Cultural Atlas of Ancient Egypt

This book reads well, in a subject area where turgid prose is the rule. It begins with topical sections giving a good overview, each of which can be read in an hour or two. Then it proceeds on a journey down the length of the Nile. Although I needed to read more specialized books, at the price of turgid prose, to delve deeply into some aspects of Egyptian prehistory, I regret that I had not started with this one. This book will do nicely as the ONLY or the FIRST book on Egypt in one’s library, depending upon one’s needs. Having read several books on Egypt previously ,which lacked good maps, the topical maps in this book justify the entire expense.

An intellectual and visual delight
This is the second edition of one of the finest summations of ancient Egyptian civilization ever written for the general reader. Not only is this an excellent introduction to many aspects of Egypt, it is a visual delight. The maps, especially, configure in the reader’s mind spacial relationships and their cultural implications. Other illustrations of temple precincts and related architectural elements of Egyptian life supplement the excellent writing, written for, but never “down to” non-specialists. If I were to own only one reference work on ancient Egypt, this would be the one.