Rating: 
Summary: An good text book!
Review: If you want to learn the basics of hieroglyphs. Dont buy this book first. Buy "How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: A Step-By-Step Guide to Teach Yourself". Then buy the text book by Allen. Allens book is more a book for those that seriously wants to learn the language, not good as an introduction. But as a tool to learn hieroglyphs it is excellent and very detailed.
Rating:
Summary: A New Gardiner?
Review: James Allen has written a comprehensive grammar covering all the basics one needs to know to work with Egyptian texts. While Allen often defines the basics for a beginner or someone teaching themself, this grammar is really designed as a reference grammar. It seems that he had in mind the idea to replace the grammar, standard for so long and still valuable in many respects, written by Alan Gardiner. The lay-out of the grammar is not conducive to self-study. Each chapter covers one basic concept, i.e. nouns, adjectives, prepositions, infinitives, etc. In this sense, the student does not begin to read "real" Egyptian sentences until very late in the book and it is hampered by not introducing the student to the verb until later in the book. While Allen graduated from the University of Chicago - the veritable home of the so-called "standard theory" of Egyptian grammar based on work by J. Polotsky - his grammar reflects what he calls an improved understanding of Egyptian grammar. While this theory - very much a "verbalist" approach - may turn out to be the new "standard theory," it is actually more confusing for the beginning student (especially telling certain verbal forms apart). Another flaw is the lack of vocabulary lists for each lesson which would allow the student to further become acquainted with the Egyptian lexicon, something which doesn't really happen when simply looking up the words (though he is to be commended for forcing the student to comprehend the dictionary). The last real problem with the book is that nowhere does Allen give an integrated look at how the system works as a whole - that is, no verbal paradigms or essays on the overall "syntax" of Egyptian. Despite these criticisms, the grammar is very comprehensive and will enable the student to read Egyptian texts. It defines all the necessary terminology for the initiate and covers many exceptions to the rules. In fact, it is rare that this grammar states hard and fast rules. It allows for easy reference since basically everything about a particular grammatical point is contained in one chapter. His so-called "emphatic (abstract) use of the relative forms" is an intrinsic understanding. The beginner may want to start with the grammar by Hoch, move on to Allen, and if still motivated to continue, buy Gardiner's grammar for reference (but keep in mind that his verbal system is far outdated). With these tools in hand, the blossoming Egyptologist can then pick up De Buck's readingbook and begin working through various texts, probably beginning with the Shipwrecked Sailor. These resources should answer basically any question that comes up in the grammar, but it is necessary to remember that often issues of Egyptian grammar are debatable and it is only the student's understanding of the grammatical system that will answer for him/her the pending grammatical predicament. Allen is a great place to begin, but the road is long and it will take much study beyond Allen to become efficient at translating Egyptian texts.
Rating: 
Summary: A real student's version of the venerable Gardiner grammar
Review: The main problem with Gardiner is that it presents information but makes little attempt to *teach* it. Data is shown context-free, with no awareness of the common errors likely to be made by students. It's a brilliant piece of work, and it is possible to learn to read hieroglyphs from it, but while it's a fabulous reference work, it's simply not a *teaching* book. It's a magnificent piece of work, but in such need of a pedagogical update as to render it as much a daunting obstacle as a real asset. Granted that learning to read Egyptian hieroglyphs will never be easy, a good teacher can certainly make it easiER. Allen does it, without sacrificing one scrap of rigor. Allen is the Gardiner grammar written with a desire to actually meet the dedicated, intelligent student halfway. It presents the information with a real sense of ... stepping back first and examining what is about to be presented, for want of a better way of putting it. It places the grammatical rules that it demonstrates in context, and relates them to one another, thus enabling the student to learn the *language* as a coherent, related thing and not simply a list of unrelated rules to be memorized. Most valuably, it also anticipates common errors and corrects them before they have become engrained as habit to the student. Granted, if the student happens to be gifted with languages and able to contextualize the grammatical and phonological rules themselves, Gardiner is quite adequate. But even a gifted student will appreciate Allen's desire to teach hieroglyphs as a derived whole as opposed to a disjoint set of rules presented rapid-fire like baseballs out of a pitching machine. Allen is the sort of book that people learn from. Gardiner is the book they buy and use constantly *after* they've learned from Allen.
