Rating: 
Summary: Mixed feelings
Review: Just returned a week ago. While I cannot claim to be sorry that I brought this book with me everywhere I went while in Egypt it should be noted that after the Cairo section this book becomes increasingly vague. I understand that Mr. Humphreys was living there when he wrote this, which probably explains it. However, after reading about Cairo and spending the beginning of my trip there the text on the remainder of Egypt seemed frustratingly sparce.
Rating: 
Summary: A QUICK FIX OF A BRICK
Review: Not the state-of-the-art on Egypt, but just a substantial "entree". The pyramids, the Sphinx, the great temples of Luxor and Karnak, certainly the symbols of Egypt, are illustrated in a summary manner: with them, however, you also get the hermitages of the anachorites, the Christian and Byzantine basilicas, the Copt monasteries, the Arabic and Turkish mosques. Anything else? Well, there is Cairo, the excursions in the desert or along the coasts of the Red Sea, and the great Nile river - the vital flux of this Country from the beginning of times - which, with its incredible beauty, entices millions of visitors every year.
Rating: 
Summary: Lonely Planet is the standard for a reason
Review: Nowhere else could you find the depth of information in these pages. Planning our trip was much simpler with all the information at our fingertips. For example, knowing bus and ferry schedules in Sinai was critical for planning the details of our excursion. Highly, highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Not the Egypt I know
Review: The Lonely Planet guide to Egypt does not describe the country I know so well. It has clearly been written by nincompoops who have just breezed through. Maybe the average shoestringer cares nothing for history and culture, much less for accuracy and informed comment, in which case this book is fine for getting you to the nearest kebab stall -- which you could find for yourself anyway. But the serious traveller should give this book a miss.
Rating: 
Summary: Lonely Planet--Egypt Correction
Review: There is one correction I'd like to add to the Lonely Planet, Egypt. I recently returned from Cairo, Egypt. I bought my papyrus art from Mr. Said (pronounced Saieed) and highly recommend him. However, go to his office (Delta Papyrus Center--21 El Ghouria St., 3rd floor #17, Cairo, Egypt) BY YOURSELF. There will be people trying to "guide" you to his office and then ask you to pay them. He will give you an excellent price, but go alone without any guide. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Lonely Planet--Egypt Correction
Review: There is one correction I'd like to add to the Lonely Planet, Egypt. I recently returned from Cairo, Egypt. I bought my papyrus art from Mr. Said (pronounced Saieed) and highly recommend him. However, go to his office (Delta Papyrus Center--21 El Ghouria St., 3rd floor #17, Cairo, Egypt) BY YOURSELF. There will be people trying to "guide" you to his office and then ask you to pay them. He will give you an excellent price, but go alone without any guide. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A decent book with poor maps and accommodations
Review: This book served me pretty well on my month-long trip to Egypt. The only drawbacks to be aware of are the accommodations listings and the maps. The accommodations listed as safe for women were not always very safe, and I was eaten up by bedbugs in another recommended low-budget hotel. Many of the maps were inaccurate. The Luxor map in particular was way off. Aside from that, the text in the book itself was easy to read and pretty interesting.
Rating:
Summary: this one's a keeper
Review: This book was recommended by the Egyptian agency which was helping us plan an independent tour. I quickly saw why. It is a concise, practical guide, giving down-to-earth accessible information. The general introduction to the history, geography, economy, and culture of Egypt, while only about 30 pages long, provides an appropriate starting point for a visitor along with a 3 page list of recommended readings for travelers who want or need more in-depth information (Susan Wilson's "Culture Shock! Egypt" would be a useful addition to the list). The brief overview of temple/tomb architecture and of the gods/goddesses (with handy line drawings) was especially helpful when fatigue led to information blur later in the trip. The "Facts for the Visitor" section was indispensible as it provided basic information on everything from visas to money to toilets. The metric conversion table inside the back cover was a blessing! The advice for women travelers and for traveling with children was especially helpful for us (a party of 2 women/2 young teens). The cautions perhaps encouraged us to be too guarded at first, but they also allowed us to gradually relax into our comfort zone with very few unpleasantries. The actual guide to places, sites, and activities suited our needs well. The maps provided were clear and helpful; the descriptions, histories, and commentaries of the various sites and locations interesting. The amount of information provided was quite appropriate (one, after all, has to be able to carry the book conveniently about). Where we felt we needed more information, we simply bought something more extensive on the spot or made a note to look for resources upon returning home. The information provided on Internet cafes was a godsend, if a bit fiddly to find; listing all the cafes in a single section or at least including a page number for each city in the table of contents or index would be most welcome. All in all, this was the most used guide that we took with us. It will definitely return with me next time.
Rating: 
Summary: Really terrible
Review: This is a really terrible guide to a great country. You get the impression that the person who wrote this guide arrived in Egypt the day before you did, is rushing through, hardly understands what he is seeing, and is passing on his ill-informed and rather ignorant impressions. I suppose it is useful for finding a cheap hotel, but then so are many other and much better guides written by people with a sense of history, a feeling for culture, and a sense of adventure.
Rating:
Summary: Useful but use with caution
Review: This is a very useful companian as it is easy to read and in a format which is fairly ready to use as a quick reference. Prior to going to egypt it enthused and motivated me even more as it really conveyed the message that this is a truly amazing country to visit. It also provides some useful key tips, such as suggested itineraries and how to avoid AEO (Ancient Egypt Overload - getting fed up of seeing temple after temple...). It also seems to be a popular choice amongst other travellers, so to use this guide will provide some common ground when you meet people.The book's greatest shortcoming, however, is that the costs of hotels, goods and services are way off. Either the prices they quote are impossibly too low (especially their price they quote about a round trip down to Abu Simbel from Cairo, two days and nights on a felucca and luxor if you go through Amigo travel agents - a simple calculation proves that just the train ticket and the cheap hotels would be more expensive than the price the Lonely Planet claims) or too high (I managed to make some purchases for about half the prices quoted in the book). In addition, its descriptions of the quality of hotels are as accurate as one person's one-off experience. That said, it prepares and guides you very well for an adventure of a lifetime...
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