Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt

<b><i>NEW YORK TIMES </i>BESTSELLER - Magisterial . . . [A] rich portrait of ancient Egypt's complex evolution over the course of three millenniums.--<i>Los Angeles Times</i></b> <p/> <b>NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY</b><br> <b><i>The Washington Post - Publishers Weekly</i></b> <p/> In this landmark volume 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 absorption into the Roman Empire. Drawing upon forty years of archaeological research award-winning scholar Toby Wilkinson takes us inside a tribal society with a pre-monetary economy and decadent divine kings who ruled with all-too-recognizable human emotions. Here are the legendary leaders: Akhenaten the heretic king who with his wife Nefertiti brought about a revolution with a bold new religion; Tutankhamun whose dazzling tomb would remain hidden for three millennia; and eleven pharaohs called Ramesses the last of whom presided over the militarism lawlessness and corruption that caused a political and societal decline. Filled with new information and unique interpretations <i>The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt</i> is a riveting and revelatory work of wild drama bold spectacle unforgettable characters and sweeping history. <p/> <b>With a literary flair and a sense for a story well told Mr. Wilkinson offers a highly readable factually up-to-date account.--<i>The Wall Street Journal</i></b> <p/> <b>[Wilkinson] writes with considerable verve. . . . [He] is nimble at conveying the sumptuous pageantry and cultural sophistication of pharaonic Egypt.--<i>The New York Times</i></b>