleasure was lessened by the fact that Professor Wilkinson couldn't resisting his own anachronistic asides and observations into the text. Yes, ancient Egypt was a form of religious dictatorship, based on the use, or at least the threat of force where most of the population lived in abject poverty. But then again, so was every other human civilization up to th...more

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Apr 08, 2011 Hadrian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classical-antiquity, history, nonfiction

Very good one-volume overview of Ancient Egyptian history, in contrast to multivolume works, or watered-down picture books.

Covers some 4970 years, from unification of Upper/Lower Egypt to fall of Cleopatra. Does good job of incorporating some new conjectures as well as recent archaeological discoveries. Does tend to focus on dynastic elements a bit much, but does cover a lot of ground and does so very well, so some things may be excused. It may well be all that we know about some eras. Author ch...more

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May 14, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-and-poetry, arts-and-historical

In this landmark work, one of the world’s most renowned Egyptologists tells the epic story of this great civilization, from its birth as the first nation-state to its final absorption into the Roman Empire—three thousand years of wild drama, bold spectacle, and unforgettable characters.

Award-winning scholar Toby Wilkinson captures not only the lavish pomp and artistic grandeur of this land of pyramids and pharaohs but for the first time reveals the constant propaganda and repression that were it...more

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May 14, 2013 Tatiannya rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, egyptology

This is not a history of Ancient Egypt. This is The Rise and Fall of the pharaonic civilisation. By dismissing the glorifying adjectives many scholars insist upon, the author gives us a fundamentally structural account of Egyptian History. Thumbs up to Wilkinson for the bold move.

It is commonplace for Egypt-loving scholars to project an image of a prosperous, pleasant and ever-so-lovely civilisation, with its patriotic might and its cultural glory, ignoring the less gracious facts lurking on the...more This is not a history of Ancient Egypt. This is The Rise and Fall of the pharaonic civilisation. By dismissing the glorifying adjectives many scholars insist upon, the author gives us a fundamentally structural account of Egyptian History. Thumbs up to Wilkinson for the bold move.

It is commonplace for Egypt-loving scholars to project an image of a prosperous, pleasant and ever-so-lovely civilisation, with its patriotic might and its cultural glory, ignoring the less gracious facts lurking on the back of their heads. I know that is something my lecturers will insist upon. At the same time -and hypocritically, if I may say- they will insist that the idea of ancient Egypt as a cultural monolith is as obsolete as the next. And yet, they give primacy to the golden ages of Egypt, all the pomp and circumstance, knowing that’s what their audience likes to hear: no one starts studying Egyptology because of the Second Intermediate Period, Amun damn it. However, I could only understand the monolith reference at its full extent after reading this book.

Any Egyptology student will know – as I did and do – that Egyptian history is made not only of the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms, but also periods where the pharaonic status quo underwent through dramatic changes: economic decentralisation, local disputes for power and/or foreign sovereignty. These are the First, Second and Third Intermediate periods. The names are pretty much self-explanatory. These are the misdemeanours Wilkinson takes focus on, not only for those three periods, but for the whole of Egyptian history (meaning Predynastic to Roman times, of course). His book is not one made of gold but one made of tin, designed to make the readers think about the darkest and most gruesome aspects of the history of the Two Lands: tyrants and despots; the ills of common people; the works and plots of courtiers, administrators and the priesthood. The ideal of Maat was, indeed, difficult to achieve.

Howard Carter and Co. and the discovery of the tomb of boy-king Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings in 1922 sets the start for our journey: from that moment on, you are hooked. Wilkinson’s writing will enslave you with his controversial thoughts, modern parallels and worth-a-giggle lines. How do the pyramids of Giza emulate in architectural form the social hierarchy of the country? Should the beauty of the Amarna period outshine its main man, Akhenaten, as a perfect dictator? Wilkinson is the man who’s brave enough to touch matters most Egyptologists seem to dismiss. Far from being a complete (when compared to other scholarly publishings) work on ancient Egypt, this is a precious and disturbing one any Egyptology or Archaeology student should read.(less)

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Mar 17, 2013 Carol Smith rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, nonfiction, mobius, 2013-history-challenge

[Book 4 of my 2013 goal to read 26 history books in historical sequence]

3 1/2 stars.

Comprehensive and capable but ultimately less than inspiring. It held my interest but failed to deliver a broader message. The legacy of Ancient Egypt is wrapped up in a quickie three-page epilogue that emphasizes Pharaonic contributions to pop culture. Surely there are greater lessons to be drawn from three millennia of despotic history?

