Product Description
A generously illustrated selection of John Baines's influential writings on two core areas of ancient Egyptian civilization: the role of writing, which was very different in antiquity from what is familiar in the modern world, and the importance of visual culture. These questions are explored through a number of case studies. The volume assembles articles that were scattered in publications in a variety of disciplines, making available key contributions on core problems of theory, comparison, and analysis in the study of many civilizations and offering important points of departure for further research. Three wholly new essays are included, and the overall approach is an interdisciplinary one, synthesizing insights from archaeology, anthropology, and art history as well as Egyptology. ... Read more

Product Description

Remembering Cosmopolitan Egypt examines the link between cosmopolitanism in Egypt, from the nineteenth century through to the mid-twentieth century, and colonialism. While it has been widely noted that such a relationship exists, the nature and impact of this dynamic is often overlooked. Taking a theoretical, literary and historical approach, the author argues that the notion of the cosmopolitan is inseparable from, and indebted to, its foundation in empire.

Since the late 1970s a number of artistic works have appeared that represent the diversity of ethnic, national, and religious communities present in Egypt in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During this period of direct and indirect European domination, the cosmopolitan society evident in these texts thrived. Through detailed analysis of these texts, which include contemporary novels written in Arabic and Hebrew as well as Egyptian films, the implications of the close relationship between colonialism and cosmopolitanism are explored.

This comparative study of the contemporary literary and cultural revival of interest in Egypt’s cosmopolitan past will be of interest to students of Middle Eastern Studies, Literary and Cultural Studies and Jewish Studies.

Product Description
Originally issued in two volumes, the findings in this study of pre-dynastic Egypt are based on excavated antiquities. ... Read more

Product Description
Offers a rare glimpse into schools in contemporary Egypt. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Inquiry toward social justice in Egyptian schooling
In Cultures of Arab Schooling: Critical Ethnographies from Egypt, Linda Herrara and Carlos Alberto Torres, editors, present a fascinating view of the flux and conflicts present in contemporary Egyptian education responding to the forces of neoliberal economics, Islamic fundamentalism and rising social agency.A "transformative social justice learning model" (p. 17), an aspiration of hope, is offered to prepare readers to keep an open mind when considering the many challenging experiences of Egyptian education presented herein. The lens of qualitative inquiry focuses in six chapters on a variety of views from national policy evaluation, to social relations, to participatory action research.

Herrera (Chapter 1) begins with a recent history of national level initiatives that open private investment in schools and allow the development of conservative religious institutions for education; Herrara assesses these trends for students and families and discusses the impacts of policies that prohibit strict school uniforms.She describes the process of "downveiling" (p. 45) and "upveiling" (p. 48) as specific strategies for women teachers and young women students to develop and express their sense of agency, self and identity in changing times.

Naguib's chapter (2) considers the pyramidal hierarchy that administrators, teachers and students experience in the Egyptian public schools that were engaged in his inquiry.The despotic power of key national education leaders was seen to reverberate through a network of channels right down to the students in the classroom.Naquib criticizes this cultural reproduction and shows that the violence on the rise from students resisting domination may also be a sign that nascent agency lead to hopes for transformation.

In the "Colors of Change," (Chapter 6) Herrara provides a guide to her participatory action research study in a Cairo double shift girls' school that considers gender andrelations, a revelation of hazardous and unsanitary environmental conditions, the links between planning and physical progress and the power of the color mauve.Her vivid description of the social energy both harnessed and unleashed in the process is instructive and entertaining.She offers important insights in the evaluation and sustainability of her inquiry.

Carlos Alberto Torres (Conclusion) summarizes the combined efforts of the authors in his cogent application of Paulo Freire's popular education philosophy to educational inquiry in Egypt.He argues that the critique of critical ethnography is not uniform or monolithic and that the current efforts add important variation to a global view that shows advancing cultural complexity.Torres reminds readers that Freire's epistemology of curiosity and education as an act of freedom will guide actors in Egyptian curriculum studies away from domination and toward increasing participation in teaching and learning.

