A History of Egypt

December 15, 2009
Published last year in a limited cloth edition by the American University in Cairo, this book is now made widely available with this paperback edition. Thompson (Middle Eastern studies, Colby Coll.) has masterfully undertaken the daunting task of presenting the 5000-year history of Egypt to the general reader, with each period given its due attention. Thompson captures the surprising continuity in Egyptian civilization despite the great cultural currents that have impacted the people over the millennia. The main drawback is that Thompson provides two pages of "recommended reading," though a substantial bibliography would have been a useful complement to this general historical survey. Arthur Goldschmidt Jr.'s recent "A Brief History of Egypt" attempts a similar scope but restricts the discussion of pre-Islamic Egypt to only two chapters. However, Goldsmith offers 24 pages of bibliographical references. VERDICT Thompson's compact, comprehensive, and balanced history of all periods of Egyptian civilization will serve a wide range of readers seeking to understand this enduring nation and people.Edward K. Werner, St. Lucie Cty. Lib. Sys., Ft. Pierce, FL

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