history and criticism

The delightful part is the wonderful black and white pictues and drawings that fill this book to the brim. They take up a lot of room and maybe that's a good point.
The disappointing part is that Amelia Peabody fans will find little new about her in this book. The most confusing chapter deals with the history of archaeology in Egypt from the 1800's. You start reading what appears to be a history of the famous players of the era, and then all of a sudden, Emerson and Amelia's discoveries and exploits are mixed in, so anyone who was hoping for a history of who found what where and when will still be wondering at the end of the chapter. There is also a lot of confusion about "real" people and characters who both have their names and photo's interspersed in the text. The last chapter of the book has some childhood pictures of Emerson and Amelia, as well as pictures of real people.
Real Peabody enthusiasts will probably enjoy this book, but I feel sorry for any child who picks this up and writes a report for school!
If you were hoping for material on the parts of the Emerson's lives not covered by the novels, you will be disappointed. There's very little new here, not even any interesting facts about the famous Seth/Sethos and what his life was like between appearances in the novels.
Like the novels, this book is charming. Unlike the novels it is confusing and shallow.

This compendium gives a wonderful insight into the Egypt of the Peabody-Emerson's era. It's filled with images, details, essays on culture, fashion, even child rearing in the Victorian era. An absolute "must have" for any Peabodyphiles out there.

AMELIA PEABODY'S EGYPT: A COMPENDIUM is a collection of articles about Egypt and Victorian culture, 19th century Egyptian history, early archeology, and a comprehensive listing of places and people (both fictional and historical) that are listed in the growing collection of Amelia Peabody historical mysteries. The compendium also includes a huge number of period photographs and etchings that depict Egypt and archeological digs as they existed in the time when Emerson and Amelia were digging, solving mysteries, and confounding the German/Turkish invaders.

Readers looking for a detailed history of Victorian Egypt should probably look elsewhere for their primary material but will want to consider adding the compendium as a secondary source. But fans of the Elizabeth Peters mystery series can hardly go wrong with this fascinating look at the culture and history of Egyptology.

Recommendation--if you're a Peters fan, print out this review and leave it where present-giving significant others will find it. Underline the words 'MUST HAVE.' Alternately, buy it for yourself. The pictures alone are worth the price and then some. It's a treasure.