The Rough Guide to Tutankhamun: The King, The Treasure, The Dynasty

by Michael Haag

The new exhibition Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs offers a unique insight into the art, wealth and powerof Egypt's New Kingdom. This Rough Guide provides all the background, with compelling details on the treasures and their discovery.

Who was Tutankhamun? From the opulence and riches of the royal court at Thebes, to the cult of the god Amun and the great heresy of Akhenaten, the extraordinary era of Tutankhamun's Egypt is explained.

The full story of the Valley of the Kings is told, shedding light on why the royal tombs were built, who built them, and how they were decorated, together with the significance of the treasures and the practice and processes of mummification.

Fascinating background on Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon, the discoverers of Tutankhamun's tomb, and on the fabled curse and its supposed victims. And a report on the CT scan of Tutankhamun's mummy, done in 2005 to reveal the pharaoh's true cause of death.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Egypt, Reference

224 pages, Paperback

Published December 31, 2007

About the author

Michael Haag, who lived in London, was a writer, historian and biographer. He wrote widely on the Egyptian, Classical and Medieval worlds; and on the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Reviews

[Julian Abagond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good short intro: Howard Carter, Valley of the Kings, Akhenaton, Nefertiti, Egyptian religion (Amun, Aten, the afterlife), the King Tut Exhibit and the boy king himself. Not as bogged down in the archaeology or scholarly minutiae as some books are. Sees things more through the lens of history than the lens of archaeology.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice easy read. Very informative, was disappointed when I finished it. Could've had a few more pictures

[Inas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it in 2019 and used it in my researches.
It was enjoyable reading in spite of out of date informations I found.

[Maggy Alegría · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me gustó bastante. Fue un libro que compré en el museo del Cairo y le guardo un cariño especial. Amo la cultura egipcia. Y este libro me dio un panorama amplio y breve de ella.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise, informative and engaging entry read about:

a) discovery of boy king Tutankhamun’s tomb discovery in the valley of the kings near Thebes in upper Egypt (southern area of Egypt) in 1922 by howard carter (sponsored by Lord Carnavaron)

b) life and times of king Tutankhamun during the 18th dynasty (roughly 14th-15th century B.C.) in the era of the New Kingdom, including discussions about how his probable father Akhenaten moved from polytheistic to monotheistic (Aten) worship and then return to polytheism (worshipping Amun amongst other gods) beginning during Tutankhamun’s brief reign

c) Cataloging of the many items from the archaeological find and their religious, cultural and political meanings

[Marte · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was easy to read, had lots of black and white photos, and was a very interesting read. But I spotted three shocking spelling mistakes - and this from a fellow Pearson company! Must email someone about that. ;)