This edited collection is highly recommended for those readers interested in increasing understanding about Egyptian children, families, teachers and administrators in their lived experience of learning and assessing views of inquiry toward social transformation.
... Read more

Product Description
These two beautifully illustrated chronological volumes introduce your students to the arts of literature, sculpture, painting, architecture, music, photography, and film, and the philosophical ideas permeating ancient through modern civilizations. Packaged with supplemental Student Study Guides and audio cassettes to accompany each volume, this set provides an excellent all-in-one introduction to the humanities. ... Read more

Product Description
Ages 8 to 14 years.The Egyptian civilisation is one of the oldest in human history. Travel back in time to see how the Ancient Egyptians built magnificent pyramids, developed a system of writing, harnessed the Nile River for agriculture and made their own medicine. Children will love the full-colour illustrations of ancient Egyptian life that explain how people really lived long ago.Topics include: How mummies were made and buried; The afterlife and ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses; How ancient Egyptians farmed and what they ate; Ancient Egyptian art and architecture; Hieroglyphs and how to interpret them. ... Read more

Product Description
This book reveals several aspects of the Ancient Egyptian culture, such as the very remote antiquities of Egypt; the Egyptian characteristics and religious beliefs and practices; their social/political system; their cosmic temples; the richness of their language; musical heritage and comprehensive sciences; their advanced medicine; their vibrant economy; excellent agricultural and manufactured products; their transportation system; and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent research
Gadalla, as always in all his books, provides thorough, and factual details about the "origins" of the many aspects of Egyptian peoples and their civilization. Having said that, because many have not been priviledged to have read many of his writings, I think that he should highlight in every book, as he did in "Exiled Egyptians", who the people in that early epoch of Egypt (Kmt) were.

Most people don't realize these were "Black Africans", at this time period in Egyptian history as proven by their own statements of their origins, linguistics, archaeology, paeleontology, iconography, etc. Since this is still today not being taught throughout the world in the educational systems due to ignorance and racisim, it should be constantly empasized by those who "know". This is the true meaning of "Maat", to do, say, and be, what is right and just in the world.


Rathael Fambro

Relates many hitherto obscure aspects of a 36,000-year-old Egyptian civilization
In "The Ancient Egyptian Culture Revealed" Moustafa Gadalla relates many hitherto obscure aspects of a 36,000-year-old Egyptian civilization including their societal/political system as the source of Greek philosophy as exemplified by Plato's 'Ideal Republic and Laws', as well as Hellenic knowledge and practices with respect to medicine, music, science, manufacturing, industries, trade policies, and so much more that has been recognized by traditional scholarship. Additionally readers will be introduced to the simplicity, coherence and beauty of the religion of Ancient Egypt; and their ability to determine the sex of an unborn child; their population migration, settlements and influences throughout the ancient world. Highly recommended to the attention of students in Egyptology, Christianity, Metaphysics, and Archaeology. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Gorgeously evoked world of vanished places and vanished people.
From the very first sentence, Andre Aciman's "Out of Egypt" sucks the reader into the maelstrom of personalities that made up his family--and, more broadly, the city that gave them rise: the whirlwind of peoples, languages, creeds, and nationalities that made up old Alexandria, once the most cosmopolitan city on the Mediterranean.

Aciman's family--Jews from Spain via Italy and, most recently, Turkey, who intermarry with Jews from Syria and Germany--are, in and of themselves, a microcosm of bustling, polyglot Alexandria, and what a magnificently sketched crew they all are: Swaggering Uncle Vili, acid Uncle Isaac, calculating Uncle Nessim, melancholy Aunt Flora, bankers, salesmen, auctioneers, musicians, the idle rich, billiard hall proprietors and bicycle shop owners, and, most memorably, his two grandmothers, the Saint and the Princess, who, as the back blurb informs us, "gossip in seven languages." They comprise as flamboyant and eccentric a family as one can imagine--a joy to read about, with a tale as rich a family saga as any in literature. Theirs is a world scented by the tang of the sea blowing over white-sand beaches; sprawling apartments full of objets d'art tended to by generations of Arab servants; balmy Mediterranean evenings spent on spacious balconies nibbling dips, olives, artichokes, and cheeses and sipping raki, and hobnobbing with the city's European elite, whom they simultaneously despise and try desperately to emulate.

But that world begins to die in the book's second part, which begins with the chapter entitled "Taffi Al-Nur," (Arabic for "Turn off the lights"): not merely what was screamed in the streets during air-raids, but an apt description of what happened to Egypt under Nasser's Nationalist government, which, slowly at first, but then more and more quickly, chased out all the foreigners that gave Alexandria its cosmopolitan character. Once again, Aciman's family serves as a metaphor for the city as, one by one, they either die off or leave their home for points north and west: Italy, France, England, the United States.

