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Usborne Internet-linked World History is a series of lavishly produced reference works, of interest to adults and children alike. A comprehensive 16page factfinder section at the back includes map, glossary, time chart, who's who, list of Egyptian sites and an index. Other titles avialable: Internet-linked Roman World, Internet-linked Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece ... Read more

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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Protected on two sides by wide deserts and on another by the sea, the narrow strip of land watered and fertilized by the Nile was an ideal location for the development of the great civilization of Egypt. From its beginnings below the first cataract of the Nile to its long and legendary magnificence at the Nile Delta, ancient Egypt grew ever more prosperous and powerful, first as two kingdoms, then as one.

A Short History of Ancient Egypt provides a concise, authoritative, and richly illustrated overview of ancient Egypt from its rise from the marshes to its submission to Rome. T. G. H. James describes how, in about 3100 B.C., the Egyptians first forged a unified administration and established a dynasty of kings. He follows the development of Egypt's greatest achievements: the organization of a national irrigation system, learning to write, and the construction of cities and tombs out of mud brick. As their art became more distinctive and expressive and their beliefs were shaped into religion, Greek philosophers came to Egypt to study. Tourists came to gape.

At first, James explains, the chief adversaries of Egyptians were themselves. Civil strife could arise from floods or famines, or from ambitious factions of the royal family. But in time, the bounty of Egyptian agriculture, the grandeur of Egyptian art and buildings, and the ostentation of Egyptian wealth excited the envy and aggression of other nations. Although Egypt fought to retain its independence, it succumbed at last under the conquests of Persia, Greece, and Rome.

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The pharaoh Akhenaten, who ruled Egypt in the mid-fourteenth century BCE, has been the subject of more speculation than any other character in Egyptian history. Often called the originator of monotheism and the world's first recorded individual, he has fascinated and inspired both scholars of Egyptology and creative talents as diverse as Sigmund Freud and Philip Glass.
This provocative biography examines both the real Akhenaten and the myths that have been created around him. It scrutinises the history of the pharaoh and his reign, which has been continually written in Eurocentric terms inapplicable to ancient Egypt, and the archaeology of Akhenaten's capital city, Amarna. It goes on to explore the pharaoh's extraordinary cultural afterlife, and the way he has been invoked to validate ideas as diverse as psychoanalysis, racial equality and fascism. Dr Montserrat makes the point that our view of Akhenaten has never been based purely on historical or archaeological knowledge, but is a cultural hallucination, influenced by western desires about ancient Egypt and modern struggles for legitimation and authority.
Combining up-to-date historical synthesis with extensive new archival research, Akhenaten: History, Fantasy and Ancient Egypt is the first book to assess critically why the archaeology of ancient Egypt continues to fascinate. Theoretically astute and engagingly written, and illustrated with many striking images never previously published, it will appeal to anyone with an interest in Akhenaten or in the archaeology of ancient Egypt.
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Customer Reviews (4)

Fascinating study
If you are looking for a biography of Akhenaten, this is not the book for you. This book is, in fact, a fascinating study on how different times and cultures have viewed Akhenaten, and their own biases for the way they view him and the ways they attempt to use him. I read this book at the recommendation of Dr. Aidan Dodson, and I thank him for pointing me to it. Akhenaten is still very much a figure of controversy today, used by a wide variety of groups for personal and political goals. He has been seen as a proto-Christ figure, the world's first known transgendered individual, and a poster child for Marfan's Syndrome, just to name a few. I will admit to having a bit of trouble remaining calm while reading the section dealing with the Afrocentrists, as their attempts to re-write ancient Egyptian history (in direct opposition to actual archaeological data) for their own political agendas & egos are one of my own pet peeves. I include this comment as an example of the true topic of this book - that the hows and whys of people's views of Akhenaten can give you insights into their own biases and viewpoints. This is one for anthropologists and students of human behavior.

Horrendously overpriced for a mere skimming of information
I couldn't agree more with the reviewer from Georgia who mentioned that this book is a great idea betrayed by an utter lack of thoroughness.Indeed, and without belaboring what has already been said in that review, this potentially valuable idea (for somebody else's book) is quite a frustrating read.And it does seem like more of an annotated bibliography than a real study of/comparison between competing notions of ideas about Akhenaten.While much of the information provided is interesting, there is basically no room for investigation, for follow-through, for earnest authorial postulation.Too, I found the book a lumpy piece of writing.For any American-educated scholar there seems to exist a wholly annoying and singular European mode of academc writing that would drive the MLA absolutely insane.Whereas parts of this book are utterly fascinating, such as the discussion of the aborted Akhenaten film script by the late Derek Jarman, such parts are touched upon ever so slightly . . . The idea of this book rates an A for me, but the combination of iffy execution and alarming brevity (and PRICE!) cause me to caution anyone, especially poor graduate students, from plunking down a veritable jackpot wad only to receive this disappointing scholarly effort.

