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Rating: 
Summary: Mediocore madness
Review: The "Fighting Pharaohs" text is still striving to compile what little information we have in the archaeological record for the military in ancient Egypt and put it into a comprehensive whole. However, I have serious doubts about the aims of this book. It tries to draw conclusions that are simply not there - who were the 'enemies of Egypt', the khepesh sword as a weapon etc. It concerns me that someone would take this book too literally. So if your interested in warrior pharaohs, I recommend this title but also get Shaw's 'Egyptain Weapons and Warfare', Healy's "armies of the pharaohs", and read the 'military' section in Redford's Oxford Encyclopedia of ancient Egypt - this will give a better rounded view of the material and what can be drawn from it.
Rating:
Summary: Mediocore madness
Review: The "Fighting Pharaohs" text is still striving to compile what little information we have in the archaeological record for the military in ancient Egypt and put it into a comprehensive whole. However, I have serious doubts about the aims of this book. It tries to draw conclusions that are simply not there - who were the 'enemies of Egypt', the khepesh sword as a weapon etc. It concerns me that someone would take this book too literally. So if your interested in warrior pharaohs, I recommend this title but also get Shaw's 'Egyptain Weapons and Warfare', Healy's "armies of the pharaohs", and read the 'military' section in Redford's Oxford Encyclopedia of ancient Egypt - this will give a better rounded view of the material and what can be drawn from it.
Rating: 
Summary: extensive coverage of topic
Review: This book is divided in 7 chapters. In the first one, the author provides a description of the allies and enemies of Egypt; this takes account of the Nubians, Libyans, Bedouin, Hittites, Persians, Sea Peoples, Greeks and Romans. The next chapter depicts the numerous weapons, used in Ancient Egyptian times (such as maces, spears, axes, knives, bows and arrows), as well as the military equipment (shields, armours, chariots) and the materials (stones, flint, copper, bronze, iron). The third chapter presents the 9 gods of war Amun, Anhur, Bes, Montu, Ptah, Sekhmet, Set, Ra and the Aten. Chapter four deals with the structure of the army, the training and work of a soldier. It also informs the reader of the dangers and drawbacks in existence to a soldier. The fifth chapter details defences, fortifications and siege warfare, while the sixth one gives details on the various battles and campaigns that took place from the Predynastic period to the Graeco-Roman period. In the concluding seventh chapter, "The Legacy", the author argues that Ancient Egyptian achievements would surely not have been possible without the military. The book contains numerous black and white drawings, photographs and maps, as well as an index. Using archaeological evidence to back up his portrayal of the Ancient Egyptian military system, this is without doubt one of the most important works about warfare in Ancient Egypt. Recommended reading for the interested reader.
Rating:
Summary: extensive coverage of topic
Review: This book is divided in 7 chapters. In the first one, the author provides a description of the allies and enemies of Egypt; this takes account of the Nubians, Libyans, Bedouin, Hittites, Persians, Sea Peoples, Greeks and Romans. The next chapter depicts the numerous weapons, used in Ancient Egyptian times (such as maces, spears, axes, knives, bows and arrows), as well as the military equipment (shields, armours, chariots) and the materials (stones, flint, copper, bronze, iron). The third chapter presents the 9 gods of war Amun, Anhur, Bes, Montu, Ptah, Sekhmet, Set, Ra and the Aten. Chapter four deals with the structure of the army, the training and work of a soldier. It also informs the reader of the dangers and drawbacks in existence to a soldier. The fifth chapter details defences, fortifications and siege warfare, while the sixth one gives details on the various battles and campaigns that took place from the Predynastic period to the Graeco-Roman period. In the concluding seventh chapter, "The Legacy", the author argues that Ancient Egyptian achievements would surely not have been possible without the military. The book contains numerous black and white drawings, photographs and maps, as well as an index. Using archaeological evidence to back up his portrayal of the Ancient Egyptian military system, this is without doubt one of the most important works about warfare in Ancient Egypt. Recommended reading for the interested reader.
Rating: 
Summary: Beware
Review: Written by an amateur Egyptologist this book is geared towards the alternative market, or those that wish to puruse the subject at a foundation level. Those that are seriously interested in the academic subject should consult Dr Ian Shaw's volume "Egyptian Warfare and Weapons". Though slimmer, this work is written by a renowned academic with qualifications in the subject.
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