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Egypt: People, Gods, Pharaohs
From Cheops, Ramses and Tutankhamun to the world of laborers and craftsmen What do we really know about our ancestors? Not about the rulers and generals, but about laborers, farmers, soldiers and families. Egypt is a perfect case in point, almost a blank slate for most of us as it regards details of their everyday life. This useful and informative book attempts to set the record straight by offering a distinctive take on that most mythologized of epochs. Who would have guessed, for example, that the first strike in recorded history took place in 1152 BC during work on the necropolis in the Valley of the Kings, a protest by construction workers against delayed deliveries of oil and flour? Two fairly banal commodities maybe, but essential: oil protected the skin against the savage desert climate, whilst flour was the base ingredient for thirty different kinds of nutritional cake.
It is this detailed examination of the evidence that distinguishes this volume, with chapters on everything from relationships to leisure activities, the role of women to the manufacture of mummies. And just like the mummies, "fragile as eggshell but solid as a statue" and magically able to transcend death, both people and country are brought alive for us again.
240 pages, Unknown Binding
First published April 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 22, 2025
A few months back, my wife and I went to Glasgow for the weekend, where we took in the Tutankhamen Exhibition, which I believe has travelled around the world. (The next day we were talking to an Australian couple who said they been to see the same exhibition in Sydney). The fact that such an exhibition still takes place indicates the fascination that Ancient Egypt continues to exercise.
My wife bought this book from the exhibition gift shop, and I decided to give it a try on a bit of a whim. The first third or so is an introduction to the history and culture of Ancient Egypt, and its “discovery” by Europeans from the early 19th century onwards. The rest of the book highlights particular examples of Egyptian art. Each artwork featured gets a full page photo with a facing page of text, explaining the features of the art to laymen such as myself. Art was created for sacred purposes, especially of course for tombs.
I thought this was pretty good to be honest. It’s clearly a guide for the uninitiated rather than the specialist, but then I am part of the target audience. The book highlights the particular techniques of Ancient Egyptian art. Paintings were almost always two-dimensional, with human figures shown in an unusual dual perspective - usually shown in profile but with the shoulders shown from the front.
The photos are superb. This would make for a decent coffee-table book, but it’s more than just that.
My wife bought this book from the exhibition gift shop, and I decided to give it a try on a bit of a whim. The first third or so is an introduction to the history and culture of Ancient Egypt, and its “discovery” by Europeans from the early 19th century onwards. The rest of the book highlights particular examples of Egyptian art. Each artwork featured gets a full page photo with a facing page of text, explaining the features of the art to laymen such as myself. Art was created for sacred purposes, especially of course for tombs.
I thought this was pretty good to be honest. It’s clearly a guide for the uninitiated rather than the specialist, but then I am part of the target audience. The book highlights the particular techniques of Ancient Egyptian art. Paintings were almost always two-dimensional, with human figures shown in an unusual dual perspective - usually shown in profile but with the shoulders shown from the front.
The photos are superb. This would make for a decent coffee-table book, but it’s more than just that.
March 15, 2026
The Bulgarian review is first, the English translation follows it bellow
Когато през 450 г. пр. н. е. Херодот пътешествал из Египет, Египет вече е бил древен отвъд всякакви тогавашни понятия, и е бил преминал зенита си. Най-великите му паметници и шедьоври, с които е известен и днес, вече са били покрити с патина.
Това кратко илюстрирано издание припомня в стегнат и богато илюстриран порядък няколко стари факта:
1. За Западния свят преоткривателят на Египет е Наполеон и неговите историци и илюстратори, които документират и представят пред европейците монументите и техните цветове.
2. 30 години по-късно Шамполион разчита розетския камък и йероглифите, възникнали вероятно около 4000 г. пр.н.е., отново проговарят.
3. Египетското изкуство, независимо дали архитектурно или изобразително, е изкуство за вечността и изкуство на социалния статус. Боговете са на първо място, следва фараонът, аристокрацията и всички останали. Поради което изобразителното изкуство е канонично и стилизирано, двуизмерно, с липсващото трето измерение и перспектива, което да доближава до реалността. Причината не е, че египетските художници не са можели да покажат триизмерни обекти. Просто не е било позволено. Композиционно дори в най-пищните стенописи и картини човешките фигури са оразмерени според социалното им положение: господарите са били най-едро нарисувани, слугите по-малки, а работниците - дребни като деца. Единственото изключение, и то донякъде, е времето на Ехнатон, когато той за кратко (преди да го убият) проповядва монотеизъм, и сме наследили бюста на Нефертити от тази епоха. Във фигурите липсва реализъм, но пък има стил, който от края на 19-ти век превзема Европа и САЩ по време на сецесиона. Да си припомним само лампите и бижутата на Тифани в древноегипетски стил, или творчеството на Климт.