It's too trite and cliched to call "Out of Egypt" an evocation of a vanished world. It's a love song, a paean, to the kind of world that both produced, and allowed to flourish, Aciman's family. Their like will not again be seen, because the world that created them is no more. And even if it's gone forever, the fact that it was captured by as skillful a chronicler as Aciman is reason to celebrate.

Sephardis are just like Ashkenazi, no different
The story of a Sephardic clan having to leave Egypt, having earlier left Turkey, sounds exotic, but actually it is little different from stories about Jews in Austria, Poland, Russia or Romania.Never really integrated into the native culture, despite economic activities deemed important, they were always on the verge of being deported or forced to leave.Whatever cultural differences, all Jews, whether in Europe or the Middle East, were always on the edge of disaster.

.... a quest for survival ....
I read these memoirs with strict concentration on all features of the environment that provided the interesting material to this book.

From childhood of elderly relatives that was somewhat unhappy and bordering on deprivation, the family living off charity, in areas where the primary social groups' life revealed a pattern of neglect, moral [...] , and disregard for law.

I watched a collection of things making people of the same feather sharing a common attribute. Perhaps I should say that a small part of these features I lived myself (1952-56). The message Andre Aciman is giving me is also addressed to every member of a clan feeling alien in the environment in which one was found, and resisted to share.

You are taken back in time to the beginning of the twentieth century until the mid fifties. I never felt strange to uncle Vili, Aunt Clara, or Tante Lotte, like these people exist in the annals of many families' chronological account of events in any successive years.

How much true it is when one had become a success story and thus an object of intense jealousy on the part of his less fortunate confreres. One would definitely feel better off to keep ones apart from ones fellows.
Walking on tight ropes during WWII to keep balance between complete annihilation and survival is not impossible, or unethical, though the uncomplimentary remarks Uncle Vili used to make about the warring parties - about them both - in private, now remained no secret. We all tend to do the same thing when cornered; won't we? This is legitimate quest for survival amid a world run in madness, Uncle Vili appeared uncomplicated enough.

Those were the people we came to know in Egypt in the mid-fifties, their private life, their intimate charm, their gentleness, their direct and affectionate manner, their kindness and modesty which remained unchanged even at the very height of their predicaments.

We knew people like Uncle Vili, their sense of humor, coupled with caustic wit with their servants - Egyptians and/or Sudanese - that their good nature forsook them and their tongue became capable of mordant, wounding remarks. In the company of their intimate friends, they would throw off the habitual reserve they displayed on public occasions and behave like the big boy scouts which they remained in one corner of their personality - Pashas attitudes.

Andre Aciman: I salute you.

Out of Egypt
Out of Egypt, is a very special memoirabout growing up in Alexandria before the author and his family were forced to move from Egypt in 1965 .It's a fascinating memoir of a time and place that no longer exists, and a wonderfully written account . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Beware of fundamental errors in astronomy by a purported mathematician
Chapter 1 begins with an account of Eratosthenes's measurements of the circumference of the earth and the distance from the earth to the sun. The author confuses the methods used to determine these two quite different measurements. Such basic errors are hard to accept from an author who claims to be a lecturer in mathematics.

An entertaining read
After having my interest stirred by a long ago documentary, I've been searching for just such a book like this, chronicling Napoleon's adventure in the East (or the Orient as he liked to think of it). The book is easy to read and goes at a good pace and is not just all about tactical manoeuvers. Of course I couldn't help but notice the parallels between the French invading Egypt to "liberate" the people from their oppressors and the U.S. invading Iraq to "liberate" them from Saddam. I'm not going to nitpick the minor errors because they're not important.

But now Strathern has whetted my appetite to learn more about some supporting real-life characters from this drama. One is only a footnote in the story, a Madame Tempie. She was the wife of a frigate captain and she practically challenged Napoleon to a duel to show that wearing petticoats does not automatically signify cowardice. I want to know more about this woman! The other is Sir Sidney Smith. I'd never heard of him until reading this book. I don't know why as he was running around doing all sorts of daring do, from saving the life of the Swedish king to being captured and escaping the French, going on to serve under the Turkish sultan, as well as scuffling with Napoleon on several different occasions. I'm surprised I've not been able to find that many books about him on Amazon.

But this just goes to show you some of the exciting and interesting people you'll find in this book.

