ملوك النيل

by Aidan Dodson, مروة سعيد الفقي

تعاقب على حكم مصر كدولة عدة ملوك عرفوا بلقب ""الفرعون"" بداية بالملك نارمر ونهاية بالملك "" نختنبو الثانى"". وبرحيل الملك الأخير تولى الحكام والملوك الأجانب زمام الأمور فى مصر لأكثر من ألف عام. لذلك وجدنا هنا أنه من واجبنا أن نكتب بالتفصيل عن الملوك الفراعنة بالتتابع لتقديم فكر واع للقارئ العادى عن حياة وعصور بعض الملوك المميزين منذ توحيد البلاد. يعد هذا الكتاب قائمة لملوك مصر مرتبين ترتيبًا زمنيًّا منذ ثلاثة ألف عام قبل الميلاد وموثقة بالمراجع المعروفة."

Genres: History, Egypt, Nonfiction, Ancient History, Art Design, Archaeology, Egyptology

236 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Aidan Dodson is Honorary Professor of Egyptology in the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Bristol, UK, was Simpson Professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo in 2013, and Chair of the Egypt Exploration Society during 2011–16. Awarded his PhD by the University of Cambridge in 1995, he was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 2003. He is the author of some twenty-five books, including Sethy I, King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (AUC Press, 2019), Rameses III, King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (AUC Press, 2019), Amarna Sunrise: Egypt from Golden Age to Age of Heresy (AUC Press, paperback edition, 2016), Afterglow of Empire: Egypt from the Fall of the New Kingdom to the Saite Renaissance (AUC Press, paperback edition, 2020), Poisoned Legacy: The Fall of the 19th Egyptian Dynasty (AUC Press, paperback edition, 2016), Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (AUC Press, paperback edition, 2018), and Monarchs of the Nile (AUC Press, paperback edition, 2015). Professor Dodson has also written on naval history from the middle of the nineteenth century to the present day.

Reviews

[Mohamed Shoaib · Rating 3 out of 5]

From Narmer all the way to Nectanebo II, this book provides the story of all the kings to rule Egypt in a very detailed and organized way to provide all the info needed for a scholar.

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jag får helt enkelt acceptera att gamla egypten kommer att fortsätta vara en vit fläck för mig.

[Rob Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

For over fifty years now, historians have tried to separate history from the rulers. This is far more democratic, but in understanding ancient history, it fails. Dodson has reverted to a chronology of the pharaohs, starting with the first dynasty and moving on to the Persian conquest. With ancient Egypt, the Pharaoh was the nation, so his or her story, is the story of the two lands. What is lacking here is depth, but in a survey that covers so much history, it cannot tell all. He also brings in new scholarship throughout the book. In short, a new look at a very old set of rulers.

[Gergely · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the synopsis: "This book presents a concise account of the lives and times of some of the more significant occupants of the Egyptian throne" - and that's exactly what you're getting if you read it.

It's a serviceable overview if you just need a refresher on the notable achievements of the various pharaohs. If you want to go into more depth about them, you'll need a different book.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I flipped between a 2-star and 3-star rating for a time. Technically, Monarchs of the Nile has no major pitfalls. Some of the information is dated, which is to be expected given it was published 19 years ago. It's just, to me, Monarchs of the Nile adds very little to the discussion of Ancient Egypt and is let down by the writing style.

Monarchs of the Nile is author Aidan Dodson's overview of Ancient Egyptian civilisation, exploring it on a king-by-king basis instead of an events-focused narrative. I debated with myself whether I would bother reading this – as much as I've enjoyed some of Dodson's other books (most notably, Poisoned Legacy and Amarna Sunset ), I don't really need or want to read another overview of Ancient Egypt. Discovering a secondhand copy and the fact there was some attention paid to more obscure monarchs sealed the deal for me.

I did like that Dodson, as well as covering the usual suspects (the pyramid builders, Hatshepsut, Akhenaten, Tutankhamun, Ramesses II) also paid attention to some of the obscure and less well-known figures in Egyptian history. I was particularly happy to see a whole chapter dedicated to the fall of the 19th dynasty – Seti II, Amenmesses, Siptah and Tausert. However, succinctness of the text coupled with information overload tempered my enjoyment and my appreciation.

Dodson is thorough, but also brief. This might be a strength at times, but often it felt like being caught up in a whirlwind of information. There's just so much there and covered at such a speed that it felt almost impossible to process the information given. One moment, we're talking about Djoser and Khufu, the next we're flying past the collapse of the Old Kingdom, into the Middle Kingdom and then getting into the New Kingdom.

Comparing Monarchs of the Nile to the other overviews of Egyptian civilisation I've read also highlights its weaknesses. Barbara Mertz's Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt may not cover as many monarchs as Dodson does, but is more newbie-friendly, immensely readable, often amusing and more detailed. Toby Wilkinson's The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt is a more detailed and less confronting read – even at the daunting size of 650 pages next to Monarchs' 238 pages. I've kept the Mertz and Wilkinson texts, but I'm seriously considering removing Monarchs of the Nile off my shelves.

So I settled on a 2-star rating. Maybe those less familiar with Ancient Egypt would get more out of this than I did. That said, I think my biggest issue with this book was readability which might alienate those readers unfamiliar with Ancient Egypt.

[Josh Swinscoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read this, I knew very little about Ancoent Egypt and that Pharaohs. To cover so much history from the start, it did teach me quite a bit about the Pharaohs. The writing style for such a work I believe mare it better, allowed it to be broken down into sections and further sub sections. This I enjoyed, allowed me to read a lot, with out realising it. Overall I would recommend as an introduction into ancient Egypt.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many monarchs and too few details for anyone other than the usual suspects to stand out from the crowd.