Chesterfield County Public Library

Explore Sites and Books

The World Wide Web (WWW) has many wonderful web sites to visit. The following are sites and books that are related to a particular topic. We search the web and the library shelves to find books and web sites that enhance each other and, when viewed together, bring the wonder of seeing the world in new ways.

The Site

Mummies, Tombs, and Ancient Egypt!

Explore tombs! See real mummies! Learn more about King Tutankhamen and the Egyptian gods and goddesses. Take a tour through the Carnegie Museum of Natural History to see Life in Ancient Egypt. See Photographs of real Egyptian artifacts, along with information about the daily life, religion, and customs of the Ancient Egyptians. If you would like to write in hieroglyphs but don't really know how, travel to Egyptian Hieroglyphs. Write a sentence or type a word in letter by letter and your words will be transformed into hieroglyphs. 

The Books

• Non-Fiction

Alexandria: The Sunken City by William La Riche

The story of an underwater excavation of a lost city provides stunning photographs and a rich text outlining the dig, the discoveries, and the history of Alexandria.

Ancient Egypt edited by David P. Silverman

A collection of essays on many topics - including the cosmos, the cult of the dead, the pyramids, legends, archaeology, art, religion, and architecture - is augmented by over 200 lavish color photographs, maps, and charts. Mr. Silverman is an eminent Egyptologist and this collection offers readers a wonderful look into the daily lives of both the common man and the Pharaohs.

The Art of Ancient Egypt by Gay Robins

Exploring the questions of what art meant to the Ancient Egyptians and why so much wealth and time was expended on its' production, this beautifully illustrated book tours the tombs and wall paintings, objects and coffins, amulets and statues of over 3,000 years of Egyptian art.

Egypt in the Age of the Pyramids by Guillemette Andreu

Follow the lowly and royal alike in this re-creation of the daily life of Egyptians. Be with workers as they build the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx; follow the Pharaoh's courtiers as they hurry to do his bidding; or go fishing on the Nile. Andreu is an Egyptologist at the Louvre Museum and has used the artifacts of several renowned collections to draw this detailed picture of day-to-day life in Egypt.

House of Eternity: The Tomb of Nefertari by John McDonald

In 1995 the tomb of Queen Nefertari was opened to the public. If you have not had a chance to visit, this book will supply an armchair tour. Replete with photographs and explanations, McDonald leads you on a detailed voyage of the tomb itself, the art, hieroglyphs, and describes the gods of Egypt and the belief system of the afterlife.

How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: A Step-by-Step Guide to Teach Yourself by Mark Collier and Bill Manley

If you have ever stood gazing at a wall mural in a museum and wondered what the hieroglyphs said, this book will teach you. Using the Egyptian art in the British Museum, the authors offer an easy introduction to the translation of hieroglyphs. Exercises, discussions, and actual works to translate are offered to the layperson wanting to know more. A very cool book.

Mistress of the House, Mistress of Heaven: Women in Ancient Egypt by Anne K. Capel and Glenn E. Markoe

Focusing on the role of women in ancient Egyptian society, this beautifully illustrated work explores the roles of women from worker to Queen during 3000 to 300 B.C.. Based on a show at the Cincinnati Art Museum.

The Legacy of Ancient Egypt by Charles Freeman

A history of Egypt that is both informative and a joy to look through. Freeman focuses on the full scope of Egypt's history and combines a very readable text with charts, maps, and lavish photographs.

The Lost Tomb by Kent Weeks

In 1995, Kent Weeks discovered the burial complex of the sons of Ramses II in the Valley of the Kings in what was ancient Thebes. Perhaps the most significant discovery since the 1922 excavation of the tomb of King Tut, this major find was of epic size - while most tombs have 6 or 8 chambers, this site has revealed 108 so far. Part Indiana Jones and part history, the story of both the find and excavation and the history it reveals is presented in this treat for all interested in archaeology, history, or high adventure.

The Murder of Tutankhamen: A True Story by Bob Brier

An ancient murder mystery! Was King Tut murdered? According to Bob Brier he was, falling victim to the political and religious intrigues of the day. Mixing the insights of science (Brier is a paleopathologist), a handful of suspects, a great setting, and a very smart detective, this true who-done-it will fascinate many.

What Life was Like on the Banks of the Nile from the editors of Time-Life books

Part of the What Life was Like series, this book travels back in time to show the life of royalty and especially the lives of kings Akhenaton and Ramses. Fully illustrated with details of such objects as papyrus letters, murals, and fishing boats, this well written and well conceived book covers such subjects as the pyramids, mummification, work, social life, and religion. A very good series in general, and a great resource on Egypt in particular.

• Fiction

The Book of Saladin by Tariq Ali

Set in 12th century Cairo, Damascus and Jerusalem told as series of interconnected stories about the rise of Saladin as the Sultan of Egypt and Syria.

A Café on the Nile by Bartle Bull

Cairo in 1935 - a host of interesting characters interact in this bloody tale of adventure.

Death Comes at the End by Agatha Christie

History, mystery and deadly family relationships.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

A fable about a young shepherd who seeks to find his fortune and destiny in Egypt.

Beacon at Alexandria by Gillian Bradshaw

Set in the 4th century A.D., young Charis is forbidden to become a doctor because she is a woman.

Name of the Beast by Daniel Easterman

This thriller is set on the eve of the new millennium, when the forces of good and evil are set to collide.

Dead Men's Hearts by Aaron Elkins

Forensic anthropologist Gideon Oliver solves a mystery in modern day Egypt.

Reflections on the Nile by Suzanne Frank

Romantic time travel saga.

One of Us by David Freeman

Historical fiction set in the last days of the colonial worlds of Egypt and England.

Child of the Morning by Pauline Gedge

A engaging novel about Queen Hatshepsut, by an author noted for historical fiction featuring Egypt.

The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George

A mesmerizing tale of ambition and power told in the first person.

The Curse of the Kings by Victoria Holt

One of the best writers of Gothic fiction writes a stirring novel full of romantic suspense.

The Ramses Series by Christian Jacq

Titles include: The Son of Light, The Eternal Temple, The Battle of Kadesh, The Lady of Abu Simbel and Under the Western Acacia.

Ancient Evenings by Norman Mailer

Egyptian history as seen by Norman Mailer.

The Cairo Trilogy by Najib Mahfuz

Titles include: Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, and Sugar Street. Compelling literary fiction by the winner of the Nobel Prize for literature.

The Mamur Zapt series by Michael Pearce

Titles include: Mamur Zapt and the Spoils of Egypt, Mamur Zapt and the Girl in the Nile, and Mamur Zapt and the Night of the Dogs. Entertainingly offbeat mysteries full of the ambience of Cairo.

The Amelia Peabody mystery series by Elizabeth Peters

Titles include: The Crocodile on the Sandbank, The Mummy Case, The Ape Who Guards the Balance, and many more. The inimitable Amelia, aided by Emerson, Ramses and other diverting cohorts solve a series of mysteries set in Egypt in the late 19th and early 20th century.

The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned by Anne Rice

A royal mummy returns to life.

The Lord Meren mystery series by Lynda Robinson

Titles include: Murder in the Palace of Anubis, Murder at the God's Gate, Murder at the Feast of Rejoicing, and Drinker of Blood. Lord Meren is the eyes and ears of the Pharaoh Tutankhamen. As such, he solves a series of crimes, in this gripping series.

The Seventh Scroll by Wilbur Smith

Lots of action and adventure in this follow-up to The River God.

Click here for books related to these sites for Kids or Teens!