The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Introduction
Review: For a newcomer to Egyptian history and culture like myself, this book is a wonderful introduction to the subject. Wilkinson first explains the role and function of the temple in egyptian society, and describes the common features within the temples. The reader is then escorted up the Nile for a temple-by-temple description of remaining sites, all well-illustrated with pictures. Before I picked up this book, the only thing I knew about this subject was that there was a wonderful old temple at a place called Karnak. Now I feel that I have a pretty good overview of all that is out there, from the Old Kingdom to the New, from the Nile Delta to Nubia. I'm not sure that this book would satisfy veteran egyptologists, but I enjoyed it immensely.

Rating:
Summary: comprehensive, and encyclopedic
Review: Having bought and read the equally comprehensive complete guide to the pyramids, which is another book in this series, I just had to buy this also. I am glad I did. This is another encyclopedic book containing information, photos, histories, site plans, diagrams and anything else you can think of for all the temples in Egypt. In an age when most books give snipets of information on only the best known sites this book and the others in the series are invaluable research and information sources. Having been to Egypt, I would have loved to have had this book available at the time so that I could have visited other sites, that I now know of. Hopefully, I will go back again, and shall bring this superb book with me.

Rating:
Summary: The Complete Story of Temples
Review: No other volume manages so comprehensive a detailing of the temples of ancient Egypt--their history, lore and design. There are color and black and white photos, maps and floor plans, but most importantly, the text documents the historical development and significance of each site it references.

The concise narrative covers the entire system of temple monuments, such as the Temples at Karnak, Luxor, Dendera, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Giza and Abu Simbel. But, this is no tourist guide to temple sites. The casual reader may find the detailed discussion of such subjects as building materials and construction methodologies a bit dry. This is a must-have for the student of Egyptology and the religion and art of the ancient world.

Rating:
Summary: A Useful Gazeteer
Review: Richard Wilkinson has written one essential book - "Reading Egyptian Art" which belongs on the shelf of anyone who is interested in Ancient Egypt. "Temples of Ancient Egypt," although worthwhile, is not that book. Temples is a gazeteer, which is to say, a book that describes the essential sites in Egypt, arranged by geography. This is all very well, and competently done, but Baines and Malek ("The Cultural Atlas of the World: Ancient Egypt") have done it first, and better.

Rating:
Summary: A Useful Gazeteer
Review: Richard Wilkinson has written one essential book - "Reading Egyptian Art" which belongs on the shelf of anyone who is interested in Ancient Egypt. "Temples of Ancient Egypt," although worthwhile, is not that book. Temples is a gazeteer, which is to say, a book that describes the essential sites in Egypt, arranged by geography. This is all very well, and competently done, but Baines and Malek ("The Cultural Atlas of the World: Ancient Egypt") have done it first, and better.

Rating:
Summary: Superbly written, illustrated and presented Egyptian history
Review: The Complete Temples Of Egypt is a superbly presented introduction to the architecture and religious rites of Egyptian temples from the early pharaonic times down to the Roman period. Richard Wilkinson does a truly masterful job in this fully illustrated survey of Egyptian temples which includes the monuments at Karnak, Luxor, Abydos, Edfu, Philae, and the temples along the Nile river. Careful attention is paid to temple construction and decoration, the function and meaning of each part of the temple, the roles of pharaohs and priests, as well as temple feasts and festivals. A very highly recommended addition to any personal, professional, academic, or public library Egyptology collection, The Complete Temples Of Egypt has a highly accessible text which is profusely enhanced with maps, plans, tables, and even includes a guide for visiting the major sites.

Rating:
Summary: Pharonic Temple Extravaganza!
Review: This book is a must for anyone with a interest in Ancient Egyp, whether studying Egyptology or planning a Nile Cruise. This book is filled with excellent full colour photographs and illustrations to provide an extra insight into the wonders of this ancient civilization. The clear layout makes this book a brilliant reference book and is easy to browse through. Have you ever purchased a Egyptain book and wanted to see and read about all of the temples not just the famous ones? If yes, this book is for you.

A enjoyable read, and now has pride of place in my book shelf.

Rating:
Summary: Temples and More
Review: This book is an excellent addition to the "Complete Tutankhamun", "Complete Pyramid", and "Complete Valley of the Kings" series. As a student of Egyptology, with a special interest in the religious aspects of the society, I found this book to be an excellent addition to my reference library. It is filled with color photographs, charts and information in a clear easy to follow layout. This book features not only information on the architectural lay out of individual temples and sanctuaries of Ancient Egypt, it also provides a valuable overview to evolution of the temple in Egypt, the function of the temple in Egyptian society, Egyptian deities and cults as well as the role of kings and priests. The blending of information on the symbolism, function and architectural aspects of temples makes this a "must have" reference, which I will go back to again and again. If you have an interest in Ancient Egyptian society this book is for you.

Rating:
Summary: Mediocre Survey
Review: This book is worth half its price for the photgraphic survey of Egyptian temples alone. In this manner it maintains the quality of its predecessors, 'Complete Valley of Kings,' etc. However, from a scholarly standpoint, the book was a bit disappointing. For example, the title "Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt," is simply an overstatement. Many small but significant sites are completely left out (Kom Mer, El Qua'la, etc.) Further, the author frequently makes no attempt to mention which god or goddess owned the temples in his survey. For example, he could have noted that the great lost temple at Antaeopolis was dedicated to Antiwey...a Horus/Set fusion. He could have noted the Temple of Nephthys and Anukis at Kom Mir, etc. Indeed, in most of his articles, he merely skims over the temples without any depth (save for the most famous ones: Philae, Karnak, Edfu, etc.). I found the information to be very basic, and had been looking forward to greater scholarly detail about the history of each temple, the deity of each temple, and more obscure temples mentioned (which are often just as fascinating as the great sanctuaries). There are also a number of errors in the information. All in all, a lavishly illustrated book for the average Egyptophile, but not very satisfying to the advanced Egyptophile. If you're going to spend a great deal of money, I would recommend Stephen Quirke's absolutely fascinating 'The Temple in Ancient Egypt.'

Rating:
Summary: Great Introduction to Religious Architecture in Egypt
Review: Wilkinson really does his best to bring the complicated subject of religious architecture into a comprehensive view that can suit both academic and general interest needs. It provides many illustrations that are great for classroom explanations. In addition, Wilkinson takes the reader through time in the developments of architecture for 3,000 years. It is a definate read for anyone trying to grasp the principles of Egyptian faith in the ancient world.