The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt

For decades introductory courses on ancient Egypt have featured Alan Gardiner's Egypt of the Pharaohs and John A. Wilson's The Culture of Ancient Egypt. Wilkinson (development director & fellow, Clare Coll., Univ. of Cambridge) now provides a comprehensive survey incorporating the most recent discoveries and theories. Unlike his predecessors, Wilkinson does not end with the fall of the last native Egyptian dynasty but includes a fascinating study of the Ptolemaic period. The narrative is so engrossing that lay readers will find it hard to put down, while those who want more will find extensive endnotes that further explore topics, along with citations. The author has opted to use forms "most closely approximating the original usage" for the names of ancient sites (exceptions include Memphis and Thebes.) Even though the modern name is given in parenthesis after the first usage, this can confuse the nonspecialist. A place name equivalency table or cross-referenced index would have helped.