All books which appear below are from my modest but much beloved personal library, and are thus organized in much the same fashion. An effort has been made to reduce commentary to the most pertinent variety.

Akhenaten and the Amarna Period

Aldred, Cyril. Akhenaten: King of Egypt. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd., 1988.

Aldred, Cyril. Akhenaten and Nefertiti. New York: Viking Press, Inc., 1973.
Spectacular exhibition catalogue including dozens of pieces rarely shown, such as heads from the Boundary Stela statues and free-standing princess statues. Some of the text is outdated, but the art is eternal.

Arnold, Dorethea. The Royal Women of Amarna: Images of Beauty from Ancient Egypt. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1996.
Many a beautiful picture and equally fascinating theory are offered by this work, which is perhaps one of the best resources on the princesses and the role of women at Amarna.

Brier, Bob. The Murder of Tutankhamun: A True Story. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1998.

Fletcher, JoAnn. The Chronicle of a Pharaoh: The Intimate Life of Amenhotep III. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2000.

James, T.G.H. Tutankhamun. Vercelli: Friedman/Fairfax Publishers, 2000.
A spectacular publication with beautiful color plates of numerous artifacts from the tomb, a great deal of which are rarely shown, let alone in such detail, resulting an excellent overview of the tomb's contents. Categories range from personal items to those made for burial to regal trappings and furniture.

Redford, Donald B. Akhenaten: The Heretic King. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1984.

Reeves, Nicholas. Akhenaten: Egypt's false Prophet. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd, 2001.
Mr. Reeves examines Akhenaten's motivations and the evolution of his creed from apparent enlightenment to the chaos at the end of his reign, effectively combining the two most common views of Akhenaten. Wonderfully written, though a little too biased towards the author's own theories.

Reeves, Nicholas. The Complete Tutankhamun. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd., 1990.

Tyldesley, Joyce. Nefertiti: Egypt's Sun Queen. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1999.

Pharaohs of the Sun: Akhenaten, Nefertiti, Tutankhamun. Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, 1999.
For those of us unable to attend the exhibit, this book helps one to fantasize as well as learn more background information on the pieces, their use, and the time they belong to. Exquisite plates.

Mythology and Religion

Andrews, Carol. Amulets of Ancient Egypt. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1998.
In ancient Egypt, amulets had religious, magical, and protective purposes along with being decorative. The origins, meaning, and materials for almost every conceivable amulet are discussed here, and illustrated by wonderful photos.

Barnett, Mary. Gods and Myths of Ancient Egypt. New York: Smithmark Publishers Inc., 1996.
Supposedly a children's book, this is a fantastic resource, having a glossary of gods, and gives the best recounting of the Egyptian creation myths and the Myth of Osiris that I know of.

Brier, Bob. Ancient Egyptian Magic. New York: William Morrow & Company, Inc., 1980.
Religion, medicine, magic, and protection are but a few of the topics covered by this excellent work. Especially interesting is the Egyptian calendar with forcasts for each day and the mini-spellbook in the back. And no, this is *not* a Wiccan work, but a chronicle of the ancients' actual practices and beliefs.

David, Rosalie. Cult of the Sun: Myth and Magic in Ancient Egypt. New York: Barnes & Noble, Inc., 1980.
An excellent extended essay on the evolution of religion in Ancient Egypt, with emphasis placed on the sun gods. Significance of temples, sacred places, and the afterlife are also reviewed.

Ellis, Normandy. Awakening Osiris: A New Translation of the Egyptian book of the Dead. Grand Rapids: Phanes Press, 1988.
A stunning tanslation of the Book of the Dead, remarkable both for its prose and its spiritual beauty. Awakening Osiris reinforces the truth that it was not death that held the minds of the ancients, but a timeless love of life.

Spence, Lewis. Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1990.
Originally pulished in 1915, this book also recounts every Egyptian myth conceivable. There is a heavy Greek influence so far as the names and some of the details of the stories are concerned, but this fails to detract from their charm.

Wilkinson, Richard H. The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt. New York: Thames & Hudson, Inc., 2000.
Covering everything from temple construction, foundation, decoration, celebrations, and rituals, this work is as complete as its title suggests.

The Book of Going Forth By Day (The Egyptian Book of the Dead). Trans. Dr. Raymond Faulkner. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1994.

Hieroglyphics

Collier, Mark, and Bill Manley. How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998.

Art

Aldred, Cyril. Egyptian Art. World of Art. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd., 1980.

Berman, Lawrence, and Bernadette Leteller. Pharaohs: Treasures of Egyptian Art From the Louvre. The Cleveland Museum of Art in association with Oxford University Press, 1996.
Many superb pieces are included in this work, and each is shown from the *front and the back*.

Egyptian Treasures from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated, 1999.
A publication gargantuan in both dimensions and glory. Artifacts dating from the predynastic period to Greco- Roman times are illustrated in breathtaking color plates accompanied by detailed descriptions given by a dozen or more contributors.

The Valley of the Kings

Forbes, Dennis C. Tombs, Treasures, Mummies: Seven Great Discoveries of Egyptian Archeology. Sebastopol: KMT Communications, Inc., 1998.
A truly invaluable resource, listed here because all of the "Seven Great Discoveries" take place in or around the Valley of the Kings. The chapters cover the two great mummy caches, Yuya and Tuya, and Tutankhamun, to name a few, not to mention the best KV55 chapter to be found. Appendices include a catalogue of mummies, discussions on the identity of KV55's occupant, the cause of Tutankhamun's death, and the disgraceful treatment of his mummy in ancient and modern times.

