Ancient Egypt: Foundations of a Civilization

by Douglas J. Brewer

Ancient Egypt is a beautifully illustrated, easy-to-read book covering the formative era of the Egyptian the age before the pyramids. Douglas Brewer shows why an awareness of the earliest phase of Egyptian history is crucial to understanding of later Egyptian culture.  Beginning with a quick review of the fields of Egyptology and archaeology, Ancient Egypt takes the reader on a compelling survey of Egypt's prehistoric past.  The books tours the Nile Valley to explore its impact on all aspects of life, from day-to-day living to regional politics, and introduces the reader to the Nile Valley's earliest inhabitants and the very first "Egyptians".

 

Genres: History

232 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Iset · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice smooth, easy read, aimed at a general audience rather than an academic one (Brewer specifically aims to make the subject accessible, as he states in the introduction). So whilst there is some technical stuff, you can expect the text to be relatively free of dry details and references. Half of the book explores ancient Egypt before state formation, looking to explain how and why it became a unified country. The second half, which I personally enjoyed a bit more, explores the new world of the emergent state, and what life was like under the early dynastic rulers. At this point, this book would probably be my go-to recommendation for hobbyists wanting to leap in to the topic of pre-dynastic Egypt.

7 out of 10

[Alekhya Sengupta]

This book by DJ Brewer is bound to fill the gap in your study of the Prehistoric period of Egyptian history [not the Pharaoh Period]. It is extremely beginner friendly and filled with numerous illustrations, some of which are snippets from the author's own visit to Egypt. Lucid descriptions, perfect causes and reasons regarding multitudinous events and the pictures make it engaging. I like how the writer vividly describes the burials, geographies, societal customs, norms and daily life. This is imperative for getting a great overview of Prehistoric Egypt. But, if you looking for narrative-like pure historical descriptions, with no spoonfeeding/babysitting, I recommend checking out John Romer's trilogy of Ancient Egypt. This book is great for the overall overview - society, burials, customs, traditions, geographies, dynasties, origins, etc. You may find some spelling mistakes here and there.

[Gerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My sister and I are going to Egypt. This is the second text I've read by Univ of Illinois Egyptologist Doug Brewer. Most Egypt guidebooks begin with the first pharaohs, about 3000 yers ago. This anthropologists starts with the beginning of time, and ends with the pharaohs. Based on extensive research, he thoroughly explores the earliest culture-environment connection.