The pyramids of Egypt are a perennial source of fascination, wonder, and mystery. Yet there has not been an updated, complete introduction to the pyramids published in decades. This ambitious and exhaustive book offers an unparalleled guide to these incredible structures -- from the ancient culture that created them to the excavation sites that have been discovered to date. Miroslav Verner, a preeminent Egyptologist, recounts the history of ancient Egypt and describes the religious and political beliefs that gave rise to its great pyramids. He illuminates the technical, material, and organizational brilliance of the architects and workers who built these structures five thousand years ago, without iron or bronze and with only the most elementary systems of calculation. As he explains the magnitude of this accomplishment, Verner also traces the history of the pyramids' discovery and the endless myths and theories about who built them and why. The Pyramids is packed with fascinating information and insights, complemented by more than two hundred illustrative line drawings and photographs. Accessibly written and based on the most current research and findings, it is more comprehensive than any other book in print. It will likely become the definitive book on the subject, one that will appeal to experts and general audiences alike. 
A pyramid, as the posthumous residence of a king and the place of his eternal cult, was just a single, if dominant, part of a larger complex of structures with specific religious, economic, and administrative functions. The first royal pyramid in Egypt was built at the beginning of the Third Dynasty (ca. 2592–2544 BC) by Horus Netjerykhet, later called Djoser, while the last pyramid was the work of Ahmose I, the first king of the Eighteenth Dynasty (ca. 1539–1292 BC).
Nearly two decades have passed since distinguished Egyptologist Miroslav Verner’s seminal The Pyramids was first published. In that time, fresh explorations and new sophisticated technologies have contributed to ever more detailed and compelling discussions around Egypt’s enigmatic and most celebrated of ancient monuments. In this newly revised and updated edition, including color photographs for the first time, Verner brings his rich erudition and long years of site experience comes to bear on all the latest discoveries and archaeological and historical aspects of over 70 of Egypt’s and Sudan's pyramids in the broader context of their more than one-thousand-year-long development.
Lucidly written, with 300 illustrations, and filled with gripping insights, this comprehensive study illuminates an era that is both millennia away and vividly immediate.