Reeves, Nicholas, and Richard H. Wilkinson. The Complete Valley of the Kings. London: Thames & Hudson, 1996.

Romer, John. The Valley of the Kings. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1981.
This book is my favorite on the Valley and on Egypt in general. It gives a detailed description of the Valley's history in both ancient in modern times, excavators and excavations, and has an excellent chapter on the forever perplexing KV55.

Romer, John and Elizabeth. The Rape of Tutankhamun. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1994.
A discussion on the devastation and desecration of monuments in modern times, with emphasis placed on the fragile Valley and its environment.

Siliotti, Alberto. Guide to the Valley of the Kings. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1996.
A description of all the tombs open to tourists at the time of publication, with the exception of KV17 (Seti I) which is included because of its beauty. A detailed plan of decoration is given with each tomb, as well as its architectural plan. Private tombs, mortuary temples, and the festivals recorded therein are also described.

Mummies and Paleopathology

Brier, Bob. Egyptian Mummies: Unraveling the Secrets of an Ancient Art. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1994.
This is a compiling of the research that was later used by Dr. Brier to mummify a human cadaver. All the known materials and steps are examined in detail, and are complimented by intriguing chapters on missing/destroyed/misidentified mummies.

Brier, Bob. The Encyclopedia of Mummies. New York: Checkmark Books, 1998.
What Egyptian Mummies did for ancient Egypt, the Encylcopedia of Mummies does for cultures and persons around the world. Accidental mummies - such as the Soap Lady or the Copper Man - are also given their due. Not only are the techniques used to examine various mummies covered, but so are all the movies, books, and miscellaneous offshoots inspired by them.

David, Rosalie, and Rick Archbold. Conversations With Mummies. New York: The Madison Press Limited, 2000.
Contains a great deal about modern techniques for examination, facial reconstruction, and genetics.

Filer, Joyce. Disease. Egyptian Bookshelf. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1995.
More than any, this book gives a clearer picture of what maladies the ancients had to contend with, and gives anatomical or artistic evidence whenever possible. Subjects range from the obesity of the Queen of Punt to the peculiarities of the Amarna figure to dental attrition and head trauma.

El Mahdy, Christine. Mummies, Myth, and Magic. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd., 1989.

Partridge, Robert B. Faces of Pharaohs: Royal Mummies and Coffins From Ancient Thebes. London: Rubicon Press, 1994.
Beautiful black and white plates of the majority of the known mummies and the coffins they were discovered in. A brief description accompanies each mummy, including physical features as well as measurements for both the bodies and their coffins.

Smith, G. Elliot. The Royal Mummies. 1912. Foreward Nicholas Reeves. London: Gerals Duckworth & Co., Ltd., 2000.
A reprint of the quentessential publication on the royal mummies. Smith didn't have access to modern techniques of examination, but his observations are the basis for nearly all modern commentary. Exquisite plates.

Life in Ancient Egypt

Janssen, Rosalind M., and Jac J. Growing Up In Ancient Egypt. London: Rubicon Press Limited, 1990.

Robins, Gay. Women in Ancient Egypt. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1993.

Tyldesley, Joyce. Daughters of Isis: Women in Ancient Egypt. London: Viking, 1994.
A must-have resource in the study of women in Ancient Egypt. All aspects of the role are considered, from medical maladies to considerations in society and the afterlife.

Tyldesley, Joyce. Hatshepsut: The Female Pharaoh. London: Viking, 1996.

Egypt's Overall History

Aldred, Cyril. The Egyptians. 3rd Edition. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd., 1998.

Clayton, Peter A. Chronicle of the Pharaohs. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd., 1994.

Gardiner, Sir Alan. Egypt of the Pharaohs. London: Oxford University Press, 1961.

Grimal, Nicholas. A History of Ancient Egypt. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1988.

Harpur, James. Pyramids. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1997.

Hart, George. Ancient Egypt. Eyewitness Books. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990.
Another supposed children's book, this piece covers every aspect of Egyptian culture: the afterlife, the military, the marketplace, music and entertainment, etc. Aside from being one of the best resources I have on weaving and the textile industry, it also includes a pleasing number of Amarna artifacts.

Mann, Kenny. Egypt, Kush, Aksum: Northeast Africa. African Kingdoms of the Past. Parsipanny: Dillon Press, 1997.

Vercoutter, Jean. The Search for Ancient Egypt. Discoveries Series. New York: Henry N. Abrams, Inc., 1986.
An account of Egypt's rediscovery in modern times and the evolution of excavators and their excavation techniques. The last section is most useful, as it contains excerpts from previous publications and reprints of articles, allowing one a taste of Belzoni's first hand account, the relocation of the temples at Abu Simbel, the restoration of the mummy of Ramesses II, and more.

Description De L'Egypte. Benedikt. Taschen Verlag Gmbh, 1997.
A reprint of the epic work compiled by the Napoleanic expedition to Egypt. True to the original, everything is written in French, save for the modern introduction. However, you needn't know the language to appreciate the beautiful etchings, many of which preserve monuments and artifacts which have since been destroyed or marred.

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