The Story of Egypt: The Civilization that Shaped the World

by Joann Fletcher

Overview

The story of the world's greatestcivilization—spanning 4,000 years of history—full ofepic stories,spectacular places, and an evolvingsociety rich ininventors, heroes, villains, and pioneers.
The story of the world's greatest civilization spans 4,000 years of history that have shaped the world. It is full of spectacular cities and epic stories—an evolving society rich in inventors, heroes, heroines, villains, artisans, and pioneers. Professor Joann Fletcher pulls together the complete story of Egypt—charting the rise and fall of the ancient Egyptians while putting their whole world into a context to which we can all relate.
Fletcher uncovers some fascinating revelations: new evidence shows that women became pharaohs on at least ten occasions; and that the ancient Egyptians built the first Suez Canal and then circumnavigated Africa. From Ramses II's penchant for dying his grey hair to how we know that Montuhotep's chief wife bit her nails, Dr. Joann Fletcher brings alive the history and people of ancient Egypt as nobody else can.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681771342
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	08/02/2016
Pages:	496
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.90(d)

About the Author

ProfessorJoann Fletcheris based in theDepartment of Archaeology at the University of York, where she teaches worldmummification and funeraryarchaeology. She is the author ofeight books, includingThe Search for Nefertiti andCleopatra the Great. Among her many televisionappearances, the follow-up program toThe Search For Nefertitiwon a BAFTA, a Royal Television Society Award, and anAssociation for InternationalBroadcasting Award. Most recently, she wrote andpresentedLife and Death in the Valley of the Kingsfor BBC2, and is nowworking on the four-part seriesThe Story of Egyptfor the BBC and PBS.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 In the Beginning 5

2 Sahara Savannah: c.55,000-5500 BC 11

3 Seeking the Waters: c.5500-3500 BC 17

4 The North-South Divide: c.3500-3100 BC 30

5 Lords and Ladies of the Two Lands: c.3100-2890 BC 39

6 Shifting Focus: c.2890-2686 BC 54

7 The Rise of the Pyramid Age: c.2667-2613 BC 60

8 Sons and Daughters of the Sun: c.2613-2494 BC 66

9 The Rule of Ra: c.2494-2375 BC 83

10 Clouds Across the Sun: c.2375-2181 BC 96

11 Anarchy in the Two Lands: c.2181-1985 BC 112

12 Classic .Kingdom, Middle Kingdom: c.1985-1855 BC 127

13 Proliferate, Disintegrate: c.1855-1650 BC 145

14 Divided and Conquered: c.1650-1550 BC 157

15 Dawn of the Golden Age: c.1550-1425 BC 168

16 Zenith of the Sun: c.1425-1352 BC 196

17 Reflected Glories: c.1352-1295 BC 217

18 Reigns of the Ramessides: c.1295-1069 EC 235

19 Decline, Rise and Fall: c.1069-332 BC 268

20 The Final Flourish: 332-30 BC 304

Chronology 369

Note on Spellings 377

Acknowledgements 379

Notes on Sources 381

Select Bibliography 426

Picture Acknowledgements 461

Index 463

Editorial Reviews

06/20/2016
In this broad survey targeted to casual readers, British Egyptologist Fletcher (Cleopatra the Great) explains how the ancient Egyptian civilization laid the foundations for the modern world. To contemporary sensibilities, the Egyptians can seem inordinately obsessed with the afterlife, and one could be forgiven for believing that their most impressive achievements are their own bodies’ repositories, often protected by ingenious and elaborate security measures regularly replicated in what Fletcher dismisses as “bad Hollywood films.” Tombs do feature prominently throughout, but Fletcher takes pains to illuminate the more quotidian concerns of her subjects, such as the proliferation of graffiti polluting said funerary monuments, about which ancient public servants groused. Though often pictured as existing in splendid isolation, the Egyptians—literate, numerate, spiritual, and philosophical—carried on rich intellectual and commercial relations, as well as military campaigns, with such contemporaries as Greece, Nubia, and Persia. Ptolemy IV, who styled himself a “New Dionysos,” traded extensively with Rome, a connection that would end in disaster. Fletcher’s telling encompasses pharaohs and their royal retinue as well as “weavers, artists, butchers and bakers, brewers, florists and perfume-makers.” Readers already interested in mummies, pyramids, and hieroglyphics will appreciate Fletcher’s depth and breadth of knowledge about the civilization that created them. Agent: Jason Bartholomew, Hodder & Stoughton (U.K.). (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

