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Title: The Egyptian Pyramids

Subtitle: The Origins and History of the World's Most Famous Monument

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Colin Fluxman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-22-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: History, Ancient

Publisher's Summary:

"When we find something new at Giza, we announce it to the world. The Sphinx and the Pyramids are world treasures. We are the guardians of these treasures, but they belong to the world." (Zahi Hawass, Egyptologist)

The pyramids of Egypt are such recognizable symbols of antiquity that for millennia, people have made assumptions about what they are and why they exist without full consideration of the various meanings these ancient symbolic structures have had over the centuries. Generations have viewed them as symbols of a lost past, which in turn is often portrayed as a world full of romance and mystery. This verbal meaning has become associated with the structures through the tourism industry, where intrigue obviously boosts ticket sales. In fact the Egyptian pyramids are so old that they were also drawing tourists in ancient times. In antiquity the Great Pyramid of Giza was listed as one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, and it is the only one still surviving today.

The age and structural integrity of the pyramids also make them symbols of longevity and power, which is only fitting because those are two purposes the ancient pharaohs who commissioned these works intended them to serve. For the pharaohs, the construction of these large monuments presented an opportunity for them to showcase their influence and become something to be remembered by, both in the society they ruled and in the annals of history that would follow. Even as new dynasties came and went, and even as Egypt was subjected to foreign domination and rulers from across the world, the pyramids have continued to stand as a prominent testament to Ancient Egypt's glorious past.

Members Reviews:

Good Pictures, Poor Explanations

The Egyptian Pyramids: The Origins and History of the Worlds Most Famous Monument by Charles River Editors has some good qualities, but the poor qualities nearly outweigh the good. Also, the title should have said Monuments (plural) because the book examines many pyramid structures in Egypt.

The good qualities include a great price, wonderful pictures, good drawings, and some interesting history.

The bad qualities are the history is confusing, there is a lot of repetition (word for word), and there is a lack of comparisons.

Reading the book leaves one confused as to the dating of each of the pyramids and the evolution of the construction methods as the years went on. This is critical. A time line of which pyramid was constructed when would have helped. There is also a vacuum of information concerning construction methods. Much is left out about how it was done. The lack of hieroglyphics inside the largest pyramids goes unexamined as does the reasons for the boat pits et al. The Egyptians pyramids are not compared to the Aztec and Mayan pyramids of South America in construction or in use. More information on the temples associated with the pyramids would have been helpful.

After reading the book I was left with a lot more questions than answers. A much better book on the Egyptian pyramids is Secrets Of The Great Pyramid by Tompkins.

Four Stars

Great book full of info