Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs

A Popular History of Ancient Egypt

By: Barbara Mertz

Narrated by: Lorna Raver

Length: 12 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

In this updated version of the classic of popular Egyptology, Barbara Mertz combines her doctorate in Egyptology at the famed Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago with a life-long enthusiasm for ancient Egypt. Her love of the subject is contagious and makes her the perfect guide to ancient Egypt for the student, the layman, and those who plan to visit or have visited the Nile Valley.

©2007 MPM Manor, Inc. (P)2007 Tantor

Great storytelling

Perfectly narrated. Made learning more about Egypt very entertaining. Felt like I was right there with the author enjoying some tea while chatting about Egyptian history.

Should History be this much fun?

This is written incredibly well and the narration is a treat. Are you supposed to laugh out loud at a history book? You will at this one. Are you supposed to stay up late because you can't wait to hear what she's got to say next? You'll do that, too. Usually I don't like to listen to history (the narrators tend to put me to sleep) but I am happy to have this in my Audible library.

Superlative!!!!

This was my second download with Audible.

The writing and narration are terrific. I've always appreciated a witty (and dry) turn of phrase. 'Dry', however, is NOT how I'd describe this audio book! It is rich with imagery and information.

If you have any interest in ancient Egypt or archaeology, this is a must!

Not the book I expected.

The title of this book - Temples, Tombs and Hieroglyphs – led me to think it was about the various temples constructed in Egypt, how they were built, how they were used, how the pyramids were built, what current scholarship believed to be the purpose of the various interior spaces and, perhaps, a description of Jean Francois Champollion's successful efforts to decipher the hieroglyphs. Instead what I found was an overview of the thirty or so Egyptian dynasties and, along with that, a brief history of Egypt.

I don't want to be misunderstood. The information provided is interesting and well presented. The overview of the Egyptian dynasties was informative and Ms Mertz's explanation of what is known and, perhaps more importantly, what is not known and why it is not know, was very helpful to me as a casual reader. I found the competing ideas as to what happened and why to be of great interest. Still, the book did not address those questions which the title led me to believe were the contents of the book.

Ms Raver's narration is superb and the content both interesting and, at times, witty. However, after finishing the book, I am left with almost all of the questions I had when I bought the book – what does current scholarship say about the interior rooms of the pyramids? How were the tombs discovered? What is the history of the archeological efforts in Egypt? How were the hieroglyphs deciphered (yes, I know about the Rosetta Stone, but it would have been nice to have some information on the effort and process itself)? Who were the main Egyptians involved in the design and building of the pyramids? What processes were used in the construction? What efforts were made to protect those buried from tomb robbers? Why did those efforts fail so badly? And many more.

Given that this book did not cover what the title implied I felt compelled to give it no more than 3 stars. However the narration was so good that I decided that 3 12/ stars would be better. Since I cannot give it what I would like I settled on 4 stars. This is, I fear, too much.

Good info

Barbara does fantastic job explaining and sifting through the sands of time.
She gives sources and researchers during the informative text

Love everything about it

Such personality and such clear scholarship; a rare combination. Love the character of the voice of the author, and the narrator clearly captures the essence of Professor Mertz. Very impressive all the way around. Great work.

From the Same Pen as Amelia Peabody

Here's what gives such credibility to the Amelia Peabody historical mysteries set in Egypt. Barbara Mertz and Elizabeth Peters are one and the same. And what credentials she has for giving us this remarkable "popular" history!

Mertz is not afraid to use humor in a serious book about the history of Egypt. But, the account is also accurate and full of fascinating information. Who says a scholar can't also be a master of fiction? The narrator adds a lot as well. This is a great listen!

The last 20 minutes brings it to Today

This is a very illuminating book of history in Egypt ... the very depths of history. It is read in a highly engaging manner. Easy to sustain attention right down to the last 20 minutes where the author draws ancient truths into the knots of current 2018 antics of social and political ... human life ... engaged with ultimate hopes for rememberence and deep connections

Great overview!

I am going to Egypt in February, and wanted a book that would give me some comfort with the whole amazing Egyptian dynasty. This was a great book for that.

The author and the reader who seem like the same person feel like they're telling you a story about a place that they understand and maybe even lived in. They let you visit there. I will likely listen to this again before I go to Egypt.

Wonderful and entertaining

This is an outstanding general history of Egpyt. Barbara Mertz is an accomplished scholar and an amazing writer. Her in depth grasp of her material allows her to show the listener in vivid details the sweep of more than 4000 years of history. She also has a witty sense of humor. Some of her observations are laugh out loud funny. The reader has the perfect voice, tone, and pace.