In this new edition the author, who is Keeper of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum, has completely revised his text and incorporated the latest knowledge. He presents us with the most up-to-the-minute answer to that eternal question: 'How and why did the ancient Kings of Egypt build their gigantic geometrical monuments? For today it is possible to trace their early history with some exactitude and to follow the gradual evolution from the simple pre-dynastic tomb to the Step Pyramid of Zoser. A very comprehensive bibliography of the greatly increased literature on the Pyramids is included, and many new line-drawings and haif-tone illustrations have been added