Many people have in the past regarded ancient Egypt as the ‘cradle of civilisation’ and many people still do. The pure majesty of ancient Egyptian architecture is often just too difficult to put into words, and a high percentage of those who have visited them say that the ‘atmosphere of mystery’ at the many temples and pyramids is something that can only be experienced to be fully appreciated …
Since before the dawn of the archæological era it is in Egypt, more than any other area of the world, that conspiracy theorists and armchair Egyptologists equally find their ultimate focus – ‘secret tunnels and chambers’ which hold the supposed lost treasures of Atlantis, ‘mystery religions’ that are supposed to survive to this day as ancient ‘secret societies’, and ‘sacred geometries’ which consume researchers for whole lifetimes are all part of the ‘air of mystique’ that is Ancient Egypt …
Egyptian chronologies seem to be constantly under review, and ‘Tutankhamun’, ‘Akhenaten’, ‘Khufu’, ‘Khafre’ and ‘Cleopatra’ are just some of the names of the ancient rulers of Egypt that have become household names all over the world in the past century or so. Napoleon was facinated by it, and since his time many hundreds of explorers, many thousands of professors and students, and many millions of tourists, have examined, excavated, measured, photographed and experienced the many wondrous ruins of what must rank as one of the most mysterious places on our planet …
‘How old is the Great Sphinx?’ is a question that many ask, and ‘Why is no-one buried in the Great Pyramid?’ is another question that raises almost more questions than the myriad answers which find their way into print each year. No-one can deny that the ancient remains in this facinating country fire the imagination of millions of people worldwide – yet ‘there is still something missing’ …
Below, and over the next few pages, are a selection of books we have chosen because they reflect the many differing views, theories, and what some feel are simply whacky ideas about this amazing country whose true history we are no nearer to discovering today than was Napoleon in his day …
All comments are editorial and customer reviews posted on the Amazon.com
& Amazon.co.uk
websites …
“Is it a mere coincidence that pyramids are found across our globe? Did cultures ranging across vast spaces in geography and time, such as the ancient Egyptians; early Buddhists; the Maya, Inca, Toltec, and Aztec civilizations of the Americas; the Celts of the British Isles; and even the Mississippi Indians of pre-Columbian Illinois, simply dream the same dreams and envision the same structures?
Scientist and tenured university professor Robert M. Schoch-one of the world’s preeminent geologists in recasting the date of the Great Sphinx-believes otherwise. In this dramatic and meticulously reasoned book, Schoch, like anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl in his classic Kon-Tiki, argues that ancient cultures traveled great distances by sea. Indeed, he believes that primeval sailors traveled from the Eastern continent, primarily Southeast Asia, and spread the idea of pyramids across the Earth, involving the human species in a far greater degree of contact and exchange than experts have previously thought possible.
“Voyages of the Pyramid Builders” features sixteen pages of color photos and a special appendix, “Redating the Great Sphinx of Giza,”in which Schoch provides his most up-to-date evidence of the Sphinx’s older origins”
simply click on the book covers to order those titles directly from Amazon.com, or click on the UK edition link to order directly from Amazon.co.uk.
Some titles may not be available in both editions …
“Decoding Egyptian Hieroglyphs: How to Read the Secret Language of the Pharaohs”byJoann Fletcher (Foreword), Bridget McDermott
“For beginners and Egyptologists alike, reading hieroglyphs provides fascinating insights into the land and lore of the pyramids. Decoding Egyptian Hieroglyphs is the only fully illustrated, easy-to-use guide to the meaning and mystery behind this ancient language. A history of hieroglyphs and instructions for how to read them are complemented by vocabulary lists and photographs of real inscriptions. In each chapter, skill-building exercises weave together with details of Egyptian life. Who could have imagined that the sign for the word “millions” is a lizard because Egypt was once overrun with reptiles? Hieroglyphs literally paint portraits of the ancients, depicting everyone from the pharaoh in his court to the farmer along the flooded Nile.”
“An Egyptian Hieroglyphic Dictionary: With an Index of English Words, King List, and Geographical List with Indexes, List of Hieroglyphic Characters, Coptic and Semitic Alphabets (Vol 1)“ by E. A. Wallis Budge
“Even though the information in this set is somewhat out of date, after having it for a day, i have learned SO much about hieroglyphics and Egypt. Even though i don’t even have the second book yet, I love it! It has a very simple layout. Even a person that knows nothing about Egypt can benefit from this book. I have learned so much from the first volume in one day. This is the best and most complete Hieroglyphic Dictionary that i have come in contact with. I can’t wait to find out what else this volume and the second have in store. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to experts and amateurs in the field of Egyptology.”