Compelling Read
I chanced upon this book when looking for books on Egypt. The Napoleon connection was intriguing, especially since I knew nothing of this episode in Napoleon's career. Strathern does a superb job of weaving together disparate themes and sources into a single narrative. And it is a compelling narrative - this book has beaten out straight fiction / pure entertainment books for my attention. The highest recommendation I can give - I am buying this as a gift *after* reading it.

well written historical
In 1797, General Napoleon Bonaparte led a successful campaign in Italy, which led to him becoming a hero in France.One year later, he had grandiose plans to emulate his hero Alexander the Great by conquering India.However, first he decides to conquer Egypt.He leads an army of 40,000 across the Mediterranean Sea to Alexandria and easily defeats the local military in a series of battles that led to the French occupying Cairo.However, as easy as the military victories proved, the replacement of a local corrupt government based on the ideals of liberty and justice fail to take root.Shockingly he finds himself head of what is considered an occupation force by locals and soon a counterinsurgency ignites to kick the French and their nation building out of the Egypt.On the way back across the Mediterranean, Lord Admiral Nelson and the English Navy destroy much of Napoleon's navy.

This is a well written historical with timely reminders that resonate with what has happened in the two American Middle East wars.Napoleon wins the war in Egypt, but loses the peace as people resent occupying forces while on the home front he claims mission accomplished.Insightful, Paul Strathern provides a deep look at Napoleon's Egyptian campaign that proved disastrous to the French, but not to him as he raced home proclaiming victory; chutzpah at its sneakiest.Ironically his scientists uncovered ancient ruins that proved the most lasting event of his ill-fated campaign as their findings changed humanity.

Harriet Klausner

Flawed Perfection
This is an exceptionally well done book. The scope of this work is on the mark. It describes the political, military, and scientific aspects of the expedition, giving each aspect its due. It also adroitly covers the other players in the story: the Egyptians, their Mameluke overlords, the Ottoman Empire, and the British Navy.

It offers food for thought on Napoleon's motivations concerning the expedition as well as later after be became ruler of France. There are also insights regarding interactions between westerners and middle eastern people which, depending on your point of view, may have application to the present.

All of the information is relayed in logical, smooth flowing prose that is a pleasure to read. Detracting from this pleasure are errors of fact/terminology that create doubt about the author's accuracy. In addition to errors of fact cited by other reviewers, I would like to point out two:
* Providing background between Egypt and Europe, the author writes "...the charms of Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, proved irresistible first to Julius Caesar and then to Mark Antony, while rivalry between these two ambitious men plunged the Roman Empire into civil war." (pp. 7 & 8).False. Mark Antony was a loyal adherent of Julius Caesar and was one of his most trusted lieutenants. There was no rivalry leading to war between these two men. After Julius Caesar was assassinated, there was a rivalry between Mark Antony and Octavian (later Augustus) which resulted in civil war. The author's confusing Julius Caesar with Octavian is a salient error given this is basic history.

* On page 88 the author writes, "...he supervised the 200 men of his platoon in setting up their camp,...". I don't believe that a platoon comprised 200 men. Platoons are much smaller. This misapplication of basic terminology calls into question the author's ability toaccurately assess the military memoirs that are his sources.

It's disappointing that a book that seems to be so well researched contains such fundamental errors that a reader is led to question its overall accuracy. The storytelling is superb but the history is sloppy.

... Read more

Product Description
The secrets of the Pharoahs come to life in this extraordinary package--a masterpiece of paper engineering that takes us on a fascinating tour through the world of ancient Egypt. For anyone young or old who wants to explore the mysteries of ancient Egypt, The Ancient Egypt Pack is a uniquely accessible guide. Full-color illustrations. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Arab Studies Quarterly (ASQ), published by Association of Arab-American University Graduates and Institute of Arab Studies on June 22, 2001. The length of the article is 7894 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: A DEMOCRACY WITH FANGS AND CLAWS AND ITS EFFECTS ON EGYPTIAN POLITICAL CULTURE.(Statistical Data Included)
Author: Joshua A. Stacher
Publication: Arab Studies Quarterly (ASQ) (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 2001
Publisher: Association of Arab-American University Graduates and Institute of Arab Studies
Volume: 23Issue: 3Page: 83

Article Type: Statistical Data Included

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first in-depth study of the Whitworth Art Gallery's acclaimed collection of clothing from post-Pharaonic Egypt, most of which was excavated between 1888 and 1923. The evolution of the shaping and cut of garments, especially tunics, cloaks and headwear, is traced from the late 3rd century, when Egypt was under Roman rule, to the 10th century, by which time it was an Arab state. The weaving and sewing skills of the era are brought into sharp focus, as well as the distinctive styles, decoration and colors of the clothes. Egypt in the first millennium AD was a rich cultural melting pot and this diversity was reflected in the dress of the people.The book is lavishly illustrated with specially-commissioned color photographs and line drawings. ... Read more

Product Description
Discusses the geography, history, culture, daily life, and people of the North African country of Egypt. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
This book is ideal for the person interested in learning about Egypt including those who are planning on visiting this fascinating place.

