Pharaohs: The Rulers of Ancient Egypt for Over 3000 Years

by Phyllis G. Jestice

Carefully researched, superbly entertaining and illustrated throughout, Pharaohs is an accessible history of the kings who ruled Ancient Egypt for more than 4,000 years.
 
Arranged by dynastic period, Pharaohs offers a compact history of the reign of god-kings, from Menes, who united the north and south kingdoms, to the Ptolemaic Queen Cleopatra, who was defeated along with her lover Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium (31 BCE) by imperial Rome. Along the way the reader will learn about the Great Pyramid constructed by Khufu, the last of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world; Queen Hatshepsut, a rare female pharaoh whose name means “foremost of noblewomen” and who launched a massive building program at Luxor; the young pharaoh Tutankhamun, whose tomb was discovered intact in the Valley of the Kings, complete with the fabulous trappings of his divine status; and Rameses II (“the Great”), who is thought to have enslaved the Israelites, built the magnificent temple of Abu Simbel, and defeated the Hittites at the Battle of Kadesh (1274 BCE) riding his trademark chariot.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

224 pages, Hardcover

Published September 14, 2023

Reviews

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an informative look at Pharaohs. It covers the history of pharaohs for almost 3000 years until the loss of the kingdom to the Roman Empire. Sections are: Dawn of the God-Kings, Royal Decline & Recovery, Reimagining Egype inn a Wider World, the Age of Egyptian Empire, Decline or Transformation?, and the End of Independent Egypt. It astounds me to know their civilization lasts as long as it does and yet thier palaces no longer exist because of the building materials. It remains on my bucket list to visit Egypt but many of antiquities I’ve seen at various museums in the USA and Europe.

The book includes many photos, but I consider this more of an history book than a coffee table decretive photo book. I think the book would have benefitted from a map and historical timeline. Also because I am a huge museum goer I would like to have the photos of artifacts include the location where they can be seen. Overall it was a learning experience for me to read this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Amber Books Ltd. for the temporary ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's full of lovely pictures and interesting texts. It's the perfect book for some interested in Ancient Egypt
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated with a variety of images some familiar and other less so. The book follows the story of the pharaohs of Egypt from the unification of the country under Menes through to its loss to the Roman Empire with Cleopatra (who incidentally was Cleopatra VII). The book is written by a non-Egyptologist so is intended as a popular history. As such I feel it misses some of the nuance of modern scholarship and debate on the subject. There are some questionable elements within its pages, for instance Ramesses and the Battle of Kadesh - this was at best an honourable draw, whilst Ramesses goes on to trumpet his achievements the author gives this no critical assessment. Neither was the tomb of Tutankhamun intact upon discovery - largely intact yes, but there was evidence of people having been in there before. The other things needed in this book are a timeline to follow the story and a real key miss is a map!!

All the above said this book provides a solid introduction to the glory that is Ancient Egypt looking at all aspects not just glorying in gold and treasure. This book takes the reader through the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms explaining their key features and differences and not just presenting Egypt as pyramids and Tutankhamun in the same breath - the pyramids were over 1000 years old by the time Tutankhamun was pharaoh. Readers will hopefully be inspired to find out more and there is a useful section of suggestions for further reading, there are also a wide range of local societies that host a good programme of events.

A score of 3.5 for this book for its breadth and great photography rounded to a 4 for the stars as you can't give half stars.

#Pharaohs #NetGalley

[Darius Ostrowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a young kid when I went to see “The Treasures of Tutankhamun” tour in Chicago during the mid-1970’s, and ever since then I have been completely mesmerized by the culture and history of ancient Egypt. I am the perfect audience for “Pharaohs” by Dr Phyllis G. Jestice, a fascinating look at the history of Pharaohs, from the first joining of the crowns until the final subsummation into the Roman empire.

To be honest, I was expecting a picture book, but to my pleasant surprise this turned out to be an overview of the history of rulers of ancient Egypt, through the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms as well as the Intermediate Periods. Dr. Grace does a great job providing an overview of the major Pharaohs as well as explaining how the institution itself changed over the thousands of years of history: the intermarriages, the palace plots, the foreign rulers, the powerful female Pharaohs, the revolts and reconquests.

The history is fascinating, but let’s not forget the photos, the real highlights of this book. The collection included the famous (Tutankhamun’s mask, the Great Pyramid of Giza) as well as the lesser-known photos, some of which show just how ancient some of this history is.

An outstanding collection for anyone interested in ancient history.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Amber Books Ltd, Amber Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

[Farah G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will be greatly enjoyed by anyone with an interest in the history of Ancient Egypt. Jestice writes knowledgeably, but very engagingly, about 3000 years of Egyptian rulers.

The lives of the Pharaohs are describedly vividly here, from the well-known exploits of Rameses II to less familiar stories like that of the Harem Conspiracy Papyrus.

And we are introduced some of the women who also left their mark on Ancient Egypt, like Cleopatra. Not to mention the female Pharaoh Hatshepsut, whom there was such a concerted effort to erase from history after her death.

The book contains some stunning images - from the familiar photos of Tutankhamun's sarcophagus and the giant statues at the Abu Simbel Temple, to equally beautiful but more obscure pictures like the one depicting the craftsmanship on a bracelet from Amenemope's reign.

If you are interested in being introduced to the rulers Ancient Egypt, or just want to learn more about this complex and fascinating culture, this volume is one not to be missed!

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Mariama Thorlu-Bangura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Jestice is becoming a go-to author for me. This is the third book she's written that I have read and enjoyed. "Pharaohs" presents an excellent, detailed history of the 3,000 years of ancient Egypt. It's written in clear, concise, understandable language. It's also well-illustrated with images that are beautiful and at times (to me anyway) mystical. Also included are 19 inserts that cover a range of topics that correspond to issues covered in the chapters they are in. Finally, a wonderful suggested reading section is provided at the end, giving the reader an opportunity for further study, if he or she chooses to do so. I can certainly see this as an excellent in an ancient history class. Wonderful reading.

Thanks to NetGalley & Amber Books Ltd for this ARC, which was voluntarily read and reviewed.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrative history of the rulers of ancient Egypt, from the people who first got the place into one unified country, through the ones we've all heard of (via the likes of Tutankhamun's £5 million-worth golden funerary goods) to the desultory end, where some woman married her stepson and cousin (yes, the same person) to get the throne. Some bits seem over a bit too quickly, and the more recent times a bit boggy, but that's down to how much we actually know. Highly visual, this is very readable, all in keeping with the Amber Books house style, but it did cry out for a few maps.

[spencer wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book attempts to look at all the pharaohs and succeeds at doing so, but at the slight cost of having to gloss over some details. Nothing is intentionally omitted, but some pieces suffer from a lack of attention. This is a great starter/foundation book.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great history of pharoahs. It details every change and progress through to Roman rule. The books includes images, art and illustrations that lend to the credibility of the history of the entire era.

[Chris Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The material is as expected. Reads like a textbook, and covers all the historical years of Egypt until about century 1 AD. A correct pronunciation of the Pharoah names in parenthesis would have been helpful.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book about the Egyptian pharaohs. This book is full of images and gives a comprehensive history. I love history and really enjoyed this book.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5