Egyptian Hieroglyphs for Complete Beginners

By Bill Manley

Book Overview

An original and accessible approach to learning hieroglyphs, written by an experienced teacher and author. This is the first guide to reading hieroglyphs that begins with Egyptian monuments themselves. Assuming no knowledge on the part of the reader, it shows how to interpret the information on the inscriptions in a step-by-step journey through the script and language of ancient Egypt. We enter the world of the ancient Egyptians and explore their views on life and death, Egypt and the outside world, humanity and the divine. The book draws on texts found on some thirty artifacts ranging from coffins to stelae to obelisks found in museums in Egypt, America, and Europe, and selected across two thousand years. The texts are then explained clearly, and are supported by full translations, photographs, and line drawings.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0500290288
• ISBN13: 9780500290286
• Release Date: January 2012
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 1.21 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 7.3" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

A fantastic approach to tackling what seems to be a complex subject

When I was contemplating English at a community college, I thought it would be smart to start with a structured grammar class. The counselor said that would be the quickest way to learn how to hate English. The structure can be picked up in the context of sophomore literature classes; later, if one wants to, they can add a grammar class after mastering it in a natural way. My first grammar book was “English Grammar for Students of German” by Cecile Zorach. Now I have dozens of books on ancient Egypt, but have only started to decipher hieroglyphs. This book is like the Rosetta Stone series. After mastering hieroglyphs from real examples, I can always go back to the stuffy structures. I am still working on this critter as I am taking it in small steps. With any luck, I will be able to read the scroll of Thoth in the 1932 mummy movie. I hope it does not say "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine."