The Mystery of the Pyramids by Dr. Arthur Hardacre

The Mystery of the Pyramids by Dr. Arthur Hardacre

The Mystery of the Pyramids is a book that I have always found to be extremely well written. It is an easy read and is very educational as well. This is a book that is not only educational for the budding Egyptologist, but also for the person who simply have an interest in all things Egyptian. There are plenty of illustrations throughout this classic book that will take the reader from the very beginning to the very end.

Much of what makes the Mystery of the Pyramids popular is its cast of characters. There are several characters that you will definitely enjoy. As I said before, most of them are drawn in a rather unique way. Some are more cartoon like, while others are more or less accurate representations of life and work in the ancient pyramids of Egypt. All of them add a certain amount of fun to the story, whether you are learning about the pyramids or simply interested in them in general.

In addition to the many amusing portrayals of the ancient Egyptians

This book also takes an in depth look at some of the works of art that are associated with the pyramids. I am a big history buff, and I found that the writing style of Hardacre was very well suited to the subject matter. He is a man who has spent considerable amounts of time researching the pyramids, and he writes with great detail and authority. The images are clear and sometimes quite graphic, but they are portrayed in a way that is not over the top. I personally feel that the drawings were better suited for kids than for adults.

Part of the reason why I liked the book so much, other than the well-written narrative, was the excellent presentation of the information presented. Hardacre uses a simple but attractive layout to present his findings. His illustrations to help reinforce the points he makes, and he seems to know where he is going with the book from the start. The maps and charts that he uses are easy to read and understand, and I was entertained from start to finish.

Part of the reason why I enjoyed the book so much, is because the author makes a point of including some information about Egypt that is not common knowledge. For instance, there is mention of an Egyptian goddess named Nut. There is also mention of King Phraortes’ sixteenth Dynasty which was put down the dates of the pyramids themselves. This includes the great pyramid of Giza, the largest and grandest of the pyramids. The author does not go into great detail in his explanations, but I believe that if anyone were to study the pyramids they would be able to understand why the Goddess Nut was associated with them. It is only by investigating this connection, that we can begin to understand how the ancient Egyptian pyramids were built.

Hardacre also spends a large amount of time talking about the importance of astronomy in the ancient world. While I do not doubt the importance of astronomy in ancient times, I think the book did go a bit over the edge. For example, he explains that the stars Vega and Altair were responsible for the construction of the Egyptian Pyramids. While it is true that these two stars did play a part in the construction, it seems illogical to me that they were the ones primarily responsible for the ancient Egyptians’ construction of the Pyramids. In the text I read from the start, Hardacre seems to imply that the stars Vega and Altair were the actual builders of the pyramids based on their alignment with the planets in the skies.

I liked the sections of the book where Hardacre goes into the history of the construction of the pyramids

As others have noted before, this history seems to be incomplete, with many gaps. I found myself relating this to my own experience of working with the ancient pyramids as I laid out the blocks for the next project. However, I thought that Hardacre did a good job of giving an accurate account of the timeline of the building process.

Overall, this is a very interesting and engaging book on an interesting subject. I liked the discussions Hardacre had with others who study the pyramids and other ancient monuments. I also enjoyed the account of the history of the pyramids in general. The book leaves you with a great question about just how the pyramids were built and how similar or different structures might have been built in Egypt based on what we know about them today.