Egypt
Peter A. Clayton
Thames and Hudson
New York
1994
ISBN-13: 978-0-500-28628-9
The book opens with the usual background information on Pharaonic Egypt including the authors intentions of tracing Egyptian history through kingship. The introduction deals with the chronology including a rather pleasant and informative overview of the documented sources of information used to tell it.
Peter Clayton heads into the early dynastic kings starting in Dynasty 0 with King Narmer moving through the kings of dynasty's 1 and 2 including the serekh of each ones name. The monuments and inscriptions which tell their history including the known tombs of each ruler. The author is continuously referring to the historical kings lists to tell the histories of those mentioned therein.
I have to admit I found the blue pages at the start of each chapter a little difficult to read but that's pretty minor so far the content is well presented. Next we head into the pyramid building kings of the Old Kingdom and their achievements within their reigns.
The book is well appointed with pictures though most are standard fair there are a couple of gems like the statue of Setka, son of Djedefre, in the Louvre. The author is next on to the middle kingdom and the two intermediate periods which like the earlier part are well presented and interesting, not too complex certainly suitable for a young teen to read.
In the chapter titled "Rulers of an Empire" Peter Clayton presents the reader with the histories of some of pharaonic Egypt's most powerful rulers and their weaker successors in the era of the New Kingdom including their tombs in the Valley of kings.
The author presents many details exploring not only the kings histories but their wives and family relations roles with particularly interesting details in this regard to Ramses III and the burial of his family in the royal valleys including a fascinating break down of the titles of Queen Titi in her tomb in the Valley of queens.
Soon we are on the late period and the 21srt dynasty with a couple of nice images of the Book of the dead of Herihor and Nodjmet and a good breakdown of the priest kings of Thebes and the ultimate burial of members of this family in the kings cache tomb DB320.
I like at the beginning of each chapter the author provides the names cartouches and the meaning of those names including the birth names and throne names of each king. The book ends with that murderous lot known as the Ptolemies and the end of Pharaonic history.
I very much enjoyed this book Peter Clayton presented a good overview of the kings of Egypt and though often brief in his description of each the author filled those descriptions with lots of interesting nuggets of information. "Chronicle of the Pharaoh's" would make a fine and reliable book to give to a young teenager however the adult in the house may just want to keep it for themselves.
- The Royal Tombs Of Egypt
Zahi Hawass Thames & Hudson Ltd. London 2006 ISBN-13: 978-0-500-51322-4 This large book from 2006 is by Dr. Zahi Hawass with photography by Sandro Vannini. The books pictures are stunning with large multi-page pullouts of the decoration...
- The Egyptians
John Ruffle Cornell University Press Ithica, New York 1977 ISBN 0-8014-1003-7 John Ruffle begins his book with an introduction to Egyptology followed by Egypt's geography and ancient chronology. The author heads into the Pre-Dynastic period...
- Brief History Of Pharaonic Egypt
Zaky Iskander Ghareeb Printing House Cairo 1975 ASIN B0007BTK10 This small book has only 160 pages and can easily be read in a few hours to a day or two. Zaky Iskander deals with Egyptian civilization in chronological order but beginning with the Kings...
- Egypt Under The Pharaohs
Heinrich Brugsh-Bey John Murray, London, 1902 Reprint by Bracken Books, 1996 Random House UK Ltd. ISBN 0 09 185049 5 This reprint of the 1902 book by Heinrich Brugsh-Bey opens with a basic map of Egypt and a less than adequate list of illustrations which...
- Valley Of The Kings: The Tombs And The Funerary Temples Of Thebes West
Kent Weeks VMB Publishers Italy 2008 ISBN: 978-88-540-0976-9 This book edited by Kent R. Weeks and with photographs by Araldo De Luca has 14 contributors who represent a who's who of Egyptology so much is expected from it. Right off the start the...
Egypt
Chronicle of the Pharaohs
Peter A. Clayton
Thames and Hudson
New York
1994
ISBN-13: 978-0-500-28628-9
The book opens with the usual background information on Pharaonic Egypt including the authors intentions of tracing Egyptian history through kingship. The introduction deals with the chronology including a rather pleasant and informative overview of the documented sources of information used to tell it.
Peter Clayton heads into the early dynastic kings starting in Dynasty 0 with King Narmer moving through the kings of dynasty's 1 and 2 including the serekh of each ones name. The monuments and inscriptions which tell their history including the known tombs of each ruler. The author is continuously referring to the historical kings lists to tell the histories of those mentioned therein.
I have to admit I found the blue pages at the start of each chapter a little difficult to read but that's pretty minor so far the content is well presented. Next we head into the pyramid building kings of the Old Kingdom and their achievements within their reigns.
The book is well appointed with pictures though most are standard fair there are a couple of gems like the statue of Setka, son of Djedefre, in the Louvre. The author is next on to the middle kingdom and the two intermediate periods which like the earlier part are well presented and interesting, not too complex certainly suitable for a young teen to read.
In the chapter titled "Rulers of an Empire" Peter Clayton presents the reader with the histories of some of pharaonic Egypt's most powerful rulers and their weaker successors in the era of the New Kingdom including their tombs in the Valley of kings.
The author presents many details exploring not only the kings histories but their wives and family relations roles with particularly interesting details in this regard to Ramses III and the burial of his family in the royal valleys including a fascinating break down of the titles of Queen Titi in her tomb in the Valley of queens.
Soon we are on the late period and the 21srt dynasty with a couple of nice images of the Book of the dead of Herihor and Nodjmet and a good breakdown of the priest kings of Thebes and the ultimate burial of members of this family in the kings cache tomb DB320.
I like at the beginning of each chapter the author provides the names cartouches and the meaning of those names including the birth names and throne names of each king. The book ends with that murderous lot known as the Ptolemies and the end of Pharaonic history.
I very much enjoyed this book Peter Clayton presented a good overview of the kings of Egypt and though often brief in his description of each the author filled those descriptions with lots of interesting nuggets of information. "Chronicle of the Pharaoh's" would make a fine and reliable book to give to a young teenager however the adult in the house may just want to keep it for themselves.
- The Royal Tombs Of Egypt
Zahi Hawass Thames & Hudson Ltd. London 2006 ISBN-13: 978-0-500-51322-4 This large book from 2006 is by Dr. Zahi Hawass with photography by Sandro Vannini. The books pictures are stunning with large multi-page pullouts of the decoration...
- The Egyptians
John Ruffle Cornell University Press Ithica, New York 1977 ISBN 0-8014-1003-7 John Ruffle begins his book with an introduction to Egyptology followed by Egypt's geography and ancient chronology. The author heads into the Pre-Dynastic period...
- Brief History Of Pharaonic Egypt
Zaky Iskander Ghareeb Printing House Cairo 1975 ASIN B0007BTK10 This small book has only 160 pages and can easily be read in a few hours to a day or two. Zaky Iskander deals with Egyptian civilization in chronological order but beginning with the Kings...
- Egypt Under The Pharaohs
Heinrich Brugsh-Bey John Murray, London, 1902 Reprint by Bracken Books, 1996 Random House UK Ltd. ISBN 0 09 185049 5 This reprint of the 1902 book by Heinrich Brugsh-Bey opens with a basic map of Egypt and a less than adequate list of illustrations which...
- Valley Of The Kings: The Tombs And The Funerary Temples Of Thebes West
Kent Weeks VMB Publishers Italy 2008 ISBN: 978-88-540-0976-9 This book edited by Kent R. Weeks and with photographs by Araldo De Luca has 14 contributors who represent a who's who of Egyptology so much is expected from it. Right off the start the...