Pharaohs of the Sun: Radio 4 Book of the Week, How Egypt's Despots and Dreamers Drove the Rise and Fall of Tutankhamun's Dynasty

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Description

For more than two centuries Egypt was ruled by the most powerful, successful, and richest dynasty of kings in its long end epic history. They included the female king Hatshepsut, the warrior kings Thutmose III and Amenhotep II, the religious radical Akhenaten and his queen Nefertiti, and most famously of all for the wealth of his tomb the short-lived boy king Tutankhamun. The power and riches of the Pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty came at enormous cost to Egypt's enemies and most of its people. This was an age of ruthless absolutism, exploitation, extravagance, brutality, and oppression in a culture where not only did Egypt plunder its neighbours but Egyptian kings and their people robbed one another.

3,500 years ago ancient Egypt began two centuries in which it became richer and more powerful than any other nation at the time, ruled by the kings of the 18th Dynasty. They presided over a system built on war, oppression, and ruthlessness, pouring Egypt's wealth into grandiose monuments, temples, and extravagant tombs. Tutankhamun was one of the last of the line and one of the most obscure. Among his predecessors were some of the most notorious and enigmatic figures of all of Egypt's history. Pharaohs of the Sun is their story, showing how the glamour and gold was tainted by selfishness, ostentation, and the systematic exploitation of Egypt's people and enemies.

Reviews

An impressive amalgamation of scholarly research with popular history * The Times *
A scrupulous yet accessible history of ancient Egypt under the 18th dynasty... Complemented by striking illustrations and valuable appendices, this impressive survey will be welcomed by ancient history buffs * Publishers Weekly *
Superb... de la Bdoyere lays out the elusive history of Egypt's 18th dynasty * Library Journal *
Packed with big names, from Tutankhamun to Nefertiti, and de la Bdoyere sets their stories alongside those of the populations they so often exploited... Along the way, he offers an evocative account of an era of epic riches and ruthlessness * History Revealed *
De la Bdoyere tells the story with not just an archaeologist's eye for accuracy but also a broadcaster's nose for a colourful story... His book is peppered with lively details * Radio Times *

Author Bio

Guy de la Bedoyere has written many books on the ancient world in the last three decades, most recently Gladius: Living, Fighting and Dying in the Roman Army and Pharaohs of the Sun, a history of Egypt's 18th Dynasty. He was part of Channel 4's archaeology series Time Team for many years. He has degrees from Durham, London and University College, London, and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He has lectured widely in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand.