Ancient Egypt: Discovering Its Splendors (National Geographic)

The Egyptian civilization is one of the oldest known to mankind. This book gives an overview of it, letting readers know about such things as how and why the Pyramids were built, the role religion played in the lives of ancient Egyptians, and the use of hieroglyphs by the people to tell their history. Since the National Geographic Society is known for its superb photographs of natural wonders around the world, it's no surprise to see this book filled with photographs-both in color and black and white-showing various aspects of Egyptian culture. There are shots of archaeologists at work at excavation sites around the country, colorful photographs of the Pyramids, black and white shots of hieroglyphs, as well as many more of paintings, sculpture, and drawings. Additionally, articles by scholars specializing in Egyptian culture and civilization, appear in the book. Among the Egyptologists contributing to the presentation of the book's wealth of information about Egyptian civilization are Karl W. Butzer, Virginia Lee Davis, I.E. S. Edwards, Barbara Mertz, William H. Peck, Edna R. Russmann, William Kelly Simpson, and Anthony J. Spalinger.