The Pyramids of Egypt

Hardcover, Viking Press. Publisher's statement: "The pyramids of Egypt are among the spectacular wonders of the world. What was it that prompted the pharaohs to construct these elaborate tombs for themselves? In this book Dr I.E.S. Edwards, who has been keeper of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum since 1955, offers explanations and poses new problems as he traces the development and decline of this form of burial from the 1st Dynasty mastabas and the great Step Pyramid of Zoser to the VIth Dynasty pyramid complex of Pepi II. The book is not merely the most authoritative single-volume description of the pyramids and their contents; it is also a revealing study of the religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, as we understand them from tomb inscriptions, and the personalities and way of life of the people who built these monuments. The author also deals with the fascinating but seemingly insoluble problem of how the pyramids were constructed...Already a bestseller in paperback form, it is here presented in a revised and color-illustrated library edition. Thirty-two pages of remarkable color photographs and thirty monochrome illustrations enhance and illuminate the text, and fifty-seven specially drawn diagrams complement Dr Edwards's detailed description of the individual pyramids."