The Travelers Guide to the Ancient World, Egypt: Thebes in the New Kindgom by Charlotte Booth

The Travelers Guide to the Ancient World, Egypt: Thebes in the New Kindgom Reviews

• 
  Mallory

  The chapters that deal with the overview of Egyptian history and everyday life were interesting. Lovely illustrations and interesting facts. The POV is engaging since the narrator is speaking as if this guide was being written during the reign of Ramses II.
  
  The two chapters on Thebes and the surrounding areas give more of a major site- by major site breakdown. The author gets bogged down with repetative facts in these sections, but may make a useful reference inthe future.
• 
  Sandra

  Interesting idea but at times really dull in execution. Would be great historical fiction writer's reference.
  
  (Possibly because of it's contemporary POV or if my other books are older/newer, but different translations were used for names, I could have really used a cheat sheet in back!)
• 
  Debra

  If you have ever wondered what it would be like to visit ancient Thebes, this is the book for you.
• 
  Katy

  As far as books on egyptology go, this is a pretty good one. It's fairly specialized -- it focuses only on Thebes in 1200 B.C., under Rameses II.
  
  I liked many aspects of "Traveler's Guide to Ancient Egypt." The sections on Background Information, Practical Considerations, and Entertainment on a Budget were informative for those interested in all of Egypt, not just necessarily the parts of Egypt that this book focused on. I liked the general information on the Ancient Egyptian lifestyle -- from food choices to clothing to a woman's role (surprisingly valuable and respected!) to manners when one "travels" to Ancient Egypt.
  
  The whole 'traveling-to-Egypt-in-1200 B.C.' gimmick works really well throughout the book. Booth keeps up the act that we are interested travelers reading about how to best handle traveling in Egypt. I thought that this added a unique freshness to the book.
  
  Many people wouldn't necessarily mind this, but I found a lot of the background information about the specific attractions in Thebes and the Nile Valley dull and not too revealing about Ancient Egyptian culture. Booth appeared to get bogged down by minute details and lost sight of the book's point...then again, that could be why I got this book for a cool $2. Still, this could be entirely subjective, since my interest has always been culture rather than historical background.
  
  I loved the explanation of Egyptian gods/goddesses on pages 14-15. It is illustrated by a diagram showing the likenesses between the deities.
  
  This is a good read for a more devoted fan of Ancient Egypt, or possibly someone trying to get a short introduction into the culture. A really lovely little book, with thick, beautiful pages, and pretty illustrations.
• 
  Eamon McCarthy Earls

  I speed read this book in half an hour or 45 minutes. It's a neat premise: write a mock tour guide book to explain a period in ancient history. It's very easy to peruse and short of clicking through Wikipedia articles, it's probably one of the fastest ways to get a sense of Ancient Egypt's history and layout. Like any good guidebook, it had plenty to say about lodgings, money, staying healthy, avoiding trouble and attraction--whether the burial tombs on the west-side of the Nile, Nubia, Upper Egypt, Lower Egypt, Thebes and the "nome" boroughs that the kingdom was broken up into.
• 
  2bnallegory

  Love this book, like I am studying up to go to Egypt at 1200 b.c. A beautiful little book with many drawings and made to look like a tourist book.
• 
  Cassa

  Nice introduction to ancient Egyptian history; reads like a real travel guide, putting the past as the present. Great jumping off point, gives citations and suggestions at the end.
• 
  Hannah Mitchell

  I found this book informational and entertaining. It is good book for both beginners and the avid Ancient Egyptphile. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has interest.
• 
  Sarah

  Wicked idea. Very well executed.