4. Във всяка мания, включително в египтоманията, винаги прозира липса. Опитваме се да открием нещата, които ни липсват, и често откриваме повече от съзнателно и несъзнателно търсеното.
След въведението книгата представя подбрани образци на изкуството с кратка информация за тях. Илюстрациите са прекрасни. Текстът е кратък и за любители, не за специалисти, и точно в това е силата му - да популяризира красотата и историята.
⭐️4,5 звезди⭐️
When Herodotus traveled through Egypt in 450 BC, the country was already ancient beyond any then-known concepts and had long since passed its zenith. Its greatest monuments and masterpieces, for which it is still famous today, were already covered with the patina of age.
This brief illustrated edition by Taschen recalls several established facts in a concise and richly illustrated manner:
1. For the Western world, the "rediscoverer" of Egypt was Napoleon and his team of historians and illustrators, who documented and presented the monuments and their vibrant colors to Europeans.
2. Thirty years later, Champollion deciphered the Rosetta Stone, and the hieroglyphs—which likely originated around 4000 BC—spoke once again.
3. Egyptian art, whether architectural or pictorial, is an art for eternity and an art of social status. The gods come first, followed by the Pharaoh, the aristocracy, and everyone else. Consequently, the visual arts are canonical and stylized, two-dimensional, lacking the third dimension and perspective that would bring them closer to reality. The reason is not that Egyptian artists could not depict three-dimensional objects; it was simply not allowed. Even in the most lavish murals and paintings, human figures are sized according to their social standing: masters were drawn largest, servants smaller, and workers as tiny as children. The only exception, to an extent, was the era of Akhenaten, who briefly preached monotheism (before being killed), leaving us the bust of Nefertiti from that period. The figures lack realism but possess a style that conquered Europe and the US during the Art Nouveau period at the end of the 19th century. One only needs to recall Tiffany lamps and jewelry in the Ancient Egyptian style, or the works of Gustav Klimt.
4. In every mania, including Egyptomania, a lack is always visible. We try to discover the things we miss and often find more than we consciously or unconsciously sought.
Following the introduction, the book presents selected art specimens with brief information about each. The illustrations are magnificent. The text is short and intended for enthusiasts rather than specialists, which is precisely its strength—popularizing beauty and history.
⭐️4.5 stars⭐️
Когато през 450 г. пр. н. е. Херодот пътешествал из Египет, Египет вече е бил древен отвъд всякакви тогавашни понятия, и е бил преминал зенита си. Най-великите му паметници и шедьоври, с които е известен и днес, вече са били покрити с патина.
Това кратко илюстрирано издание припомня в стегнат и богато илюстриран порядък няколко стари факта:
1. За Западния свят преоткривателят на Египет е Наполеон и неговите историци и илюстратори, които документират и представят пред европейците монументите и техните цветове.
2. 30 години по-късно Шамполион разчита розетския камък и йероглифите, възникнали вероятно около 4000 г. пр.н.е., отново проговарят.
3. Египетското изкуство, независимо дали архитектурно или изобразително, е изкуство за вечността и изкуство на социалния статус. Боговете са на първо място, следва фараонът, аристокрацията и всички останали. Поради което изобразителното изкуство е канонично и стилизирано, двуизмерно, с липсващото трето измерение и перспектива, което да доближава до реалността. Причината не е, че египетските художници не са можели да покажат триизмерни обекти. Просто не е било позволено. Композиционно дори в най-пищните стенописи и картини човешките фигури са оразмерени според социалното им положение: господарите са били най-едро нарисувани, слугите по-малки, а работниците - дребни като деца. Единственото изключение, и то донякъде, е времето на Ехнатон, когато той за кратко (преди да го убият) проповядва монотеизъм, и сме наследили бюста на Нефертити от тази епоха. Във фигурите липсва реализъм, но пък има стил, който от края на 19-ти век превзема Европа и САЩ по време на сецесиона. Да си припомним само лампите и бижутата на Тифани в древноегипетски стил, или творчеството на Климт.
4. Във всяка мания, включително в египтоманията, винаги прозира липса. Опитваме се да открием нещата, които ни липсват, и често откриваме повече от съзнателно и несъзнателно търсеното.
След въведението книгата представя подбрани образци на изкуството с кратка информация за тях. Илюстрациите са прекрасни. Текстът е кратък и за любители, не за специалисти, и точно в това е силата му - да популяризира красотата и историята.
⭐️4,5 звезди⭐️
When Herodotus traveled through Egypt in 450 BC, the country was already ancient beyond any then-known concepts and had long since passed its zenith. Its greatest monuments and masterpieces, for which it is still famous today, were already covered with the patina of age.
This brief illustrated edition by Taschen recalls several established facts in a concise and richly illustrated manner:
1. For the Western world, the "rediscoverer" of Egypt was Napoleon and his team of historians and illustrators, who documented and presented the monuments and their vibrant colors to Europeans.
