Egyptian hieroglyphs are the subject of endless fascination to many. This is the first book to make the basics of hieroglyphs truly easy to understand. Explaining briefly the history and development of the language, it then gives the Egyptian alphabet and shows how simple it is to spell your own name using hieroglyphs. Here, too, is an introduction to the Pharoahs, the Gods, the Nile and the Egyptian calendar, the scribes, and the common texts in tombs, on statues, and in papyrii helping you to recognise all the most common hieroglyphic words and phrases. In short this is the complete introduction for any visitor to Egypt, student of the language, or just the fascinated layman.