As often true for books in this series, this book isn't what the title suggests. While it does cover the topic, the focus is more about Egyptology than Egypt. He does cover Ancient Egypt, not chronologically but topically, and he does a decent job given the vastness of the topic & shortness of the book. But my guess is if you know nothing on the topic, this book will be very confusing. However, if you do know the general outlines of Egyptian history, this book gives you interesting insights into both how contemporary scholarship sees the state of the art as well as the fascinating phenomenon of Egyptology itself & its influence on contemporary culture. ( )

Ian Shaw provides an overview of Egyptian civilization by way of a single proto-Dynastic antiquity called the Narmer Palette. Especially interesting for this reader was his emphasis on the way in which our perception of Pharonic Egypt is skewed because of the almost random traces left behind by that civilization. He suggests that it was not necessarily a death-focused culture, as our modern day view has it, but one very much involved in life and the perpetuation of the state. How else could it have lasted 3600 years? There can be no systematic approach in a book so short, but it was enjoyable getting Shaw's "roundup," if you will, on a number of issues, including changing methods of excavation, various points of scholarly disagreement today, what we can and cannot know about Egypt by virtue of limitations inherent in the archaeological record, and--most amusingly--the impact of Ancient Egypt on present-day culture. Shaw's style is straightforward. Instead of a Further Reading section there is a handy list of relevant websites.