“This book introduces you not only the hieroglyphics of the Egyptians but also those of the Mayans and Aztecs. Teach Yourself Hieroglyphics presents the development of writing, Egyptian grammar, and the Mayan calendar. In addition, the book includes blank cartouches to practice drawing your own hieroglyphics.”
“Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs” byJames P. Allen
“This book provides a thorough introduction to the writing system of ancient Egypt and the language of hieroglyphic texts. It is designed as a textbook for university and college classes, and is also suitable for individuals learning ancient Egyptian on their own. It contains 26 lessons, exercises (with answers), a list of hieroglyphic signs, and a dictionary. It also includes a series of 25 essays on the most important aspects of ancient Egyptian history, society, religion and literature. The combination of grammar lessons and cultural essays allows users not only to read hieroglyphic texts but also to understand them. The book gives readers the foundation they need to understand the texts on monuments and to read the great works of ancient Egyptian literature in the original. It can also serve as a complete grammatical description of the classical language of ancient Egypt for specialists in linguistics and other related fields.”
“How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: A Step-By-Step Guide to Teach Yourself” by Mark Collier, Bill Manley & Richard Parkinson Illustrator)
“The Stargate Conspiracy on occassion makes you wonder whether they are really onto something or are just reading too much into things. But by the end, you realize that somehow everything does fit, and that the authors are onto something… It’s one of those books of which I’m sure lots of people will crawl out of the woodwork from, and realize that what’s been happening, is indeed just that: the creation of a new religion by people out for power. Perhaps the most surprising thing about the entire book is how the “conspiracy” can sometimes be completely fear-inspiring, and at other times, just a complete mess… which is unlike the novel-like, fiction conspiracies from TVs… This is a real thing and I hope to see a sequel soon … ”
“Hieroglyphs Without Mystery: An Introduction to Ancient Egyptian Writing” byKarl-Theodor Zauzich
“I looked at several introductions to Egyptian and this seemed to be the easiest and clearest entry into the subject. The text by Collier/Manley is more detailed and gives more information from a structural linguistics standpoint, but I would read this book to get an understanding of the alphabet, basic symbols, diglyphs, triglyphs, phonetics, and word overall structure before tackling their book. The book also contains sample translations and exercises to test your comprehension, and it’s nicely illustrated with actual inscriptions from cartouches and Tutankhamen’s tomb, so you get the real stuff.”
“This is an excellent book for people just starting to learn about Egyptian hieroglyphs. The author teaches the basic vocabulary that occurs over and over in most inscriptions, and she gives lots of examples of authentic inscriptions so you can practice what you’re learning. This is NOT a grammar of the ancient language … but it’s a great place to start.”
“The language of Ancient Egypt has been the object of careful investigation since its decipherment in the nineteenth century, but this is the first accessible account which uses the insights of modern linguistics. Antonio Loprieno traces Ancient Egyptian’s historical development from Old Egyptian to Coptic, and, combining diachronic and synchronic viewpoints wherever possible, he looks at the hieroglyphic system and its cursive varieties (Hieratic and Demotic), the phonology of Classical Egyptian and Coptic, the phonology and syntax of the literary languages, and semantic and pragmatic constraints on syntax. He also looks at the genetic connections of Egyptian within the Afroasiatic family, especially with Semitic languages such as Akkadian, Arabic, and Hebrew.”
“The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone: Key to Ancient Egypt” byJames Cross Giblin & Patricia Tobin (Illustrator)
“‘The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone’ is accessible to our 9-year-old would-be Egyptologist with just a bit of vocabulary help from adults, yet is not the least insulting to her parents. This small book, with fewer than 100 pages, largeish type, and many clear illustrations, gives a readable and straightforward account of how the Rosetta stone allowed scholars to understand and even find the pronunciation of a language long after its last speaker was long dead. We learn, for example, that to the ancients, she was ‘Cleopadra’ and not ‘Cleopatra’.”
“Egyptian Language: Easy Lessons in Egyptian Hieroglyphics”
“Ninety years ago E. A. Wallis Budge produced his volume Egyptian Language: Easy Lessons in Egyptian Hieroglyphics with Sign List “to form an easy introduction to the study of the Egyptian hieroglyphic inscriptions.” Budge’s Egyptian Language provides a introductory overview of how the hieroglyphic system relates to major categories of Egyptian grammar. Budge’s presentation can be grasped by most seventh graders. The hieroglyphic type fonts used through out the work are excellent and a great aid to the total novice. The grammatical aspects are richly illustrated with interesting samples of text passages taken from ancient Egyptian sources. If the reader pays careful attention to the material Budge presents she may be delighted at to find she has acquired some ability to cope with the reading passages provided at the end of the text.”
