Egypt
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 first problem I have with the book is it's mammoth size and weight making it difficult to read.
The book is filled with many beautiful images and informative schematics making the book easy to understand unfortunately by now you will have to adjust your reading position before the book crushes you under its weight.
After a chapter on the history of the exploration of Thebes and it's necropolis' the book heads into the "Temples of millions of years". These temples were built during ancient Egypt's New Kingdom as mortuary temples for the Pharaoh's of the 18th, 19th and 20th dynasty's.
The images that accompany the text are excellent and the information on some of the most important New Kingdom temples of millions of years is incredibly interesting and filled with lots of detail about these structures.
The chapter by Erik Hornung on funerary literature in the Valley of Kings was excellent unfortunately however the subject is so complicated that the chapter could have used the help of many more images.
The book next goes on to describe the individual Pharaoh's tombs in the valley but sadly the tombs of Thutmosis I, Hatshepsut, Thutmosis IV, Amenhotep III and the lesser Rammaside Pharaoh's are not included in this section. Certainly the tombs included were for the most part interesting particularly the under published tomb of Ramses II though with the plethora of books on King Tutankhamun's tomb I could have done without it, nothing new there.
The book next and interesting enough goes on to tombs in the Valley of Queen's with a nice look at Nefertari's beautiful monument but no other Queen's tomb. How I wish they had done tomb 51 that of Queen Isis mentioned in ancient tomb robbing papyrus' but instead the book goes into brief descriptions of two princely tombs in the valley and that was it, hardly worth the mention of the Queen's valley.
Next it is on to the tombs of the nobles which are certainly interesting and well presented with much new information on a number of well known tombs and of course the beautiful pictures by Mr. De Luca. All in all this book was a good read especially if you like an upper body workout at the same time.
- 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...
- Five Books That Will Make Great Gifts
If you have an Egyptophile on your gift list and you do not know what to get them here are 5 books well worth reading. 1. The Secret of the Great Pyramid by Bob Brier and Jean-Pierre Houdin Though more than 4500 years old the authors convincingly read...
- The Life And Times Of Akhnaton
Arthur Weigall Kennikat Press NY/London 1910 Edition 1970 ISBN 0-8046-1102-5 This book originally published in 1910 was updated in 1922 by its author the late famous Egyptologist Arthur Weigall. The book opens with Mr. Weigall's 1922 preface in which...
- The Pyramids By Ahmed Fakhry
Ahmed Fakhry The University of Chicago Press 1961 U.S.A. Library of Congress No. 61-8654 This 249 page read from the University of Chicago press contains many images and schematics to help in the explanation of the monuments including at the back of...
- The Royal Mummies, Immortality In Ancient Egypt
Francis Janot White Star Publishers Italy 2008 ISBN: 978-88-544-0389-5 "What a thrill it is when the portable lamps are lowered down a deep shaft and their light dispels the darkness of a tomb forgotten...
Egypt
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 first problem I have with the book is it's mammoth size and weight making it difficult to read.
The book is filled with many beautiful images and informative schematics making the book easy to understand unfortunately by now you will have to adjust your reading position before the book crushes you under its weight.
After a chapter on the history of the exploration of Thebes and it's necropolis' the book heads into the "Temples of millions of years". These temples were built during ancient Egypt's New Kingdom as mortuary temples for the Pharaoh's of the 18th, 19th and 20th dynasty's.
The images that accompany the text are excellent and the information on some of the most important New Kingdom temples of millions of years is incredibly interesting and filled with lots of detail about these structures.
The chapter by Erik Hornung on funerary literature in the Valley of Kings was excellent unfortunately however the subject is so complicated that the chapter could have used the help of many more images.
The book next goes on to describe the individual Pharaoh's tombs in the valley but sadly the tombs of Thutmosis I, Hatshepsut, Thutmosis IV, Amenhotep III and the lesser Rammaside Pharaoh's are not included in this section. Certainly the tombs included were for the most part interesting particularly the under published tomb of Ramses II though with the plethora of books on King Tutankhamun's tomb I could have done without it, nothing new there.
The book next and interesting enough goes on to tombs in the Valley of Queen's with a nice look at Nefertari's beautiful monument but no other Queen's tomb. How I wish they had done tomb 51 that of Queen Isis mentioned in ancient tomb robbing papyrus' but instead the book goes into brief descriptions of two princely tombs in the valley and that was it, hardly worth the mention of the Queen's valley.
Next it is on to the tombs of the nobles which are certainly interesting and well presented with much new information on a number of well known tombs and of course the beautiful pictures by Mr. De Luca. All in all this book was a good read especially if you like an upper body workout at the same time.
- 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...
- Five Books That Will Make Great Gifts
If you have an Egyptophile on your gift list and you do not know what to get them here are 5 books well worth reading. 1. The Secret of the Great Pyramid by Bob Brier and Jean-Pierre Houdin Though more than 4500 years old the authors convincingly read...
- The Life And Times Of Akhnaton
Arthur Weigall Kennikat Press NY/London 1910 Edition 1970 ISBN 0-8046-1102-5 This book originally published in 1910 was updated in 1922 by its author the late famous Egyptologist Arthur Weigall. The book opens with Mr. Weigall's 1922 preface in which...
- The Pyramids By Ahmed Fakhry
Ahmed Fakhry The University of Chicago Press 1961 U.S.A. Library of Congress No. 61-8654 This 249 page read from the University of Chicago press contains many images and schematics to help in the explanation of the monuments including at the back of...
- The Royal Mummies, Immortality In Ancient Egypt
Francis Janot White Star Publishers Italy 2008 ISBN: 978-88-544-0389-5 "What a thrill it is when the portable lamps are lowered down a deep shaft and their light dispels the darkness of a tomb forgotten...