
` Man perishes; his corpse turns to dust; all his relatives pass away. But writings make him remembered` In ancient Egypt, words had magical power. Inscribed on tombs & temple walls, coffins & statues, or inked onto papyri, hieroglyphs give us a unique insight into the life of the Egyptian mind. For this remarkable new collection, Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson has freshly translated a rich & diverse range of ancient Egyptian writings into modern English, including tales of shipwreck & wonder, first-hand accounts of battles & natural disasters, obelisk inscriptions, mortuary spells, funeral hymns, songs, satires & advice on life from a pharaoh to his son. Spanning over two millennia, with many pieces appearing in a general anthology for the first time, this is the essential guide to a complex, sophisticated culture. Translated with an introduction by Toby Wilkinson