Suggestions on a book on Ptolemaic Egypt?

[Leo65]

Has anyone read on Ptolemaic Egypt here and knows a good book?

Would love to know more about this period in time.

Watching Alexander (2004) and the scenes in Alexandria with Ptolemy I (Anthony Hopkins) has really got me into this time period!

[realm56]

For the Ptolemaic military specifically, I would highly recommend the Army of Ptolemaic Egypt 323 to 204 BC: An Institutional and operational History by Dr Paul Jhostono as it sheds light on the institutional and military history of the Ptolemaic Empire from Ptolemy I up until the end of the rule of Ptolemy IV. If you want more of a general overview on the Ptolemies themselves, a good place to start would be the specific podcasts relating to Egypt done by the Hellenistic Age podcast (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/), more specifically, episodes 58 to 63 (This series is ongoing).

[Shoebopp]

You're in luck! There is an entire book dedicated to the military of Ptolemaic Egypt. It was actually written by an EBII team member. You can guess which one by the book's author. Anyways, here's the link https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-...rdback/p/17980

[Shoebopp]

Ya beat me to it

[Jurand of Cracow]

If you're interested more in the more advanced academic books then Fisher-Bovet's book might be for you,

[Roma_Victrix]

Although nominally choosing the famous monarch Cleopatra VII Philopator as its central focus (who Gal Gadot is going to play soon in an upcoming film), this book Reign of Cleopatra (2004) by Stanley M. Burstein is available to read for free online. It contains a wealth of information about the Ptolemaic kingdom, how it operated, how it evolved and declined, and covers a lot about the ethnography and demographics of its major cities and colonial Greek poleis like Alexandria. It's well worth the read if you have the time. Give it a try!