Perhaps I was spoiled by having just finished Babylon: Mesopotamia and the ...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ancient-egypt-reference

A truly mammoth book, this charts the beginning of Egyptian civilisation in c. 2950 BCE to the "end" in 30 BCE. Unlike Barbara Mertz's Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs , it doesn't shy away from going in detail about the "long goodbye" of Egyptian society*.

And, oh my, it is depressing. It's not so much the fall, so much how long and drawn out it was, and the fact that, barring one or two rebellions, the Ancient Egyptians themselves no longer played a role in Ancient Egyptian society. One can't h...more

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Feb 10, 2012 Isis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone interested in ancient Egypt

Shelves: bronze-age-5000-to-1100bce-factual, best-of-historical-non-fiction

I have to say, I really enjoyed this book. My professor may have derisively called it "popular history" when I proposed choosing it for my required book review for his post-graduate degree course, and forced me to choose something else, but I still love this book.

From first picking it up, it became hard 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 with interesting, engaging material meant it quickly became a page-tur...more

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Nov 03, 2011 Kathleen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Nothing makes you feel quite so insignificant, but a fleeting spec of dirt upon the vast plane of time, as a wonderfully gripping survey of ancient Egyptian History, 3000 through 30 BC. Indeed, the span of the entire history of the United States fits into one succinct chapter of Wilkinson's narrative. If you think that sounds negative, don't. This book gave me that complete "high" from the sheer magnitude of history I haven't felt since nerdy high school days. The inevitability that the closer y...more

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Apr 02, 2011 Christine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: egypt, history

This was a tough read for me. I was interested in the subject, and the writing was very good. I was not prepared for the focus on military conflict. I was hoping for more information on other aspects of ancient Egyptian life. I'm glad I read it, there was a lot that was very interesting, but a lot of the battlefield stuff was just sort of a blur for me. I might need to pick up the The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt to learn more.

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Sep 03, 2011 Lianne Burwell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, ebooks, library

An excellent high-level overview of about three thousand years of Egyptian history, from the earliest people and their coalescing into the nation of Egypt through to the death of Cleopatra and Egypt becoming a part of the Roman empire. Grand adventure with Pharoahs, invasions, pyramids, and monuments. You get a great view of how Egyptian society morphed over long periods of time from obscurity, to the greatest power in the ancient world, and back down obscurity again. And who knows, there might...more

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May 14, 2011 Patricrk patrick rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history

Author makes a good point that the written record is how the powers that were wanted things to be and not necessarily how they were. Power was maintained by force. Learned that tomb robbery was organized by later Pharaohs to get gold to pay for troops. good overview can't be too detailed due to length of time to cover. Good pictures at the end and good bibliography.

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Aug 31, 2011 Jo Burl rated it 4 of 5 stars

As a long time egyptophile, I had to check this book out. I confess, I'm most interested in the New Kingdom's Eighteenth Dynasty and usually grow easily bored with very early or post Nineteenth Dynasty history. That didn’t happen with this book. While the book doesn’t go into depth with any particular period, I could clearly see the long term connections throughout all of the history of Egypt.

I loved the writing style, which was very readable, and the sense of humor. This is really an excellent...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Lindz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 21st-century, read-2011, historical-non-fiction

This was an expensive whim. Beautiful Hard Back Editions of a historical nature do no come cheap. But this book was a hoot. I am still relativity new to the world of a very ancient Egypt, I knew they had built some periods, and the Tutankhamen had lots of gold in his tomb, they had some gods with animal heads, oh yeah and the epic tale of Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

This quite large gem is a really good introduction into this world of Pharaoh's and Pyramids. The Pharaoh's were a world onto their...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Margaret Sankey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Remarkably coherent synthesis of 3,000 years of Egyptian history, using not just the expected monuments and cartouches of official proclamations, but also archeology from the frontier forts of the Nubian border, the worker villages of the construction sites, literary and religious works and the diplomatic dispatches of rivals like the Hittites and Assyrians. Wilkinson has carefully chosen anecdotes to illustrate the character of particular people, and pulls no punches in describing the workings...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8536070-the-rise-and-fall-of-ancient-egypt?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1330838691l/8536070.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8536070-the-rise-and-fall-of-ancient-egypt?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt: The History of a Civilisation from 3000 BC to Cleopatra by Toby Wilkinson[/url]

The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt: The History of a Civilisation from 3000 BC to Cleopatra

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The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt: The History of a Civilisation from 3000 BC to Cleopatra

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