Tag: book recommendations

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!

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The “Pocket Guide to Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs” was one of my favorite books as a child, and it is one I still love to go through! Believe it or not, my Dad actually brought this one for me in Barnes & Noble at the beginning of my journey of learning hieroglyphs! I remember that trip to the bookstore clearly because I was so excited to get this book! I must have been seven or with years old at the time!

While I definitely think adults can enjoy this book too (especially beginners) this really is geared more towards kids! What I love is that it teaches some grammar without it being too much, breaks down the types of hieroglyphic symbols, and delves into some common phrases that you will find in museums!

I find that this book makes hieroglyphs really accessible for kids and provides accurate age-appropriate information without watering it down. I feel like this book helps build confidence with the overwhelming task of learning hieroglyphs! When a child sees success and gains confidence, they will want to continue to learn! I think that is what makes this book powerful – it encourages learning and makes it fun!

This is a book I would recommend if your child wants to learn, but I think if you are an adult who wants to learn some basic information before delving into more adult-geared books, this provides some valuable insight! I truly love this book!

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Today I am reviewing “The Tomb of Queen Nefertari” by Ruth Shilling! This book is an overview of the tomb in regards to the gods and goddesses that appear in the art. Overall, I would recommend the book, however, I wrote about the stuff I didn’t like too much as well!

Some things I love about the book:
The pictures of Nefertari’s tomb are absolutely gorgeous! This is one of the most beautifully decorated tombs in all of Egypt, and the pictures are wonderful. It was worth the price of the book just for the pictures!

When it comes to starting to learn to read hieroglyphs, my philosophy is to to just jump right in with ancient Egyptian texts. You’ll never learn if you just get a book and study vocabulary. This book fits in with that philosophy because it teaches vocabulary (names of deities, popular phrases) in terms of Nefertari’s tomb. This book is great for kids because the explanations are not complex at all, and it’s also great for adults who might just be starting and grammar books/intro books are intimidating.

I like how it focused on the gods/goddesses in the tomb. It gave the book a good focus and allows the reader to see an overview of the Egyptian pantheon.

Some things I didn’t like:
It was very simple and didn’t go into much detail. For example, when showing the names of gods/goddesses in the hieroglyphs, it usually does not include determinatives and only shows the name that appears in the tomb, as opposed to the more common ways to write the name that would allow for recognition in other pieces/places. Also, there is a mistake on one of the pages (shows that 𓇓 = king, but it’s part of the word for King’s Wife 𓇓𓏏𓈞/𓇓𓏏𓏏𓈞).

While it is great for kids and for adults who are just beginning their hieroglyphic reading journey, for someone who is more advanced, this book offers no new information and is almost too surface level sometimes, even for a beginner.

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.