Great Idea Betrayed by Superficiality, Political Correctness
The idea of a book on the different interpretations and appropriations of Akhenaten and his religion is simply wonderful, and I learned a lot of names and titles from this book which will be useful for further research. The book is also well-produced, and contains some very good illustrations. But it is ultimately more frustrating than enjoyable. I was annoyed by the superficiality of EVERY discussion. The author simply tries to cover too much territory in only 184 pages of text, which means that none of it is covered well. A book of double the length would actually have been more readable if it had included more substantive discussions. Lists of names and titles with brief and superficial synopses quickly become tedious. Parts of this book read like an annotated bibliography. Also annoying is the author's totally needless use of postmodern academic jargon and his politically correct pandering to certain privileged minorities. His diplomatic pussyfooting is truly remarkable in his discussion of Afrocentrist interpretations of Akhenaten. He carefully avoids pointing out blatant falsehoods and distortions, and he treats the use of completely fictitious and childish etymologies as merely a charming Negro folk custom without commenting on whether such etymologies are a good method for unearthing historical facts. This is a tedious, grossly overpriced, and morally compromised book. A waste of time and money.

Akhenaten at his muliplicitous best
Dominic Montserrat has succeeded in bringing to us a survey of the different myths, legends and scholarship that have surrounded the elusive Akhenaten and the finds at Amarna.Starting out with the thesis that how people illuminate this historical figure is directly linked with who those people are and what they are trying to accomplish.He proves this through an entertaining look at all the incarnations Akhenaten has had in our society since his discovery over a hundred years ago--as political, social, religious and even sexual icon.I appreciated the tone of this work because it was neither condemning, condescending or mocking of these different views but rather did a good job of showing how varied groups viewed him as the hero in antiquity that lent validation to who they were (are).However, it is hard not to smirk at least at how seemingly diametrically opposed groups, such as Nazis and homosexuals, could both see Akhenaten as their distant progenitor. Montserrat also looks at the different depictions of this period in fiction and movies, and even the opera of Phillip Glass. He also puts the scholarship of Amarna in the context of the scholars who wrote it and the sources from which they got their information.It is interesting to see the changing views of this intriguing period of Egyptian history and why.Montserrat furthermore succeeds by offering no opinion of his own as to who he thinks Akhenaten was.This would only further muddy the water and cause him to become part of his own thesis.I agree with him to leave Akhenaten as perhaps all things to all people.

Well researched and well written! If you are interested in Akhenaten or in how historical figures are used in modern times, buy this book!! ... Read more

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(48 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture)Course No. 350 Taught by Bob BrierLong Island UniversityPh.D., The University of North CarolinaProfessor Brier combines the precision and care of a scientist with a novelist's feel for plot, action, and character. His approach brings together the best that the narrative and scientific schools of history have to offer."Professor Brier's style of presentation is as impressive as it is engaging, and combines the skills of a master teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge of his subject. The History of Ancient Egypt is enthusiastically recommended." ... Read more

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This work details life in ancient Egypt, with colour illustrations reconstructing Egyptian life and photographs of evidence they left behind. It comes with a mystery story titled "The Pharoah's Stolen Treasure", where children have to solve the riddle using clues, suspects and questions. ... Read more

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With spectacular monuments such as the Pyramids and the Sphinx, and a view of the afterlife that produced thousands of mummies, relics, and myths, ancient Egypt has fascinated everyone from Napoleon Bonaparte to schoolchildren around the world. "The Compact Timeline History of Ancient Egypt" explores the lives of the pharaohs and other historical figures, but also looks in detail at the daily lives of ordinary people - scribes, priests, and villagers - who maintained the machinery of the state. The book explains the intricacies of the culture's religious beliefs; examines ancient Egypt's art, relics, temples, monuments, and language; and, follows the rhythm of an agricultural society. As a great regional power, Egypt's relationships with its neighbours influenced the wider world. This book looks at the trading patterns and military expeditions that left Egypt's mark on Africa, the Mediterranean, western Asia, and even further afield. "The Compact Timeline History of Ancient Egypt" explores how archaeologists have uncovered various aspects of this unique society. A comprehensive, up-to-date record, this is a book that no Egyptologist can be without. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts in 1862 in 443 pages; Subjects: Egypt; Assyria; Babylonia; History / Ancient / General; History / Ancient / Egypt; History / Middle East / Egypt; Juvenile Nonfiction / History / Middle East; Social Science / Archaeology; ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Egypt; ... Read more

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Offers a guide to the history and art of ancient Egypt through the drawings and illustrations found on the Pharoahs' tombs, mummies, and sculptures of the time. ... Read more