Book Review: Amelia Peabody's Egypt: A Compendium

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Amelia Peabody's Egypt: A Compendium     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Elizabeth Peters
Class/Genre:   Mystery   [Short Stories]
Series: Amelia Peabody
Morrow, Nov 2003, $29.95, 336 pp.

Egyptologists and readers of the long running Peabody series (mid 1970s) will appreciate this volume that provides deep insight into the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, a period of archeological activity that shed a light on the country’s glorious heritage. The compilation takes the audience on tours of Cairo at the turn of the previous century and even more incredibly, a deep look while accompanying some of the archeologists at their digs into ancient tombs and temples.

This is not a Peabody novel, but instead a marvelous glimpse at the history of Egypt with an emphasis on the Age of Archeology and the past it uncovered. The tome contains six hundred photographs and illustrations, a deep glossary, and several intriguing essays and commentaries from experts in the field. With the success of the recent Mummy movies and the long bestselling run of field archeologist Peabody and family, the well written, fascinating AMELIA PEABODY'S EGYPT A COMPENDIUM is a delight that brings to life the distant past and relatively recent past in a county with a rich heritage of many millenniums. Elizabeth Peters caps her great writing career with this tome that will fascinate her fans and those who cherish Egyptology.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner