Best Books about Ancient Egypt

Being spellbound by the history of Ancient Egypt and Egyptian mythology means entering into a story and a time period from which it is practically impossible to escape. Thinking about its more than three thousand years of history is fascinating and can cause anyone to want to learn more. Ancient Egypt amazes us for many reasons–the enormous knowledge they passed down, its fantastic art, for the magnificent constructions that they left us, the gigantic temples and the obvious pyramids, and their thoughts and beliefs on the afterlife. Above all, though, they gave us a world that continues to amaze us because of everything we don’t know, and that forces us to assume and theorize about things for which we will probably never obtain a definitive answer. I’ve collected some of the best books about ancient Egypt for those who want to learn more.

Discover below some of the best books on Egypt and Egyptian culture that have ever been written and meet the various authors who have dedicated their lives to trying to answer all the questions and mysteries that still remain to be solved in the story of Egypt and the ancient Egyptian history.

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Salima Ikram, famous and eminent professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo,  offers us one of the most entertaining and rigorous introductions to the history of ancient culture of Ancient Egypt for young readers. A magnificent dissemination work that, accompanied by numerous unpublished illustrations and photographs, will help us understand the development of Egyptian religion throughout its long history, its rites and beliefs, its political and social organization, as well as the lifestyle of the different social strata, both in the urban and rural areas, of ancient Egypt.

Ian Shaw ‘s History of Ancient Egypt is probably one of the most comprehensive and illuminating works on Egyptian civilization of ancient times. An extraordinary story of this  ancient world that takes us from the first moments in the Stone Age, seven hundred thousand years ago, until its incorporation into the Roman Empire in 311 AD. A work full of beautiful illustrations, maps and photographs that, through a simple narrative style, reveal to us the political, social and cultural aspects of one of the most exciting civilizations in the history of humanity, the secrets of the pyramids, treasures of ancient Egypt, their beliefs in the afterlife or the domestic life of its citizens. A study developed by a renowned team of archaeologists and specialists who are at the forefront of current Egyptology and which makes it one of the best books on the history of Egypt.

The Egyptians , by Isaac Asimov, describes the origins, splendor and subsequent decline of a people as fascinating and mysterious Egyptian myths as few have existed throughout history. Despite being a synthesis, belonging to his successful Asimov Universal History series , the author highlights the most significant moments in the History of Ancient Egypt , a civilization that lasted for millennia, from its prehistoric origins, the importance of the Nile River, the arrival of the Neolithic, archaic Egypt, the Pharaonic period, the Ptolemaic period, Roman hegemony and the subsequent implantation of Muslim culture. A fantastic book to introduce yourself to the history of Egypt, thanks to a wonderful narration that transports us through several thousand years, with the always entertaining and fun style of Isaac Asimov. This one can be hard to find but it’s worth it if you come across a copy.

It is impossible to understand those human beings who inhabited Ancient Egypt without knowing and understanding how they saw life and, above all, how they treated death. The lands of the Nile contain many treasures and one of the most exciting is its mythology and beliefs in the afterlife. In this work, Robert A. Armor delves into the enormous amount of information that has come down to us in a clear and accessible way, either through the writings that the Egyptians themselves wrote or the later texts of the Greeks and Romans. Armor’s book covers the enormous knowledge that has reached us despite the great time barrier and will be totally useful to any lover of ancient Egypt.

A book that passionately reviews the history of the find and brings us up to date on what we know and don’t know about the young king and his discovery. In November 1922, more than a century after the location of the first tomb in the Valley of the Kings, and after years of study, planning and scrutiny of the place, Howard Carter starred in what to this day remains the arguably most important archaeological find of all time: the tomb of Tutankhamen. This was the only tomb that had been found intact. Full of treasures, clothes, vessels, mummies, hieroglyphic codes and religious symbols, it allowed us to reconstruct life in ancient Egypt and shed light on the research that Egyptologists had been carrying out for decades. With an ironic narrative skill, Tyldesley draws on the discovery and the life of Tutankhamen to examine how we approach ancient civilizations.

Why did the ancient Egyptian state, society and civilization successfully survive for three thousand years? Barry Kemp, one of the great figures of Egyptology, answers this question with an original vision of the life, institutions, culture and beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, and reveals the surprising reality of a “benignly authoritarian” regime. , who “provided justice and important concepts for all and took care of material well-being.” In these pages, in which curious news and little-known testimonies abound, the reader will find an antidote to the clichés that dominate the usual version of Egyptian world history antiquity, on issues as diverse as those that refer to determining who built the pyramids, what were the foundations of their sense of morality and justice, or how the Egyptians conceived the nature of their gods.

Ancient Egypt holds a fascination for children. Pyramids and hieroglyphs spark the imagination–it’s how I first came to love Egypt. If your child likes to pretend he’s on a barge floating down the River Nile, there are many fiction wonderful books that can feed his hunger for stories about life in ancient Egypt. Here are some historical fiction novels for kids:

“Muti’s Necklace: The Oldest Story in the World” by Louise Hawes is based on a folktale found on the Westcar Papyrus. It tells the story of a young palace servant who disobeys her masters to retrieve the necklace given to her by her father. It is 32 pages long and is suitable for children aged 4 to 8.

“Croco’nile” by Roy Gerrard describes the adventures of Hamut and Nekatu, a talented brother and sister whose skills bring them fame and danger. It is 32 pages long and it recommended for kids aged 4 to 8.

“The Egyptian Polar Bear” by JoAnn Adinolfi was inspired by scholarly tales of a burial chamber for a polar bear. A strong current carries a polar bear to ancient Egypt, where he comes to live with the boy pharaoh. It is suitable for children aged 4 to 8.

“I Am the Mummy Heb-nefert” by Eve Bunting and David Christiana features a mummy reflecting on her life. In life, she was the wife of the pharaoh’s brother, and her story offers a look into daily life in ancient Egypt. The graphic novel is suitable for children aged 9 to 12.

“Pharaoh’s Daughter: A Novel of Ancient Egypt” by Julius Lester depicts Moses as a teenager in Egypt. His interactions with his three mother figures show how he was caught between Hebrew and Egyptian beliefs and ways of life. This great book is 182 pages long and is suitable for children aged 9 to 12.

“Mara, Daughter of the Nile” by Eloise Jarvis McGraw involves an Egyptian slave girl (main character) who undertakes a spy mission during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut. It is 288 pages long and is recommended for children aged 9 to 12.

“The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt” by G.A. Henty is set in 1250 BCE. It follows two boys: Amuba, a captured prince and Chebron, the son of an Egyptian high priest. Their adventure begins when Chebron accidentally kills a sacred cat. It is 320 pages long and is suitable for younger children aged 9 to 12.

Learn all about what to expect at the Egyptian Museum!

Looking for more books? How about these historical fiction books for kids?