2. Thirty years later, Champollion deciphered the Rosetta Stone, and the hieroglyphs—which likely originated around 4000 BC—spoke once again.
3. Egyptian art, whether architectural or pictorial, is an art for eternity and an art of social status. The gods come first, followed by the Pharaoh, the aristocracy, and everyone else. Consequently, the visual arts are canonical and stylized, two-dimensional, lacking the third dimension and perspective that would bring them closer to reality. The reason is not that Egyptian artists could not depict three-dimensional objects; it was simply not allowed. Even in the most lavish murals and paintings, human figures are sized according to their social standing: masters were drawn largest, servants smaller, and workers as tiny as children. The only exception, to an extent, was the era of Akhenaten, who briefly preached monotheism (before being killed), leaving us the bust of Nefertiti from that period. The figures lack realism but possess a style that conquered Europe and the US during the Art Nouveau period at the end of the 19th century. One only needs to recall Tiffany lamps and jewelry in the Ancient Egyptian style, or the works of Gustav Klimt.
4. In every mania, including Egyptomania, a lack is always visible. We try to discover the things we miss and often find more than we consciously or unconsciously sought.
Following the introduction, the book presents selected art specimens with brief information about each. The illustrations are magnificent. The text is short and intended for enthusiasts rather than specialists, which is precisely its strength—popularizing beauty and history.
⭐️4.5 stars⭐️
November 12, 2017
Amazing read! Great information and stunning photos. Highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Egypt.
July 14, 2008
This reads like a textbook, but has fascinating facts and wonderful pictures.
October 23, 2021
beautiful book...great photography, interesting text
January 19, 2014
Learning about their religion and how their beliefs made up everything they did was fasnicating. Reading about how the story of Osirius and Isis influenced Christianity was shocking as well. The pictures of the pyramids and temples are breathe- taking and because the chapters focus on certain subjects instead of following the order of history, makes it a more enjoyable read. Highly recommend it.
February 4, 2021
Well organized book on Egypt with excellent photography. Easy read in the evenings. Only giving it 4 stars though as I wish it had a glossary with pronunciation.
April 28, 2020
3.5 stars—3 for the history, 4-5 for the photography. Even my seven-year-Old flipped through the pages, staring at the pictures in wonder. That, truly, is the treasure of this book—recording the preserved visual snippets of the Egyptian world. Stunning wall paintings, sculptures, and daily artifacts fill the pages and accompany the narrative. In this way, the book makes an excellent coffee table type book, in addition to being of interest to those who enjoy what Egypt made and how the ancient civilization lived.
The history is blasé and mainstream, with very little original insight to contribute. The attempts to connect the religion of ancient Egypt with Christianity, however, resulted in a laughable conclusion that the author knows very little about Christianity and even less about Egyptian religion. Honestly, the whole accepted narrative of Egyptology leaves a lot to be desired, in my mind. The more I learn about Egypt, the more I learn how truly little we do know. So many conjectures have had to be made, but they’ve been said so often that it is just not questioned anymore.
The history is blasé and mainstream, with very little original insight to contribute. The attempts to connect the religion of ancient Egypt with Christianity, however, resulted in a laughable conclusion that the author knows very little about Christianity and even less about Egyptian religion. Honestly, the whole accepted narrative of Egyptology leaves a lot to be desired, in my mind. The more I learn about Egypt, the more I learn how truly little we do know. So many conjectures have had to be made, but they’ve been said so often that it is just not questioned anymore.
April 24, 2019
Fascinating and inspiring. Delves into a lot of the social structures of Ancient Egypt as well as their progression. It explores how art, as such an integral part of their society, wasn't just stylistically interesting but also provides the majority of our understanding of their cultures.
September 24, 2022
Not a bad book. Excellent images and very nicely produced. However, reads like a collection of disconnected essays on ancient Egypt. Bits of interesting information to be acquired but not that many connecting threads. An interesting read but not one to return to.
July 6, 2023
Een heel interessant overzicht van de Oud Egyptenaren. Veel mooie foto's die ik herken van mijn vakantie in Egypte dit jaar. Het gaat nergens echt diep in op de stof, maar voor een vogelvlucht is dit boek perfect.
May 3, 2018
Liked the pictures. Read like a text book. Would have been better if the book was in story form. Some of the information was confusing or boring.
May 18, 2023
Good book. Simple. Weirdly horny for paintings of dead dancing girls tho. They're dead. Let them rest.
May 1, 2020
Excelente introducción al milenario y bello mundo de la civilización del Nilo. A través de una serie de capítulos nos va introduciendo en la misma vida y corazón de los habitantes de las tierras negras.
December 15, 2021
Good picture examples of Egyptian art. Fun to browse through, not much in literary substance. Worth picking up from the library for perusal.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews