Encounters With Ancient Egypt - Complete Set

Reviews / Votes

Selected by the journal of American Library Association as an Outstanding Academic Title, 2004 'places Egyptology firmly within the compass of archaeology and establishes it as sharing some of its theoretical perspectives. ...this is a series of books that should be in any university library. ...the content goes a long way to advance the study of Egyptology and Egyptian archaeology and to establish its place within world archaeology.' - THES, 17 Dec. 2004 'With this astonishing little row of paperbacks, Egyptology finally comes out with its hands up and begins to talk. Instead of talking about material relics, several dosen authors discuss what Ancient Egypt has come to mean to us in the modern age - and what it meant to the Egyptians themselves. The results are often brilliantly entertaining.' - The Observer, 4 Jan. 2004 'In a remarkable publishing feat, Peter Ucko of the Institute of Archaeology at University College London has set a new agenda. As series editor of the eight books in "Encounters with Ancient Egypt", he has overseen an ambitious project that punched holes through the suffocating walls surrounding Egyptology. Through these blow the fresh winds of theories, ideas and approaches that have been revitalising mainstream archaeology. In content and design these books are a revelation, exploring every aspect of our fascination with Egypt. Travel writing, film, novels and opera (Aida of course), rub shoulders with assessments of Egypt in medieval Arabic writings. As an arena for European colonisation with Napoleon's invasion in 1798, Egypt inspired the mom monumental publication Description de l'Egypte, which itself gave birth to Egyptology. The enduring influence of Egyptomania can be seen in art and architecture from Harrods in London to St Petersburg and beyond. We see how stereotypes are reinforced by selling fakes, replicas and trinkets in a Mamluk bazaar in Cairo and how the oligarchic pharaonic system appealed to European colonial powers and was duly appropriated. We learn how the exiled Portuguese government in 19th Century Brazil divorced ancient from Islamic Egypt, reacting to the memory of Moorish rule on the Iberian Peninsula. Insights are acute and seemingly endless, such as an account of how the British viewed the Christian Copts as sole successor to the pharaonic civilisation, neatly airbrushing out generations of Islamic presence. More traditional themes are not ignored. There are accounts of Egypt's role in the Bronze Age, from the trade in stone vases to encounters with Hittites, and the later use of pharaonic symbols by the Ptolemaic successors of Alexander the Great. Egyptian views of the world beyond itself, and its relationships with the rest of Africa are dealt with a length. These provocative and colourful books promise to transform perceptions of ancient Egypt for scholar and lay reader alike. In conception and production, they represent a quantum leap forward in our understanding of Egyptian civilisation.' - New Scientist, 11 Oct. 2003 'A new series of eagerly awaited volumes is now available in paperback and is reasonable priced to reach a larger audience. I have no hesitation in recommending this to SAED members. It seeks to connect Egyptology with the wider world of archaeology and contemporary culture.' - The Southampton Ancient Egypt Society Newsletter 'Encounters with Ancient Egypt is a significant contribution to Egyptology and cultural studies. The articles are uniformly high quality and some are revelations...this excellent set belongs in all university libraries.' - Choice Magazine, June 2004 'Here is a set of EIGHT books, with contributions by many leading Egyptologists and specialists, covering a huge range of subjects and aspects of Ancient Egypt, many of which you will not have seen in print before... Brings in new and interesting views and interpretations, which makes for enlightening reading. This set of books is really excellent. They cover aspects of Ancient Egypt which I would perhaps never have considered or even thought I might be interested in - but the eight titles have proved me wrong and the publishers and all the contributors are to be congratulated on what is really a massive work and contribution to our, and our predecessors, understanding of Ancient Egypt. All the chapters are relatively short, well written and illustrated. This means that any volume can be picked up at random and one can dive into a chapter, which can easily be read in one sitting. These are volumes that will be well used over the coming years and, collectively, they give a view of the Ancient Egyptians and how they saw themselves, but mainly their tremendous influence on other cultures, both co