Rating: 
Summary: Great photos, wonderful Victorian-era Egypt details
Review: AMELIA PEABODY'S EGYPT: A COMPENDIUM is a collection of articles about Egypt and Victorian culture, 19th century Egyptian history, early archeology, and a comprehensive listing of places and people (both fictional and historical) that are listed in the growing collection of Amelia Peabody historical mysteries. The compendium also includes a huge number of period photographs and etchings that depict Egypt and archeological digs as they existed in the time when Emerson and Amelia were digging, solving mysteries, and confounding the German/Turkish invaders. Readers looking for a detailed history of Victorian Egypt should probably look elsewhere for their primary material but will want to consider adding the compendium as a secondary source. But fans of the Elizabeth Peters mystery series can hardly go wrong with this fascinating look at the culture and history of Egyptology. Recommendation--if you're a Peters fan, print out this review and leave it where present-giving significant others will find it. Underline the words 'MUST HAVE.' Alternately, buy it for yourself. The pictures alone are worth the price and then some. It's a treasure.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Twist to the Peabody Saga
Review: Being a huge fan of Elizabeth Peters and her Amelia Peabody series, I had to buy the Compendium. From the very first, as I read the so called lost journal pages of Emerson and his view of his first meeting with Amelia I was hooked. I had always been interested in ancient history and thanks to the Peabody series I have gotten to enjoy the golden age of Egyptology and the men and women who helped to uncover Egypt's ancient past almost as if I were a part of it. For Ms. Peters to publish the Compendium as Amelia's just seems so right. I look forward to all the future Peabody books and any others that Ms. Peters writes - under whichever of her many names that she might use.
Rating:
Summary: marvelous glimpse at the history of Egypt
Review: Egyptologists and readers of the long running Peabody series (mid 1970s) will appreciate this volume that provides deep insight into the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, a period of archeological activity that shed a light on the country's glorious heritage. The compilation takes the audience on tours of Cairo at the turn of the previous century and even more incredibly, a deep look while accompanying some of the archeologists at their digs into ancient tombs and temples. This is not a Peabody novel, but instead a marvelous glimpse at the history of Egypt with an emphasis on the Age of Archeology and the past it uncovered. The tome contains six hundred photographs and illustrations, a deep glossary, and several intriguing essays and commentaries from experts in the field. With the success of the recent Mummy movies and the long bestselling run of field archeologist Peabody and family, the well written, fascinating AMELIA PEABODY'S EGYPT A COMPENDIUM is a delight that brings to life the distant past and relatively recent past in a county with a rich heritage of many millenniums. Elizabeth Peters caps her great writing career with this tome that will fascinate her fans and those who cherish Egyptology. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Egypt of Amelia: a guide
Review: I bought this book as soon as I was able to get my hands on it, as I have been a devout follower of the Emmersons since Crocodile on the Sandbank. I was so pleased to find a compendium of the people, places and foreign words/terms that I have come across in the series. Some people and places, when alluded to in sequals, left me at a loss as I had forgetten them. No need to worry about any of that anymore as now we just refer to this fine book.
In the section about the people of the series, I was delighted to find pictures of Ramses and his mother as children as well as Cyrus VanderGelt and others. It was so much fun to compare those pictures with the mental faces I had given them.
The various religions, dress codes, social mores and delightful pictures of the area, allow us to know Egypt of the Emmersons better.
This book is made to be perused and paged through for enjoyment and elucidation not just once, but many times. I am sure that loyal, long-time fans as well as new readers will find this book a great help and very much fun as well as help when reading and re-reading the Amelia Peabody Emmerson books.
Rating: 
Summary: This book truly is "Amelia Peabody's Egypt"
Review: I have only read "Falcon at the Portal" and was not very impressed. However this book gives a lot more insight to Elizabeth Peters' characters and their environment of nineteenth and twentieth century environment. We weave reality with literature never really knowing where one starts and the other stops. The book is jam-packed with actual monochrome photos and sketches of famous (at the time) people and landmarks.
Under the section marked "People and Places" Heinrich Schliemann received a whole paragraph. This must make up for the lack of a bibliography and index.
Rating: 
Summary: A good reference for the Peabody series
Review: If you love Amelia, you'll enjoy this reference text about Egypt. This an excellent reference from the historical side--I understand more about Amelia's comments regarding Gordon now as well as understanding Amelia better--the way she treated Ramses when he was young, etc. Peters really did have Amelia reflect the changing views in England over time about women, children, Egypt, etc. The book also has a thumbnail but good summary of Islam as a religion.
The only quibble I have with the book is that if the reader is not a complete Amelia fanatic who has read every book, they may get confused between fiction and historical fact. For example, in some paragraphs, a completely factual discussion about anthropology in Egypt suddenly has a one-sentence fictitious reference--only an avid reader might pick up the sudden difference. All in all, though, a really good, interesting book.
Rating: 
Summary: Delightful and Disappointing at the same time!
Review: The delightful part is the wonderful black and white pictues and drawings that fill this book to the brim. They take up a lot of room and maybe that's a good point.
The disappointing part is that Amelia Peabody fans will find little new about her in this book. The most confusing chapter deals with the history of archaeology in Egypt from the 1800's. You start reading what appears to be a history of the famous players of the era, and then all of a sudden, Emerson and Amelia's discoveries and exploits are mixed in, so anyone who was hoping for a history of who found what where and when will still be wondering at the end of the chapter. There is also a lot of confusion about "real" people and characters who both have their names and photo's interspersed in the text. The last chapter of the book has some childhood pictures of Emerson and Amelia, as well as pictures of real people.
Real Peabody enthusiasts will probably enjoy this book, but I feel sorry for any child who picks this up and writes a report for school!
If you were hoping for material on the parts of the Emerson's lives not covered by the novels, you will be disappointed. There's very little new here, not even any interesting facts about the famous Seth/Sethos and what his life was like between appearances in the novels.
Like the novels, this book is charming. Unlike the novels it is confusing and shallow.
Rating:
Summary: Better than I could have imagined!
Review: This compendium gives a wonderful insight into the Egypt of the Peabody-Emerson's era. It's filled with images, details, essays on culture, fashion, even child rearing in the Victorian era. An absolute "must have" for any Peabodyphiles out there.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST for Peabody fans
Review: this is ellen in atlanta, - this book is a MUST for Peters fans!
Gorgeously done and the old photos are great!
the bone to pick is there are NO pictures of the Emersons, or Armana House in the book. No mention of the twin children of Ramses and Nefret, etc.
Just that Amelia at 87 still goes during the season for a bit - no other word on the fates of the others... a sequel Mrs. Peters?
Rating:
Summary: An excellent overview of the beginnings of Egyptology
Review: This was an excellent overview of the beginnings of
Egyptology&Victorian life and its mores.I especially loved the
hithertofore undiscovered pages from Emerson's journal telling
his side of the story of "Crocodile".
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