Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt is remembered for its gods, pyramids, pharaohs, mummification, hieroglyphs, and agriculture, and it remains one of the most sophisticated civilizations in recorded history. This book introduces that world and some of its best-known figures, including Akhenaten, Ramses the Great, Queen Cleopatra, and the boy-king Tutankhamun.

It covers the Egyptians' mighty gods and the link they saw between the Sun and their people, along with the burial rituals meant to secure a safe path to the afterlife. It also considers why the civilization still holds the world's attention.

The topics include the origins, history, and geography of the Egyptians, the social structure of their society, and kings and their military power. Further chapters look at the pharaohs of the New Kingdom and their empire, and at the decline and end of Egyptian civilization. The book tells the story of Cleopatra VII, with its romance and politics. It also examines Egyptian religion, mythology, and ritual, funerary beliefs, mummification and the afterlife, and the architecture of temples and pyramids.