The History of Ancient Egypt

By: Bob Brier, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Bob Brier

Length: 24 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Ancient Egyptian civilization is so grand our minds sometimes have difficulty adjusting to it. It lasted 3,000 years, longer than any other on the planet. Its Great Pyramid of Cheops was the tallest building in the world until well into the 19th century and remains the only Ancient Wonder still standing. And it was the most technologically advanced of the ancient civilizations, with the medical knowledge that made Egyptian physicians the most famous in the world.

Yet even after deciphering its hieroglyphs, and marveling at its scarabs, mummies, obelisks, and sphinxes, Egyptian civilization remains one of history's most mysterious, as "other" as it is extraordinary. This chronological survey presents the complete history of ancient Egypt's three great Kingdoms: the Old Kingdom, when the pyramids were built and Egypt became a nation under the supreme rule of the pharaoh and the rules of Egyptian art were established; the Middle Kingdom, when Egypt was a nation fighting to restore its greatness; and the New Kingdom, when all the names we know today-Hatshepsut, Tutankhamen, Ramses the Great, Cleopatra, and others-first appeared. Professor Brier's 48 lectures glisten with the kind of vivid anecdotes and human glimpses that make this ancient world breathe again.

"The fun of history is in the details," he notes. "Knowing that Ramses the Great was crippled by arthritis for the last decade of his long life makes us more sympathetic to the boastful monarch who fathered more than 100 children. If we understand what it was like to be a miner sent to the turquoise mines in the Sinai mountains in the summer, we will feel a kinship with our long-dead counterparts."

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©1999 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)1999 The Great Courses

Loved it

I mostly used this to fall asleep to but when I was listening I really enjoyed it. I love Egyptian Mythology and it made me feel like I was back at college with the professor's recording.

Superb Content With Projection

I get a sense that, while rich with detail, Bob Brier projects a lot of his own personal values into this course. I don't mind this, because his ideas have some academic merit, but there is too much time passed to determine conclusively the motivations behind the actions and decisions of certain Egyptian Kings.

The course is still reasonably relevant but needs extensive updating. This course is over two decades old, and could use more contemporaneity. I am not convinced Hatshepsut had her name stricken as rage or even as Brier suggests, historically trying to erase the tragedy of having a female ruler, but rather issues with succession. The Ptolemaic period is beautifully covered. Brier's delivery is very good and his enthusiasm is noticeable. Though slightly old, still relevant and completely useful as a course.

I come back to these lectures time and time and time again, and I love picking up things I missed the last time. Something that I don't fully understand, or likely appreciate is that his presentation seems to be somewhat vicarious to the mindset of the time. He is remarkably cavalier about violence and exploitation, and I think that it COULD be a mistake in terms of our own social development to not have a critical view of these behaviors that still infect the modern psyche. Ancient Egypt is my favorite civilization, and always will be. I love their architecture, their artwork, their jewelry, their obsession with life and living, and longevity/antiquity.

It's a great course, but given my 21st century proclivities I cringe a little bit with some of the content. I've listened all the way through probably ten times. It's the most comprehensive course available, but if you want updated historical information you cannot beat The History of Egypt Podcast.

I was an Egyptophile before I listened to

These lectures and thought I knew a lot but Dr. Brier was fantastic in filling in details I didn’t know. Also, usually my investigations stopped at the 19th Dynasty so learning about the Ptolomies was very interesting. I hope to listen to Dr. Brier again. I will at least try to find his books.

Obsessed

I am so grateful for these courses Audible is offering. I am not even finished with this course and I have learned so much about Ancient Egypt. The lecturer is engaging. You can tell he just loves his field of study. I respect that so much. Even if you don’t know much about Egyptian history, the language is approachable, so nobody should feel intimidated. I appreciate how balanced the course was in terms of architecture, religion, daily life, royal life, language, art. You get some of everything. I feel like I audited an entire college course. Super interesting. I wish this particular lecturer had more courses because I could listen to him for hours and hours.

Very Interesting

Amazing amount of information in a short period of time. this lecture could easily have been 48 hours or more. things seemed skimmed over sometimes, but still very good.

the narrator reads very slow with lots of pauses.. lots of "ummms" and "ah ah ahhhs".. I needed to listen at 1.15 speed to make it enjoyable.

all in all, I would reccomend this to anyone hankering for a taste of history

Reignited my Love of Egyptian History

This is perfect for anyone who enjoyed learning about Egypt as a child and wants to dip their toe back in as an adult.

Opened My Eyes to a World I Thought I Knew

Dr. Brier’s work opened my eyes to a world I thought I knew. His work opened my eyes and accompanied me on many runs.

Exhilarating!

I have been a fan of Egyptology as long as I can remember, however I've only piece-mealed it's stories and histories throughout my life. This beautiful and comprehensive summary of over 3000 years really put things in to perspective. I found it exhilarating, every lecture left me wanting more. I truly enjoyed Bob Brier's enthusiasm for the topic, he spoke of each character as though they were his personal friends, people he has spent so much time with that he knows them well. Truly a fantastic journey and one that has put shape and form to a lineage of information that I have always been intrigued by but now see in a cohesive flowing progress. I wish it were 100 lectures!! Just fantastic!

Easily passionate

Wonderful lecture series. Always annotates (disclaims) before demonstrating his own theories. Awsome experience for the layman (such as myself). Now I have to save up for my Egypt trip. Professor Brier makes history come to life, the lectures are engaging and very passionately delivered.

Egyptology Made Fun

A great introductory course to Egyptology with insights unavailable elsewhere. The instructor approaches this subject with a casual approach that makes one as feel engaged as when chatting with a friend over coffee.