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The History of Ancient Egypt

By: Bob Brier, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Bob Brier
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Publisher's Summary

Ancient Egyptian civilization is so grand our minds sometimes have difficulty adjusting to it. It lasted 3,000 years, longer than any other on the planet. Its Great Pyramid of Cheops was the tallest building in the world until well into the 19th century and remains the only Ancient Wonder still standing. And it was the most technologically advanced of the ancient civilizations, with the medical knowledge that made Egyptian physicians the most famous in the world.

Yet even after deciphering its hieroglyphs, and marveling at its scarabs, mummies, obelisks, and sphinxes, Egyptian civilization remains one of history's most mysterious, as "other" as it is extraordinary. This chronological survey presents the complete history of ancient Egypt's three great Kingdoms: the Old Kingdom, when the pyramids were built and Egypt became a nation under the supreme rule of the pharaoh and the rules of Egyptian art were established; the Middle Kingdom, when Egypt was a nation fighting to restore its greatness; and the New Kingdom, when all the names we know today-Hatshepsut, Tutankhamen, Ramses the Great, Cleopatra, and others-first appeared. Professor Brier's 48 lectures glisten with the kind of vivid anecdotes and human glimpses that make this ancient world breathe again.

"The fun of history is in the details," he notes. "Knowing that Ramses the Great was crippled by arthritis for the last decade of his long life makes us more sympathetic to the boastful monarch who fathered more than 100 children. If we understand what it was like to be a miner sent to the turquoise mines in the Sinai mountains in the summer, we will feel a kinship with our long-dead counterparts."

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©1999 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)1999 The Great Courses

What listeners say about The History of Ancient Egypt

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Both informative & entertaining

It’s quite a long book but the author does a great job of guiding the listener not just through each chapter but also the book overall. It outlines goals & provides focus.

Generally speaking I prefer English/European narrators (sorry if that offends anyone!!), but I do very much like an author who narrates his/her own work. I found Bob Brier to be informative & entertaining.

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Great!

I so enjoyed these lectures. Professor Brier’s obvious passion for his subject shines through. Fabulous.

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Great content and narration on Ancient Egypt

loved the narration and story. Loved that the narrator stressed when it was his opinion but then provided reasons for why he thought that way. There was a lot of evidence provided throughout. I had just returned from a 2 week trip to Egypt and this provide more background and context.

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Yuge!

My man Dr Bob Brier enthusiastically presents this fantastic course on Ancient Egypt. I bought this on a whim as a daily deal and loved every minute of it. If only all teachers were this engrossing in making you want to learn more. If you have even a cursory interest in Egypt, you'll probably enjoy this.

Worth picking up!

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What a Gem this course is.

absolutely loved it! Bob is my Man... truely enjoyed every minute of the lectures.. and I'll never forget stele is the round top thing :D

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Really loved it!

Really well done, and very informative. Bob Brier has a lovely voice, which makes listening to his lectures a pleasure.

Takes a long time to get through, but we’ll worth it!

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Outstanding

Bob is great to listen to. He provides a large amount of information in a very understandable and digestible way. Extremely informative.

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Fantastic Lectures!

I Thoroughly enjoyed listening to these lectures. They are easy to follow and very engaging. You can definitely feel the passion of the narrator through the stories - great for novices to enthusiast's of Ancient Egypt!!

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Captivating

Bob creates a perfect mix of facts and story telling that keeps you wanting more. He has a special talent for narrating and his passion is very addictive. The book is perfectly laid out and split into manageable chapters. I'm having a great experience.

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Fascinating, accessible and fun

Best random buy from a suggestion I ever made. For someone who was only partly interested in Egyptology before, I'm now hooked. The content is so well delivered in an engaging and fun way that I find I can still remember most of what was covered.

Highly recommend.

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