History of Ancient Egypt

From our vantage point ancient Egyptian civilization, with its strictly hierarchic organization, can appear static through its three-thousand-year history. In his concise and authoritative introduction to that distant culture, a renowned Egyptologist reveals the turbulent events beneath the rigid facade. Erik Hornung begins his account by taking a brief look at the prehistoric era in Egypt. He then focuses on political events during the period beginning with the reign of Menes and closing with the conquest by Alexander the Great. Building on insights drawn from the civilization's surviving texts and monuments, he also describes significant cultural developments, such as changes in burial customs and the building of the Great Pyramids and Sun Temples.Originally published in German, this important and highly useful survey has been revised throughout for its publication in English. In addition, the English version features over fifty illustrations, an updated bibliography, a glossary, and a chronological table.

"David Lorton's translation makes available in English a concise, thorough, and well-written introduction to Egyptian history by one of the world's leading Egyptologists. . . . Hornung's expertise in religion is reflected in the insightful treatment of religious developments and their relationship to Egyptian society, ethics, and politics." Denise M. Doxey, Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Religious Studies Review, Vol. 27, No. 3, July 2001"

Erik Hornung is Professor Emeritus of Egyptology at the University of Basel. He is the author of Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt also from Cornell. An American Egyptologist, David Lorton translated Egypt in the Age of the Pyramids, by Guillemette Andreu, from Cornell. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.