The Earl and the Pharaoh

by Fiona Carnarvon

Bestselling author Lady Fiona Carnarvon tells the thrilling behind-the-scenes story of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun on its centennial, and explores the unparalleled life of family ancestor George Herbert--the famed Egyptologist, world-traveler, and 5th Earl of Carnarvon behind it--whose country house, Highclere Castle, is the setting of the beloved series Downton Abbey.

In November 1922, the world was mesmerized by news of an astonishing historical find in Egypt's legendary Valley of Kings: the discovery of the tomb of the Egyptian Pharoah Tutankhamun. George Herbert, himself a famed amateur Egyptologist and noted antiquities collector, financed the expedition and excavation headed by lead archaeologist Howard Carter, and accompanied him inside this sacred space that had remained untouched for centuries.

Inside the tomb, the explorers found King Tut's sarcophagus and a treasure trove of astonishing artifacts: chariots and model boats, board games and paintings, a coffin made of pure gold. But these objects were more than just beautifully crafted works of art; they shed new light on Tutankhamun world and this fabled period of history, and changed our understanding of how the ancient Egyptians had lived--transforming overnight what had been formed through centuries of history and myth.

Drawing on Highclere Castle's archives, Lady Fiona Carnarvon pays homage to her ancestor on the 100th anniversary of this extraordinary event. In vivid and dramatic detail, she brings into focus the larger-than-life characters and lustrous settings--as well as those twists of luck and tragedies that shaped Herbert's life. Across the early 1900s, Highclere saw no less drama than the fictional Downton Abbey, with early tragedies for the Earl and love affairs, as well highs of exorbitant wealth and trials of punishing debt. But above all there was adventure. While Herbert first went to Egypt for his health, this mysterious, romantic land would become a second home; the beloved place where he funneled his attentions over a period of decades, never quite realizing how great the fruits of his labors would prove.

Visitor to an Antique Land features two 2 8-page full-color photo inserts.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Egypt, Historical, Archaeology, Biography Memoir

400 pages, Hardcover

Published December 6, 2022

About the author

Note: This is the Goodreads listing for the 8th Countess of Carnarvon.

A former auditor for Coopers & Lybrand, Lady Carnarvon is the wife of George Herbert, 8th Earl of Carnarvon. Today, she manages affairs at Highclere Castle, home of the worldwide television drama Downton Abbey, including overseeing its grounds and gardens and many special events such as the Egyptian Exhibition in the cellars of the Castle.

Fascinated by Highclere’s history, Lady Carnarvon has written four books. The first two are about the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, who discovered King Tutankhamun’s tomb with Howard Carter in 1922. Her latest are New York Times Bestseller Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere, and Lady Catherine and the Real Downton Abbey.

Reviews

[Clare · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh dear, what could have been an interesting biography of the Earl of Carnarvon came out as a lifeless list of people attending various functions and what they wore. There were hints at the man's character but little true insight. Attention to detail was not great, and a little proof reading would have gone a long way! How on earth can this man's life come across like a shopping list? The book has plenty of detail, but it isn't turned into a cohesive whole. It just feels like a massive who's who rather than a proper historical biography. A missed opportunity, cashing in on the centenary of Carnarvon's greatest achievement.

[Claudia · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars, rounded down because this book was a terrible disappointment.
I expected a book about the excavation of Tut's tomb based on this family's archives. It seems the author really wanted to dump information from the archive. It was terribly boring. Maybe readers who are interested in this particular family or Victorian aristocracy in general may like this more than I did. That would probably be a very narrow audience. I would not have chosen to read this book.
The excavation of Tut's tomb was not discussed in any detail until ~80% into the book. By that time, I was so annoyed with the name dropping and rich boy hobbies that made up the majority of the text, that I could not enjoy it. I scanned ~70% in search of the promised content.
This book would be more accurately represented as a biography of this earl.
I read an eARC that did not include illustrations, appendices, and any other supplemental information that may be added to the published version.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Perhaps one of the most boring books I have ever attempted to read. What could have been an exciting story of the life of a fascinating man became a dull, lifeless who's who. Howard Carter isn't even in the book until chapter 14. The title suggests the book revolves around the earl and the Pharaoh, it just didn't happen in this book. I found myself skipping entire chapters. Not a book I would recommend or encourage others to read. There are far better books available that tell the story of King Tut and the amazing discovery of the tomb.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a GORGEOUS cover.. but the story is not what I expected. I was hoping for more info focusing on Egypt and their discovery + excavation of King Tuts tomb as the title of the book suggested. This tells mostly about the family; a biography of the Earl of Carnarvon. 3 stars — Pub. 12/6/22

