The Penguin Book of Myths and Legends of Ancient Egypt

This readable anthology is a good introduction to a civilization that fascinates like few others-. . . in this book there are animals who talk, princesses who are locked up at the top of towers, wicked stepmothers and many other themes-. . . An enjoyable book by a skilled author- Financial Times The civilization we know as Ancient Egypt stretched over three thousand years. What was life like for ancient Egyptians? What were their beliefs - and how different were they from ours? The Penguin Book of Myths and Legends of Ancient Egypt uses Egypts vivid narratives to create a panorama of its history, from the earliest settlers to the time of Cleopatra.-Gathered from pyramid texts, archaeological finds and contemporary documents, these stories cover everything from why the Nile flooded annually to Egyptian beliefs about childbirth and what happened after death. They show us what life was really like for rich and poor, man and woman, farmer and pharaoh, bringing a long-dead culture back to life. By painstakingly analysing the myths, Tyldesley endeavours to get under the skin of Egyptian life, and meets the unsung characters of Egyptian history- The TimesAs panoramic a survey as one could hope to readTom Holland, Observer