A Short History of Ancient Egypt: From Predynastic to Roman Times

Ancient Egypt--the doings of Tutankamen, the intrigues of Cleopatra, the obsessions of Nefertiti--is a subject of perennial interest, and the market is well served by many histories geared to the general reader. T.G.H. James, keeper of Egyptian antiquities in the British Museum, offers one of the best of the lot, a literate, thoroughly researched, and beautifully illustrated survey of Egypt from about 3100 B.C. to the Roman conquest 30 centuries later. Along the way James looks at traditional highlights of popular Egyptology such as tomb-building styles, hieroglyphics, and the Rosetta Stone, but he also takes us into the homes of ordinary Egyptians, the men and women who grew crops, balanced accounts, and otherwise kept the mighty pharaonic dynasties alive. --Gregory McNamee