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

Enchanting!

Fantastically written and narrated. An absolutely wonderful story, replete with insights and imaginative descriptions. A must listen!

A great summary of Egypt's interesting people.

A great book. A very good introduction into Egyptian history, my first. I read the book while listening on Audible, but at 2x the speed. The narrator is way too slow at regular speed, so I recommend doubling the speed!

A hard subject well done

Although the subject can be dry, Mertz does a very nice job of injecting humor, folklore, and her own interesting opinions. I'm on my way to Egypt and glad I listened to this first. The narrator is quite good.

Ancient Egypt, with a touch of humor

I love a good book about ancient history. This is an excellent look into Egyptian history written and narrated in a very satisfying way. I totally enjoyed this book and found out more about Egypt than I had known.

Probably 1 of the finest pairings of reader & book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have actually recommended this book to many people.

What did you like best about this story?

The book is factual, educational, but never tedious. The author is obviously highly knowledgable on her subject, but knows how to make history come to life, with warmth and an absolutely marvellous dry wit.

What does Lorna Raver bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Having heard Lorna Raver read this book, I cannot imagine anyone else doing it. Her voice is perfect for the author's words, and the expression and animation she brings to her reading elevates this to an art form. If all history was conveyed by the combination of author and reader, we would have an incredibly well educated society.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The theoretical tale of Queen Hetepheres and her tomb difficulties was both amusing and wonderful. The tales bought down to us over the centuries of various legendary pharaohs, such as Good King Snefru, have been bought vividly to life.

Any additional comments?

I loved it so much, I sought out Barbara Mertz's other book on Audible : Red Land, Black Land, again read by the marvellous Lorna Raver. It is a viewpoint of the life of ordinary Egyptians in ancient times, and is another vastly informative and entertaining experience.

Then I sought out other books read by Lorna Raver, and found to my delight, one of my favourites, Dana Sobel's The Planets, was also an option. It was quickly acquired, and is just as wonderful.

If Audible had provided just those three books, my life would have been greatly enriched for those alone:)

I want my mummy!

A fascinating and informing look at one of the greatest empires the world has known. 5000 years of history at your fingertips. Ms. Mertz brings this era to life in her book and Lorna Raver sounds like she authored the book - giving it great credibility and authentic feel!

so well done

been studying ancient Egypt in preparation for a novel I'm writing. loved this book, and the narrator was very good. spot on

One of the best history books on Audible

This book is brilliantly written, wonderfully read, and is sprinkled with lots of wry humor -- all of which is especially impressive as it is a rather fact-filled history of Ancient Egypt. The overall effect is something like a Bill Bryson book (say, A Short History of Nearly Everything), only more thorough and academic, and with a much lighter authorial touch. Everything is here: the details of archaeological dating, the characters behind the archaeology, and the progression of the long history of Pharonic Egypt. I am not quite done with the book yet, but already am sad that it will be ending.

Dr. Barbara Mertz, who wrote the book, received her PhD in Egyptology at the University of Chicago in the 1950s. She wrote this book in the mid-1960s, though it has been updated, apparently, for this audiobook (though I cannot confirm this is the case). From other reviews of the book, I gather that the material in it still reflects current thinking in the field, though some details may have changed. Interestingly, Dr. Mertz is better known for her fiction, she also writes under the names Elizabeth Peters and Barbara Michaels, and she has written many suspense novels as well as the Amelia Peabody, Vicky Bliss, and Jacqueline Kirby series of archeology novels. Her deft touch with words shows in this book, which I highly recommend!

A complete A to Z of every Egyptian Dynasty

I had the pleasure of travelling through Egypt and this book was able to fill in some gaps. The narrator is excellent and Barbara Mertz is a master story-teller. She is able to mix facts with fiction and humour, which is the perfect combination to keep one listening.

Too snarky for me

I didn't finish this book. The content was well organized and informative, but its tone ruined it for me. It was sarcastic and snide. The narrator delivered it as the writing demanded, but I could only imagine her smirking and rolling her eyes as she conveyed the author's information, observations, and opinions.

I've always been interested in ancient Egypt, and I wish this had been written and spoken in an intelligent, forthright manner.