Part I describes concisely the fascinating civilization of ancient Egypt. Part II discusses the years between ancient Egypt and modern Egypt. In the third part an actual tour of the country and many of its monuments is described in detail. Part IV is about Cairo and modern Egypt.








... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Travelers Guide to Ancient and Modern Egypt
Egyptology is made up of conjecture, myth, and historical fact.Dick Lutz helps the reader interpret the important elements of Egyptian history in "Exploring Egypt."The book is a guidebook for the traveler.

Lutz encapsulates an overview of an ancient civilization, a glimpse into the period between ancient and modern, and an exciting tour of museums, the pyramids, and the Sphinx at Giza.Visits to the cities of Memphis, Cairo, and Luxor are all a part of the tour.

Dick and Mary Lutz join an International Expeditions Tour made up of twenty two members. Their flight to Egypt leaves from JFK Airport in New York. An EgyptAir flight takes them to Cairo to begin the tour.

Dick's writing is, informative and informal, warm and insightful. I especially appreciated an occasional journal like entry which reflected his personal observations, preferences, and opinions.Much of Egyptology is mysterious, often disputed, and inconclusive. Dick reported various assumptions, speculation, and suppositions without bias, or criticism. His excitement in reporting whets the appetite of the reader to glean more information from the extensive annotated bibliography included in the book.

Mary's black and white photos add another dimension to Dick's easy flowing narrative.Spectacular color photos, credited to various photographers, highlight the Temple of Hatshepsut, Luxor, and Pyramids at Giza, a Cario Mosque, Kom Ombo, Tuankhamen's Tomb, and Karnak.

In the final section of the book Lutz provides the reader with an up to date look at modern Egypt. He includes an overview of Egypt's religions, politics, literature housing, military, foreign relations, business and economy.

Whether a seasoned traveler, or a first time International Tourist this book will prepare you for your visit to Egypt.It should be read prior to departure, kept as a handy reference while on your visit, and as a reference and reminder when you return to share the excitement of your trip with your family and friends. Dick Lutz has added another important book to the genre of travel and ancient civilizations. A great read and an important reference guide.

... Read more

Product Description

Islamism in Egypt is more diversified in terms of its sociology and ideology than is usually assumed. Through linguistic analysis of Islamist rhetoric, this book sheds light upon attitudes towards other Muslims, religious authority and secular society.

Examining the rhetoric of three central Islamist figures in Egypt today - Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Amr Khalid and Muhammad Imara - the author investigates the connection between Islamist rhetoric and the social and political structures of the Islamic field in Egypt. Highlighting the diversity of Islamist rhetoric, the author argues that differences of form disclose sociological and ideological tensions. Grounded in Systemic Functional Grammar, the book explores three linguistic areas in detail: pronoun use, mood choices and configurations of processes and participants. The author explores how the writers relate to their readers and how they construe concepts that are central in the current Islamic revival, such as ‘Islamic thought’, ‘Muslims’, and ‘the West’.

Introducing an alternative divide in Egyptian public debate - between text cultures rather than ideologies - this book approaches the topic of Islamism from a unique analytical perspective, offering an important addition to the existing literature in the areas of Middle Eastern society and politics, Arabic language and religious studies.

Product Description
Ethnographic study of textile factory workers in Alexandria, Egypt. ... Read more

Product Description
A comprehensive history of Ancient Egypt. Every aspect of Egyptian culture is explored, including their art, religion and unique architecture, from the early pyramids and statues, to the temples and tombs that appeared during the 18th dynasty. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Really cool book
Although you messed up on the timelines, ancient Egypt is a relatively good book.it engrossed me in bed time reading and has accurate and interesting data,information, and facts.

for children, this book might have been better presented
Divided in two parts, this book chronicles the civilization of Ancient Egypt. The first part focuses on the history of Egypt from the earliesttimes to the Roman period. The second part takes the reader along thecountry and provides a detailed map of each region. The book fails as anatlas : the author provides too much information about the various aspectsof the Egyptian daily life and society, and the maps have no stability.Offering a helpful glossary, this book, for children ages 9 to 12, has manyillustrations regarding the Egyptian civilization. ... Read more