"Thompson offers a well written, informed, and at times exciting account of the exceptional accomplishments of the individuals and institutions that pioneered the field of Egyptology. Jaromir Malek's informed foreword offers a critical context for unfolding the Egyptological undertaking."—Choice
"Wonderful Things is a remarkable achievement: a scholarly work packed with facts but one which is also genuinely readable. It is ambitious in its scope and detail. To follow the growth of an arcane but also a highly romantic branch of learning becomes in Thompson's book something close to an adventure. The author successfully conveys his infectious enthusiasm for the subject but writes with a degree of detachment that allows him to be refreshingly and occasionally almost ruthlessly trenchant and critical."— Jaromir Malek, from the foreword
"An incisive anatomy of a discipline that challenges our all too familiar assumptions about how Egyptology came to be."— Stephanie Moser
"[A] monumental achievement"—Donald M. Reid, Journal of the American Oriental Society
"The definitive reference tool for anyone interested in the development of this academic discipline. "— Morris Bierbrier
"Jason Thompson has written what is by far the best history of Egyptology yet. Filled with fascinating facts and characters, Thompson's book is comprehensive and eminently readable and certain to become the standard history of the field for many years to come."— Kent Weeks
"At last a definitive history, which does justice not only to the major players but to lesser lights as well…immensely valuable."— Brian Fagan, author of The Rape of the Nile
"Remarkably thorough and yet refreshingly readable, this action-packed history of Egyptology is driven by some extraordinary characters—mostly men but some notable women—who needed to learn everything they could about the culture, land, and language of ancient Egypt. As much a study of European colonialism in Egypt as a historiography of seventeenth- to nineteenth-century scholarship, this volume is an absolute necessity for anybody with an interest in pharaonic Egypt."— Kara Cooney
"Wonderful Things is not only a definitive study of the early history of Egyptology, but an entrancing read. . . He wears his scholarship lightly, which makes this beautifully crafted book a joy for the general reader."— Current World Archaeology
"By any standards, this book is a remarkable achievement."— Antiquity
"It's not often that I find a book in which I can confidently state that I found something interesting on nearly every page. And as one who likes to consider himself an historian of archaeology, I learned much. Anyone with a serious interest in Egyptology surely will benefit from reading Wonderful Things.” — Donald P. Ryan, KMT
"A book that the Egyptological world and, surely, the world at large was waiting for for a long time. It fills a gap that was getting bigger as time passed by."— André J. Veldmeijer, PalArch
"A comprehensive and thoroughly-researched work, in which a huge quantity of data has been synthesized and expounded. . . . The book is a mine of information and succeeds in being both authoritative and highly readable."— John H. Taylor, ASTENE Bulletin
"Wonderful Things deserves to become the essential resource for decades to come."— Rosalind Janssen, Egyptian Archaeology
"While Wonderful Things would be an entertaining and informative read for any interested person, it should be considered essential reading for every Egyptologist and aspiring Egyptologist."— Melinda Nelson-Hurst, JARCE
"An essential and very worthy addition to the shelves of every Egyptologist, professional or dedicated amateur."— Peter A. Clayton, Ancient Egypt
2020-06-18
A historian of the British Empire and the Middle East presents the first volume of his history of Egyptology, “to a large degree the creation of the modern and postmodern imaginations, mostly assembled during the past two centuries.”
Though he is “not an Egyptologist,” Thompson clearly understands that Egyptology is less a history of Egypt than a rather romantic encounter between the modern age and ancient Egypt (especially the language) by a gallery of scholarly personalities through the ages. As a point of departure to this engaging, erudite, and unusual “cross-cultural study” (first published in 2015), Thompson highlights Warren R. Dawson’s Who Was Who in Egyptology (1951), a seminal work that codified the field through the biographies of those who had contributed the most, mostly Western scholars. Moving chronologically, beginning with the ancients’ concept of a great lost civilization long before their own, Thompson folds in intriguing information about—and comments from—Homer, Herotodus, and numerous Roman emperors, many of whom “had a voracious appetite for ancient Egyptian obelisks.” The author notes that the interest in ancient Egypt hasn’t always been about studying its culture, language, and mores; often, it has been about treasure hunting. From Renaissance travelers to Enlightenment scholars, explorers have sought to lift the veil of mystery surrounding Egyptian history—and especially the hieroglyphics, which, until the early 19th century, were erroneously assumed to be merely symbolic. Napoleon’s campaign into Egypt was integral, and many of his army of “savants” returned with a wealth of research material and artifacts, including the Rosetta Stone. Thompson capably handles the stories of dozens of adventurous characters, many of whom were constantly at odds. “The progress of Egyptology has not been invariably marked by a spirit of cooperation,” he writes. Thompson accessibly unfurls the ensuing race for manuscripts and treasure, often lifted out of ancient pyramids and burial sites with utter impunity and rapacity, and the beginning attempts, internally, to regulate and preserve.
An intricate, thoughtful synthesis of enormous research on a recondite discipline.