06/01/2016
Fletcher (archaeology, Univ. of York; Cleopatra the Great) has written a comprehensive survey of the history and civilization of ancient Egypt. Similiar to Toby Wilkinson's The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt, Fletcher's account does not end with the fall of the last native Egyptian dynasty but includes a fascinating study of the Ptolemaic period, ending with Cleopatra VII's defeat by Rome. The author's exploration begins in the prehistoric Sahara and traces the evolution of Egypt's predynastic culture, creating an engrossing narrative from start to finish. Recent discoveries and theories are incorporated but some speculations, such as Fletcher's reconstruction of the controversial Amarna era, are presented as historical fact without caveat. Whereas Wilkinson opted to use "the form most closely approximating the original usage" for the names of most ancient Egyptian sites, Fletcher wisely employs the more common names that will be recognizable to the nonspecialist. VERDICT Despite the occasional blurring of fact and theory, this work is recommended as an exciting introduction to ancient Egyptian civilization.—Edward K. Werner, formerly with St. Lucie Cty. Lib. Syst., FL

Library Journal

★ 2016-05-15
A sweeping look at this epic history emphasizing the role of women rulers. From the earliest creation myths of the sun god—the great "He-She"—the Egyptian universe brought together two halves of a complete whole: "female and male, mother and father, sister and brother, daughter and son." As such, insists British Egyptologist and prolific author Fletcher (Archaeology/Univ. of York; Cleopatra the Great: The Woman Behind the Legend, 2011, etc.), "the modern tendency to focus on the masculine can only ever see half the story." The author emphasizes this idea as she traces Egyptian history from the earliest cattle herders and hunters of the river valleys 30,000 years ago to the zenith of wealth and influence under the rule of Amenhotep III of Thebes to the annexation of Egypt by Rome and death of Cleopatra VII in 30 B.C.E. The theme of duality also encompasses the tensions and competition between the north and south regions of the Nile—Lower and Upper Nile, respectively, following the direction of the longest river in the world—where distinct cultures developed by 5000 B.C.E., emphasizing different modes of burial customs, flax production, writing, and more. Following rapid technological advances, the southern culture would soon come to dominate the north, and the two consolidated into the first nation state in 3100 B.C.E. under King Narmer, whose dynasty continued over the next three millennia through a combination of conquest and marriage diplomacy, with a new capital established in Memphis. Fletcher's delineation of the rise and fall of kingdoms, invasions by neighbors such as the Hyksos and Nubians, Persians and armies of Alexander the Great, all makes for a dense, elucidating narrative, especially as illustrated through spectacular artifacts unearthed from the plethora of burial sites. The authoritative author imparts her vast knowledge in an orderly chronology and lively, intimate history. A perfect choice for budding Egyptologists.

Kirkus Reviews

Fletcher methodically moves through ancient Egyptian history, imparting with succinct but colorful detail each monarch’s impact for the good, for the bad, or for something in between on the evolution (or in some instances, devolution) of the Egyptian state. Phenomenally, Fletcher makes “living” history out of artifacts, and readers with a keen interest in history will follow every step she takes.

Booklist

The Story of Egypt is written akin to the actual story of Egyptian civilization: mosaic, mighty, flourishing and marked with erudition. What could have been a tedious stroll through an endless museum ends up a convincing ride through millennia with a feeling of persistent movement. The Story of Egypt cannot be outdone.”

Bookreporter

There’s much fascinating material in The Story of Egypt.”

Michael Dirda - The Washington Post