Today I would like to share one of my favorite books on hieroglyphs: “How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs” by Mark Collier and Bill Manley.
Bill Manley wrote “Egyptian Hieroglyphs for Complete Beginners” which is my number one book recommendation for people who want to begin reading hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, but this book I’m talking about today is like the advanced version of the beginners book! I would recommend diving into this one after you complete “Egyptian Hieroglyphs for Complete Beginners.”
The first chapter of the book is an introduction to the basics of Middle Egyptian, but then the book dives deeply into grammar and nuances of Middle Egyptian as a whole, without seeming overwhelming. I feel that Allen’s “Middle Egyptian” is so overwhelming with grammar that it can really turn off beginners to continuing their studies. Bill Manley is able to teach grammar in a practical way without coming off too strong – which as a teacher, I can tell you that that is a gift!
I also like how the book is interactive and gives guided exercises to the reader that allows them to practice what they learned in the reading. The exercises are based on real Middle Egyptian texts, so you are actually reading the words of the ancient Egyptians! There’s also an answer key in the back to check your work – don’t cheat 😂. In my opinion, jumping right into reading texts is the best way to learn. Learning vocabulary/grammar as you go is so much better than just studying for hours and then trying to recall the information by reading for hours.
The dictionary in the back is also a great addition! Overall, I would 100% recommend this book as a way to enhance your study of hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! I wish it was around when I was first learning! I have read through this book multiple times and still learn something new each time! The beauty of studying a language is that the learning is never complete – there is always something to learn! This book is a wealth of information and I treasure it!
AncientEgyptBlog.com is a participator in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an influencer/affiliate advertising program designed to provide means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Please consider using my links, as I earn a commission at no cost to you. This helps to keep my site up and running!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.