Scholarly, passionate and exquisitely written ... a stunning, clear-sighted history of ancient Egypt -- James McConnachie Sunday Times It is not easy to enliven prehistory while simultaneously respecting limited archaeological evidence and avoiding novelistic pitfalls. But Romer manages it ... After a long wait, we have an up-to-date, stimulating account of the birth of what may turn out to be the world's oldest civilization -- Andrew Robinson Nature His physical descriptions are superb ... a book to be read and thought about -- John Ray Financial Times Romer carries the reader along effortlessly on a lengthy, complex yet immensely satisfying journey -- Joyce Tyldesley BBC History