Tutankhamun: Egypt's Most Famous Pharoah
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Bill Price grew up on a farm in Herefordshire, not far from Hay-on-Wye. He worked in the book trade in Hay and London for almost twenty years and is now a freelance writer, with a particular interest in archaeology and ancient history. This is his second book.
Product Description
In 1922 Howard Carter uncovered what is still regarded as the most spectacular archaeological discovery ever made. Tutankhamun's tomb had remained hidden in the Valley of the Kings for more than 3000 years and its discovery caused a media sensation, elevating the previously little-known Egyptian Pharaoh into the position of an international celebrity. In recent years research has shed new light on Tutankhamun's life and, in particular, on his death. A new exhibition, Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, is coming to London in November 2007.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a nice book; the subject is interesting, it is not badly written, and it is concise and informative. Having said all that, it reminds me one of those long forgotten university lectures that were informative with fascinating subjects, presented by good academics and though we all had great expectations there was something missing; they were simply uninspired (and usually very early in the morning for some reason!).
The first few chapters present a synoptically written history and prehistory of ancient Egypt; how civilisation in the region first begun, which were the dynasties, who the major players were, and how historians deal with ancient Egyptian history, all that in less then 40 pages. I am familiar with the time and as I didn't expect to learn the ancient history of Egypt from this book, I didn't find it complicated, but if you are new to this, it can be confusing.
It then studies Tutankhamun's reign, who his predecessors were, how he came to power and who his successors were. This, middle section of the book, is the most interesting part and it is based on the evidence and the artefacts found in and around the tomb. Finally, the third section explores the events that led to the discovery of the tomb by Howard Carter and the discovery's impact on the growing interest in Egyptology, including the rumour of the curse.
Reading the reviews before purchasing the book, I found that a lot of people complained about the lack of pictures and at the time I didn't think it was all that important and thought they exaggerated. My apologies for thinking that; it makes no sense to write a book about ancient Egypt without any pictures. Egypt is all about spectacular images, wall paintings, artefacts, Tutankhamun himself with his mesmerising golden funeral mask; it is all about beauty, and to write a book describing pictures, without showing them is insane. They could at least include black and white pictures, if using colour was not an option.
In total, the book is well written and more or less what I expected, so I can't give it a low rating. It is a nice book with the basic facts about King Tutankhamun's life, so if you are new to Egyptology you might enjoy it. If however you are looking for a more in-depth research on the lives and times of Tutankhamun, this is not for you. At this point I should say, in case it is not clear, that the book is not a fictional biography of the Child Pharaoh, so if historical fiction is what you are looking for you should read something else.
The first few chapters present a synoptically written history and prehistory of ancient Egypt; how civilisation in the region first begun, which were the dynasties, who the major players were, and how historians deal with ancient Egyptian history, all that in less then 40 pages. I am familiar with the time and as I didn't expect to learn the ancient history of Egypt from this book, I didn't find it complicated, but if you are new to this, it can be confusing.
It then studies Tutankhamun's reign, who his predecessors were, how he came to power and who his successors were. This, middle section of the book, is the most interesting part and it is based on the evidence and the artefacts found in and around the tomb. Finally, the third section explores the events that led to the discovery of the tomb by Howard Carter and the discovery's impact on the growing interest in Egyptology, including the rumour of the curse.
Reading the reviews before purchasing the book, I found that a lot of people complained about the lack of pictures and at the time I didn't think it was all that important and thought they exaggerated. My apologies for thinking that; it makes no sense to write a book about ancient Egypt without any pictures. Egypt is all about spectacular images, wall paintings, artefacts, Tutankhamun himself with his mesmerising golden funeral mask; it is all about beauty, and to write a book describing pictures, without showing them is insane. They could at least include black and white pictures, if using colour was not an option.
In total, the book is well written and more or less what I expected, so I can't give it a low rating. It is a nice book with the basic facts about King Tutankhamun's life, so if you are new to Egyptology you might enjoy it. If however you are looking for a more in-depth research on the lives and times of Tutankhamun, this is not for you. At this point I should say, in case it is not clear, that the book is not a fictional biography of the Child Pharaoh, so if historical fiction is what you are looking for you should read something else.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
A concise account of Eqypt's most famous ruler. No picures, but covers the essential ground as to Tutankhamun's family and known facts,while debunking many press inventions. A scholarly work and very readable.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
An interesting book but it is like reading a TV documentary without the pictures. There is none of the exitement that was characteristic of this era, just a story that is like the remains themselves, dust and lifelessness. A few pictures would have helped to make this book more interesting. In all it is not a book I recommend for a good read but is fine if you just want another reference book.
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