Children of the Alley: A Novel

Children of the Alley: A Novel by Naguib Mahfouz translated by Peter Theroux 

Also known as Children of Gebelawi. The novel uses a Cairo slum to provide an allegory of the history of humanity, with stand ins for various religious figures (Adam, Moses, Jesus, Mohamad) and science. I missed the whole allegory part and just saw it as a good story. People are tied to the alley, but struggle to grow out of it. They often see being a gangster as a good outcome. Some people do rise out of it, but it is tough for them to return. There is also a distant overseer that manages the inheritance. The people struggle to grow, but have a tendency to return to the base behavior they are used to.

Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed

Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed by Eric H. Cline

I've enjoyed other books by the author, but this one did not pique my interest. The Amarna letters were tablets that had fairly extensive historical records of an ancient civilization. They were discovered a century ago. Alas, many were destroyed as the treasure collectors tried to maximize value. The book covers the work of the people that found and translated the tablets even more than the contents. It is an interesting story of "how archeology works", but it would be much more appreciated by a niche audience.

A World Beneath the Sands: The Golden Age of Egyptology

A World Beneath the Sands: The Golden Age of Egyptology by Toby A. H. Wilkinson

Egypt has been one of the centers of archaeological exploration and discovery. The climate allowed for preservation of ancient artifacts. The large scale structures like the pyramids show evidence of a grand civilization. The accounts in the Bible encouraged discovery. It was located close to Europe and well documented in Roman history. It seemed to have a lot going for it.  The Rosetta Stone helped enable understanding of the language and kicked things into high gear. Discoveries continue to come in spits and stutters. Both Britain and France laid claims to the area at a time when they were regularly in conflict with each other. Antiquities were gathered for various museums. Research was done in various manners, with some being more destructive. Eventually the "gentlemen explorers" transformed to professional archeologists. Egypt started to exert more control for itself. (Though at one time it had a huge western population with a a country more interested in showing its grandeur than providing for its people.) The book is an interesting account of the work of discovery in Egypt. It does not try to be "history" of ancient Egypt, but rather of the modern explorations and relations with the modern state.

1177 B.C. (Revised and Updated): The Year Civilization Collapsed

1177 B.C. (Revised and Updated): The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline

In 1177, Bronze Age civilization collapsed. Why did it happen? Could it happen to us? The invasion of the "Sea Peoples" is seen as part of the initial collapse. Climate Change also impacted the ability of the society to feed itself. A few stressors are surmountable, but many together can be overwhelming.

For periods this far in the past, it can be hard to find details. Archaeological details may long be gone. Historical records are sparse. The Exodus and the Trojan War are both commemorated in works that have endured until today. There are evidences of some historicity of the events. However, the details are likely not exactly what has been recorded in the Bible and Iliad. The Biblical account has been especially difficult. There seem to be some similar events in the area, but the time frame does not match the precise time calculated from the Bible.

It is an interesting look at ancient history. There is a lot of guess work involved. Sometimes conjectures can dominate the scene for a long time, even with little proof. Finding the truth is a challenge.

The Serpent's Shadow (The Kane Chronicles)

the Kane Chronicles series concludes with a lot of action. There are also very traumatic experiences, such as a school dance. For a teenager, that can be more challenging than the end of the world. The Egyptian gods seem to have an "in and out" relationship with regular humans. There is also the bit about statues and shadows meaning the same thing. It all comes together in a nice conclusion.

The Throne of Fire: The Kane Chronicles, Book 2

The Throne of Fire: The Kane Chronicles, Book 2 by Rick Riordan

The second Kane Chronicles book. They discover they are descendents of Egyptian royalty. They have the gods in them and other assorted things. There are epic battles, with some of the "bad guys" actually helping. I had trouble following all the details.

The Kane Chronicles, Book One: The Red Pyramid

The Kane Chronicles series is s bit of Percy Jackson meets Indiana Jones. It seemed to also borrow from the feel of Fablehaven. They encounter all sorts of the Egyptian gods and their peculiarities. These ones are different from the Greek ones in the Percy Jackson book, and this series does seem totally disconnected from that universe. However, like those books, this is set in modern times. The narration of the audiobook was harder to follow than the other rick Riordan books.

The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt

Egypt has a long history. It existed as a continuous political entity for millennia before being absorbed by Rome a little over two thousand years ago. The kingdom generally confined itself to the Nile region. The "upper" and "lower" parts of Egypt would occasionally be separated, but would often be together. The Greeks came in and started ruling near the "end". However, they would adopt many of the Egyptian customs and continue ruling Egypt as Egypt. It was not until time time of Caesar that Rome eventually took over Egpyt and ended the period of self-rule.
Toby Wilkinson presents the history of Egypt as a chronological narrative. The focus is on Egypt and the leaders. Those that we know more about are covered in greater detail. Otherwise, the narrative may skip a few hundred years of history we know little about. The narrative does a good job of bringing in the key events that connect to the outside world. I liked the way the Rosetta stone popped out. The results of a minor campaign just happened to be inscribed in multiple languages, giving us a translation key. For the biblical Exodus, there was no specific Egyptian record. However, the author posits that a period of heavy imported labor may have been when it occurred.
The leaders of Egypt engaged in one-upmanship, building different large tombs and monuments. They were sometimes viewed as gods, while other times they were anointed by gods. Lines were generally hereditary, until they were not. Leaders were mostly men, except when they were women. There was a strong cult of the afterlife, leading to elaborate funeral practices (including mummies and pyramids.) However, it was also common for rulers to dismantle previous structures for their own monuments.
Egypt was a fascinating place. We know very little about the long history. Yet, we probably know more than we know of many other places so long ago.

Conflicts that Shaped Pharonic Egypt

Conflicts That Shaped Pharaonic Egypt

These lectures provide a general history of Egypt from the pre-historical dominance of upper Egypt, going all the way to the crusades. Unfortunately, there is little cohesive narrative, with long digressions in to archaeological findings interspersed with attempts at storytelling. The delivery also has a lot to be desired. It is obvious the professor is reading rather than "lecturing" and his intonation can make it difficult to focus.

Ancient Empires before Alexander

It starts with the fall of Egypt, covers the Minoans, then goes on to Myceneans.
The Mycenians collapsed around the same time as many other empires. The "sea peoples" were part of the reason for the collapse of these empires. However, he postulates that excess "testosterone" in the age of heroes was also a big reason for the fall. They later ended up as "Philistines" - thus Goliath would have been the descendant of a veteran of Troy.

The knowledge and sources for different areas tend to very significantly. Some areas discussed, such as Israel, or based almost entirely on biblical accounts. Other areas (such as the Minoan civilization) are based almost entirely on archeology. The lecturer, however, does a good job of presenting a narrative, tieing together the available sources in to a coherent narrative. He does occasionally mention the source of the information. At times, however, I found myself wishing for more accurate details.

In this section, the Assyrians get most of the coverage for the millennium-long empire. He has some sympathy for the alleged brutality of the Assyrians (they were after all punishing disobedience to the gods, and were fair in the way they handed out penalties.) However, he also gives the brutality as one of the reasons for the eventual fall of the empire. After Assyria over-extended itself, the Babylonians were all too eager to give them everything they thought they deserved.

While the delivery often sounds as if it is poorly read from a script, the content is quite interesting and well organized.