REVIEW BY CAMPBELL PRICE
Many readers may remember the documentaries made for British television on Egyptian subjects by John Romer in the 1980s and 1990s. I vividly recall his impassioned delivery, which struck my schoolboy imagination as something different from most other commentators. The present volume is perhaps the most eloquent encapsulation of his argumentation, and – relatively rarely for a book of this type – his own voice enlivens every page.
While not a product of the traditional Egyptological production line, Romer is a seasoned field archaeologist, accomplished researcher, and canny observer. This book, the third and final of a series, synthesises Romer’s dynamic take on pharaonic culture through more than five decades of work in Egypt. Although it covers what many may assume to be a standard history (with a rather sedate dust jacket in the UK edition), it does so in a fresh, detailed, and often unexpected way. The bibliography shows an admirable command of up-to-date sources and reflections, some of them new to this reviewer. Notably, Romer’s eloquent style actually makes this something of a rare case for a book of its heft: it is a genuine pleasure to read.
