walterhansen

Nothing makes you feel quite so insignificant, but a fleeting spec of dirt upon the vast plane of time, as a wonderfully gripping survey of ancient Egyptian History, 3000 through 30 BC. Indeed, the span of the entire history of the United States fits into one succinct chapter of Wilkinson's narrative. If you think that sounds negative, don't. This book gave me that complete "high" from the sheer magnitude of history I haven't felt since nerdy high school days. The inevitability that the closer you look at history (no matter how ancient), the more you see yourself (or really, ourselves) is not new, but again - it's been a while since an author has brought that feeling out in me so effectively. Equally as fascinating is how pioneering and original ancient Egyptian art, religion and culture was, and remains to this day. As the author points out, the Western world's obsession with "Ancient Egypt as a concept and an ideal" has endured, influencing everyone who comes into contact with it "from Alexander the Great to Agatha Christie," and influencing design ranging from "Hadrian's villa .. to art deco jewelry .. to the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas." What I found most remarkable about this book is how "readable" it was. Wilkinson uses a modern, fun voice, often drawing present-day (or at least more modern-day) parallels to bring the ancient past into sharper focus. As a result, 3000 years of ancient monarchs and their subjects become familiar and comfortable. In short, this is truly a book for a "layperson," and I'm so glad it is.

2020-08-09 10:22