• The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt

  • By: Toby Wilkinson
  • Narrated by: Michael Page
  • Length: 18 hrs and 53 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,050 ratings)

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The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt  By  cover art

The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt

By: Toby Wilkinson
Narrated by: Michael Page
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Publisher's summary

In this landmark work, one of the world's most renowned Egyptologists tells the epic story of this great civilization, from its birth as the first nation-state to its final absorption into the Roman Empire - 3,000 years of wild drama, bold spectacle, and unforgettable characters.

Award-winning scholar Toby Wilkinson captures not only the lavish pomp and artistic grandeur of this land of pyramids and pharaohs but for the first time reveals the constant propaganda and repression that were its foundations. Drawing upon 40 years of archaeological research, Wilkinson takes us inside an exotic tribal society with a pre-monetary economy and decadent, divine kings who ruled with all-too-recognizable human emotions.

Riveting and revelatory, filled with new information and unique interpretations, The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt will become the standard source about this great civilization, one that lasted - so far - longer than any other.

©2010 Toby Wilkinson (P)2017 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic reviews

"This is a penetrating and authoritative overview of a violent ancient civilization often revered by contemporary scholars and enthusiasts." ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt

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    4 out of 5 stars

The parts Hollywood missed

A comprehensive study of Egyptian history, almost textbookish in style. After listening, I would recommend a kindle or book format. The complexity of the names and places would have been easier to distinguish visually.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Infornative, Concise, Rich in Details, but...

The history is told (it could be argued appropriately) from 21st century lens steeped in 21st century western values. Whether it is the reader or the narrator, the tone can get quite judgmental, and it may be good to approach the material lest we lose sight of the political structures necessary for the running of such a state. It is a well written, chronologically sound and ordered book well worth reading/listening to.

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56 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Absolutely superb!

Very very well done. More history books should be done like this one. The narrator was perfect for the material. A real pleasure to listen too!

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24 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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loved this book!!

I am a history honk. Listening to this book helped me relax and lessen stress during current 90 hour work weeks.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating history

Toby Wilkinson has written a masterpiece of historical research on ancient Egypt. It is lively, entertaining and contains fascinating details on the subject. This book fills in many holes in not just ancient Egyptian history but also in the history of the ancient Middle East. Michael Page does a masterful job of reading the book and pronouncing the many Egyptian names, phrases and entire passages from original sources. Well worth the time.

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1 person found this helpful

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what a freaking book!!!

If you want to learn about ancient Egypt, how it came to be, and where it went; please do yourself a favor and buy this book right now! definitely one of my favorite audiobooks to date!

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Fantastic Book! All-Around Wonderful

What more can I say than "wow"! This book has it all, from great coverage of all things Ancient Egypt to a great reading by the narrator, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in history or just looking to have fun learning!

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6 people found this helpful

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Masterful and thorough

Wilkinson's insistence on calling the Pharoahs tyrannical despots at every opportunity gets a bit annoying. However the sweep of his history makes his quirks worth putting up with. He looks beyond the standard focus on the doings of the royals to tell the stories of many senior officials and leading families. He connects technological and economic development to their impacts on Egypt's history. It's a grand story of a civilization that lasted a thousand times longer than the U. S. has to date.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent one volume history

Exceptionally well written, well narrated, most recent research makes for compelling listening that makes 5,000 years of history very understandable and information.

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great book for marveling over Egypt

fun ride through five centuries of Egyptian culture's highs and lows, good, bad, and ugly

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