Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs | 1978 | Elizabeth Peters | Buy |
| 2 | Amelia Peabody’s Egypt | 2003 | Elizabeth Peters | Buy |
These two non-fiction titles were published under Barbara Mertz, the real name behind Elizabeth Peters. Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs (1978) is a survey of ancient Egyptian history aimed at a general audience. Mertz wrote it in an accessible, occasionally humorous style quite different from typical academic Egyptology, and it has remained in print for decades. A revised and updated edition appeared in 2007.
Amelia Peabody’s Egypt (2003) is a companion volume to the fiction series, co-credited to Elizabeth Peters and Barbara Mertz. It blends real Egyptological information with material from the novels, including maps, photographs, and sidebars about the historical events and archaeological sites that appear in the Amelia Peabody books. For readers of the series, it provides context on the real discoveries behind the fictional plots. For anyone interested in Egyptian archaeology, it is a readable introduction from a writer with genuine academic credentials.