Rating:
Summary: A real student's version of the venerable Gardiner grammar
Review: The main problem with Gardiner is that it presents information but makes little attempt to *teach* it. Data is shown context-free, with no awareness of the common errors likely to be made by students. It's a brilliant piece of work, and it is possible to learn to read hieroglyphs from it, but while it's a fabulous reference work, it's simply not a *teaching* book. It's a magnificent piece of work, but in such need of a pedagogical update as to render it as much a daunting obstacle as a real asset. Granted that learning to read Egyptian hieroglyphs will never be easy, a good teacher can certainly make it easiER. Allen does it, without sacrificing one scrap of rigor. Allen is the Gardiner grammar written with a desire to actually meet the dedicated, intelligent student halfway. It presents the information with a real sense of ... stepping back first and examining what is about to be presented, for want of a better way of putting it. It places the grammatical rules that it demonstrates in context, and relates them to one another, thus enabling the student to learn the *language* as a coherent, related thing and not simply a list of unrelated rules to be memorized. Most valuably, it also anticipates common errors and corrects them before they have become engrained as habit to the student. Granted, if the student happens to be gifted with languages and able to contextualize the grammatical and phonological rules themselves, Gardiner is quite adequate. But even a gifted student will appreciate Allen's desire to teach hieroglyphs as a derived whole as opposed to a disjoint set of rules presented rapid-fire like baseballs out of a pitching machine. Allen is the sort of book that people learn from. Gardiner is the book they buy and use constantly *after* they've learned from Allen.
Rating:
Summary: A worthy investment
Review: This book is remarkably thorough and has enough practice exercises to keep a budding egyptologist busy for years. Well-grounded in linguistic theory and including many essays on Egyptian culture and history, this is THE book to buy if you wish to start learning to read Egyptian.
Rating: 
Summary: A good reference book, but difficult to follow
Review: This is a good reference work that contains just about anything you would like to know about Middle Egyptian grammar. The problem is that the book isn't written in a way that is easy for beginners, or even experienced language learners, to follow. The explanations are very dense, and several pages of explanation are usually given before the reader has any chance to practice the concepts. Also, the book is organized in a very traditional, structuralist fashion, with separate lessons devoted to the noun, the adjective, etc. It would be easier to learn the language if the grammatical system were taught in context, i.e., combining vocabulary and grammar in a way that prepares the reader to deal with specific (and hopefully real) ancient Egyptian texts. In short, I'm glad I bought the book because it's a good reference work, but it leaves me wanting much, much more.
Rating:
Summary: The Most Complete & Well Made Intro. to M.E. Available!
Review: This is the best introduction to Middle Egyptian Available. Written well and easy to follow. this book is for the serious student as well as the amateur. This Book has been waited on by Egyptologists as a source to teach students and is being used to that end. I have Gardiner's work Middle Egyptian Grammar, it is so much more difficult to get a grasp on Hieroglyphs than James P. Allen's Work that it isn't even comparable! Anyone wanting to learn Middle Egyptian, This Is THE Book! don't let anybody tell you differently. Hieroglyphs aren't easy to learn. this is a fact because of so many signs etc. It isn't going to be a walk through the park. that's a fact! there isn't an easy way to learn Hieroglyphs! but this book makes it as easy as it has ever been using any book presently published! The writers insight is wonderful and informative, as well as modern! using all present archeology and conclusions to introduce the student to the exciting world of the Egyptians. i can't recommend this book highly enough! enjoy! and thank you James P. Allen! your efforts are appreciated! this book beats all others. if you want one book to teach you Hieroglyphs, this is it! don't waste your time or money on any other! note: this refers to the paperback version. although this book is good enough to buy the Hardback.
Rating:
Summary: excellent to learn to *read* Egyptian hieroglyphs
Review: This superb massive book includes 25 grammar lessons, each alternating with an essay on history, society, chronology, poetry, geography, religion, Maat, literature and much more. Grammatical topics discussed are articles, nouns, pronouns, numbers, adverbs, prepositions, plural, adjective, clauses, participles and several other subjects. The answers to the exercises are provided after the sign list and dictionary. Highly recommended for any serious person interested in reading Egyptian hieroglyphs.
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