Egyptian Hieroglyphics: How to Read and Write Them

Rating:
Summary: good word vocabulary
Review: Good graphics, but little on reading, writing, grammar, sythetic or general principles of the language or extracting meaning from actual Egyptian inscriptions which have a string of hieroglyphs. Better for beginners: Karl-Theodor Zauzich. Hieroglyphs without mystery: an introduction to ancient egyptian writing. (translated and adapted for english speaking readers by Ann Macy Roth) University of Texas Press, Austin. 1992. 121 pp. This has actual examples from the Tutankhamun exhibition. After this book, Colier and Manley.

It would help if there were other reviews that indicated the easiest path to mastering other ancient languages with cultural samples as well, e.g. egyptian hieroglyphics, akkadian cuneiform, sanskrit, biblical hebrew, ancient greek. The main question I have is: What is the first book that is easy (but actually gives you some useful information on one or two simple but original inscriptions)? Second book on some, but not all, actual grammar and vocabulary for some brief sample of literature. Third book more complete grammar. Fourth book grammar, more vocabulary, readings, etc. I can do better if I advance in easy, digestible steps, but I am nevertheless willing to commit to the effort required for mastery as my ultimate goal.

Rating:
Summary: Egyptian Hieroglyphics : How to Read and Write Them
Review: Good graphics, but little on reading, writing, grammar, sythetic or general principles of the language or extracting meaning from actual Egyptian inscriptions which have a string of hieroglyphs. Better for beginners: Karl-Theodor Zauzich. Hieroglyphs without mystery: an introduction to ancient egyptian writing. (translated and adapted for english speaking readers by Ann Macy Roth) University of Texas Press, Austin. 1992. 121 pp. This has actual examples from the Tutankhamun exhibition. After this book, Colier and Manley.

It would help if there were other reviews that indicated the easiest path to mastering other ancient languages with cultural samples as well, e.g. egyptian hieroglyphics, akkadian cuneiform, sanskrit, biblical hebrew, ancient greek. The main question I have is: What is the first book that is easy (but actually gives you some useful information on one or two simple but original inscriptions)? Second book on some, but not all, actual grammar and vocabulary for some brief sample of literature. Third book more complete grammar. Fourth book grammar, more vocabulary, readings, etc. I can do better if I advance in easy, digestible steps, but I am nevertheless willing to commit to the effort required for mastery as my ultimate goal.

Rating:
Summary: good word vocabulary
Review: This book does not really teach you how to read and write heiroglyphs very well but it does show many words and how they were used on tombs and ancient manuscripts. This book is probably not the best book for someone who is a beginner and trying to learn how to learn hieroglyphs.

Rating:
Summary: Basically a nice visual dictionary for artists.
Review: This lovely book has been around for about ten years. Stephane Rossini is a scholar, but her purpose here is more practical, I think. Although the title says, "How to read and write them," the real value of this book is about how to draw & use hieroglyphics in your arts & crafts with some accuracy as to their meanings. About five pages of this book are given (in small print) to principles of Egyptian writing, pronunciation & word analysis. The rest of the book is crammed with hundreds of excellent drawings & calligraphic symbols, divided into consonant sounds, phonetic signs, & determinative (categorical) signs. To put it simply, you get birds, bugs, gods, knots, flowers, eyes, mammals, fish, figures doing different jobs, lizards, crosses & abstractions, all in an authentic Egyptuan style.

With adult guidance, Egyptian Hieroglyphics will be useful in children's arts & crafts projects.

96 pages long, nothing fancy about it. I've had a copy on arts book shelf for years.

Rating:
Summary: Great for Art Projects--Poor For Anything Else
Review: This thin trade paperback has some merits. If you are an artsy person, it contains nicely drawn heiroglyphics at a large size that makes it easy to learn to duplicate the finer details. It combines them to form some simple words like "daughter, water, to attack, to fly, war, enemy" to give your art some true meaning. As a art book, as a "how to draw heiroglyphics convincingly" I give the book 4 stars. As a manual for learning how to read them? I give it 1 star.

The scholar will find little of use in this book. There is an incredibly limited vocabulary provided and almost no information on the actual writing process (grammar, orientation, phonetic transcription). The word bank covered would only take a chapter of time in a more indepth book. (Try Mark Colliers' How to Read Egyptian Heiroglyphics A Step By Step for a good teach yourself to read manual.)

If you are looking for well done examples of heiroglyphics for art purposes, this is a useful book. If you wish to expand your knowledge in the reading and writing of heiroglyphics you will be terribly disappointed at the waste of money.

Rating:
Summary: Great for Art Projects--Poor For Anything Else
Review: This thin trade paperback has some merits. If you are an artsy person, it contains nicely drawn heiroglyphics at a large size that makes it easy to learn to duplicate the finer details. It combines them to form some simple words like "daughter, water, to attack, to fly, war, enemy" to give your art some true meaning. As a art book, as a "how to draw heiroglyphics convincingly" I give the book 4 stars. As a manual for learning how to read them? I give it 1 star.

The scholar will find little of use in this book. There is an incredibly limited vocabulary provided and almost no information on the actual writing process (grammar, orientation, phonetic transcription). The word bank covered would only take a chapter of time in a more indepth book. (Try Mark Colliers' How to Read Egyptian Heiroglyphics A Step By Step for a good teach yourself to read manual.)

If you are looking for well done examples of heiroglyphics for art purposes, this is a useful book. If you wish to expand your knowledge in the reading and writing of heiroglyphics you will be terribly disappointed at the waste of money.