The sheer age and endurance of the culture of ancient Egypt is staggering. The first pharaoh mounted his throne more than 5,000 years ago - when Europe’s hunter-gatherers were just taking up primitive farming - and their dynasties ruled for the next 3,000 years. Egyptian culture reigned supreme: Even when Alexander the Great conquered the land in 332 B.C., the generals who followed him adopted Egyptian ways and gave rise to a new line of pharaohs that ended with Cleopatra. While other civilizations rose and fell, the Egyptians endured: They tilled their land, built their monuments, worshipped their gods, grew and shrank and restored their empire, and left a permanent mark on the world. Here is their story.
Remarkably brief and coherent history of Egypt from its beginnings to its current archaeologists. Emphasis on personalities of a few significant Pharoahs. Seti I is notable, as is the last pharaoh, Cleopatra.
If you wish a high level survey of ancient Egypt, this book will suffice. It simply scans thousands of years of Egyptian history, and deals with the rulers, with no mention of the culture or people. For someone interested in Ancient Egypt, I would recommend Barbara Mertz’s Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs followed by her Red Land, Black Land: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt. Both are, unlike many histories, well written and eminently readable.