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The History of Ancient Egypt cover art

The History of Ancient Egypt

By: Bob Brier, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Bob Brier
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Editor reviews

A fascinating examination of the Ancient Egyptian Empire is narrated by Professor Bob Brier in The Great Courses’ The History of Ancient Egypt. Listeners of this historical audiobook learn of the vast expanse this Empire had during the record 3 centuries of its reign. The Ancient Egyptians were highly advanced in many areas of human knowledge including science, medicine, engineering, architecture and astronomy. Modern achievements and discoveries owe much to the pillars of knowledge the ancient Egyptian’s shaped in these areas. In this book Brier gives a captivating performance keeping the listener involved and absorbed throughout. Available now from Audible.

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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Compelling, Fascinating, Educational

This is a really great lecture series. Fascinating material that is wonderfully presented. The lecturer's personality really comes through. I knew very little about Ancient Egypt before starting this and the course really gripped me. It is roughly chronological but with a few tangential lectures focussing on specific topics (e.g. mummies). At 48 lectures it is a long course, but for me the time really sped by. Highly recommended.

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20 people found this helpful

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  • gi
  • 27-10-17

Wonderful Lecture

I purchased this lecture because I was going for a short trip to Egypt and wanting to understand a little bit about Egypt.
I got more than that, I seriously got hooked to learn more and really enjoyed this Professor Brier. I wish I could attend his lecture in person one day and can have a tea with him.
His goal has been met on me; I was the guide for my husband as we stroll through the great pyramids of Giza sand Cairo museum.
Thank you Professor Brier.

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14 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

horrible horrible horrible listen

Evry time the narrator smacks his lips you jump out of your skin, which at a frequency of every 10 seconds is a lot. By the end of one chapter you have so much aggression build up you could just hit him. Additionally his constant pandering to the uneducated American is unbearable. He repeats the most simple sentences a million times and doesn't give real context. I guess kudos must be given for taking the most interesting topic and turn it into a torture to listen to. I came to the conclusion that that the author/narrator must be mind numbingly stupid himself, otherwise I can't explain how someone can speak in sentences and with a vocabulary of a 3 year old. Intelligent people: stay away from this book ! total waste of your patience.

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12 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

fascinating, and a joy to listen to

Where does The History of Ancient Egypt rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

one of the best

Who was your favorite character and why?

the narrator and of course all the Pharaohs- and explorers

What about Professor Bob Brier’s performance did you like?

voice, pace, content

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Egypt- the first civilisation

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12 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Supposed to be factual. feels very opinion based

Couldn't get through this. narration/lecture style very irritating. I am also very skeptical of anyone who is a scholar saying that other people are wrong.....fact. I don't have to let you tell me. You can just tell me. you will understand this if you get any further than one lecture. shame

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10 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

A great story, well told.

Neatly compressed story of ancient Egypt, delivered with brio and authority. Generally accepted facts enriched along the way with personal theories and historic asides. Very enjoyable.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Educational but tricky to listen to.

This audiobook has a great deal of interesting information in it but I found it frustrating. I listen to audiobooks to relax and learn but I found I couldn't relax this time.

Perhaps I have just been spoiled by some of the other lecturers in the Great Courses collection, however I found him quite hard to follow. I felt as if he was constantly interrupting and repeating himself.

I have to admit I did not persevere after lecture 5 so it may have got more straightforward to listen to.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

I have an interest in the subject and was pleased to see this series of lectures. I started listening and very soon my husband was drawn in too; we both enjoyed it immensely.

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5 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars

A very enjoyable listening & learning experience

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would definitely recommend this to a friend. While after a while, the canned applause and the music at the start can start to grate, the enthusiasm of the speaker shines through the delivery as well as his sense of humour. I learned a great deal from this course and was greatly entertained by it. What more can you ask for?

What other book might you compare The History of Ancient Egypt to, and why?

None, so far

What does Professor Bob Brier bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Enthusiasm for the subject, fascination about an ancient civilization and an infectious sense of humour

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There was the odd snicker from something Prof, Brier said, but it was more I guess a morbid fascination with the subjects covered

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5 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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Ancient Egypt by Dummies

If Bob Brier was my lecturer at Uni, I would swap courses.
This seems to be more about his theory than actual known history.

Littered with mistakes - Bob, the earth wobbles on its axis over a period of 26,000 years, so no, the Northern star is not always in the same place. How someone who studies Egyptology doesn't understand the concept of precession I do not know!

This series of lectures seems to be more interested in rewriting the history of Ancient Egypt.
It's a shame as he has clearly devoted his life to the subject, but the constant 'Here's what I think might have happened', followed by two completely at odds with each other asinine theories makes it hard to believe anything he says.

I appreciate that much of the subject is guesswork and that the prevailing facts are often from those voices of the loudest and most influential, but it does make me wonder if we know anything at all if complete loons like Brier are carving their theories as fact on Egypt's stele.

I also appreciate this a massive challenge to squeeze the entire Ancient History into 24 hours. BUT this is an audiobook, the constant fanfares and introductions and recaps, and re-recaps, and re-re-recaps are not required, I can hit pause and rewind. Each lecture is approximately 30 minutes long and contains approximately 5 minutes of fact - at a push.

His lecture style may work well to a live audience (of toddlers), but as an audiobook, he is the educational equivalent of someone having a conversation on voicemail who expects responses to their questions.

But if you want a very very basic knowledge with HUGE gaps, repeated at you as if you are a six-year-old then this is the course for you!

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4 people found this helpful