[Sarah Talks Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not finish this book, it was absolutely boring. It’s just a who’s who of the 5th Earl’s family. It’s nothing but - this person was born, that person traveled here, they all loved hunting, everyone went to this person’s funeral who was clearly important because the queen sent a wreath…and so on and so on. It doesn’t flow at all and doesn’t feel like a story so much as the notes the author took before ever attempting to write the book. I was also constantly confused about who people were. There are so many people mentioned in each chapter with no introduction or explanation about who they are. Other times, the author would switch to someone’s title and without explaining whose title it is, so you have no idea who she is talking about. Other times, the author would switch to someone’s title without having explained who the title belongs to, so you have no idea who she is talking about. I got about 100 pages in and hopped on here to look at the reviews to see if I should hang in there. When I saw another person say it continues in this vein until about 80% in when they finally touch on the Tutankhamun excavation, I decided I was done. I just can’t imagine reading 200 more pages of this. Even if I wanted to learn about the who’s who of this family, it would still be an absolute bore.

[Laurie Loftin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable book! If you like history, intrigue, war stories, romance, family drama, archaeology, Egyptology, and/or English country houses, this book has adventure in store for you. I listened to the CD because I love to be read to, and the Countess has a marvelous voice for narration.

[4cats · Rating 4 out of 5]

The current Countess of Carnarvon has produced a comprehensive biography of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, the man who will always be linked to the boy king Tutankhamun, however this is not really a book about the Pharaoh and the dig itself it is about the man who funded the search and supported Howard Carter in his work. This biography covers details of the 5th Earls family, his life at Highclere and the historical period into which he was born and lived, his love of travel and adventure even though he was plagued with ill health throughout his life.

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where to begin? Waited some time for my copy to arrive at the bookshop and I had been looking forward to beginning. In the end, I was frankly disappointed. The Earl had every advantage of education opportunities and took none of them, mostly wasting his time smoking, gambling, and partying. In adult life, he seemed to spend spend and more spending. In the end, his Egyptology interest has been blown up to present him as the main man. He did put up the money but recouped much through the acquired antiquities. Carter worked away and made the main discoveries.

The makeup of the book came over as superficial and descended into lists of the aristocracy who attended various events. This left little space for any in-depth appraisal of his life.

Disappointing. 2 stars.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon is much more than one man on a quest to find a missing pharaoh. Its the story of a family over an important period of English history. The transformation of the wealthy society through the course of the book speaks to a much larger transition in the culture and people. The culmination of an era came with the discovery of the Tutankhamun Tomb. The ability to privately finance such a lengthy search didn't really exist as the post-war world developed. Changes in tax laws deprived the ultra rich of the resources to sustain large estates and take on bold new projects and technologies. The 5th Earl was a renaissance man who loved horses, fast cars and airplanes while seeking to understand the Egyptians who lived 3,500 years before he did.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping for more Egypt, but I learned a lot about the Lord Carnarvon. He was an interesting man who probably should have stopped smoking, but nevertheless he loved his wife and gave her much freedom to pursue her dreams. This was a lovely tribute.

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

More about the man than the discovery, but well researched and written and as an Egyptologist I learned some new details

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting and an easy read, except for some of the long lists of people who I quickly forgot. I did a little rabbit=holing and found that the Countess of Carnarvon has done some white washing of her husband's ancestor's rowdier life, but I guess it is to be expected. Fascinating is the portrait of the super rich lifestyle people of their class led. The Earl himself was very likable and interesting, kind to all, and got along well with all types of people. The another really ey opening part for me was to learn about the ins and out of archaeology amid the political turmoil of Egypt at the time.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book in conjunction with the PBS documentary on King Tut.
Parts of the book were a bit sloggish but combining it with the documentary added so much more depth.

[Dru · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was not what I expected. I think the title was a bit misleading. I genuinely though it would focus more on the discovery of King Tut's tomb. The book focused on the earl's family history/ upbringing and Egypt wasn't even mentioned until about 100 pages into the book. King Tut's discovery didn't happen until around the last 50 pages. I just wished there were more about King Tut's discovery and everything related to it. I think this book would have been better titled just the "Earl".

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

A biography of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon from his childhood to his death.

This is a very thorough biography of the Earl, but it never felt overly detailed. The Countess keeps things engaging and very readable throughout. I liked that she didn't just gloss over childhood and youth as some biographies have a tendency to do. She also gave a fair amount of time to rounding out the picture of the Earl as an adult beyond his participation in Egyptian archaeology for which he is probably most famous beyond his ancestral home. I also liked that there's a lot of details of the digs he participated in before he and Howard Carter decided to move to the spot where they found King Tut's tomb. I've read several things on the discovery of Tut's tomb, but none of them highlighted how much research went into choosing where to dig. They weren't just picking spots by random, they were using historical documents and history of where others hadn't dug in the valley. None of the other works demonstrated just how much trouble the press and public gave the dig in slowing down the preservation process after the discovery. The Earl was by no means a perfect man, but he learned from his experiences over the years and ended up a generous and well-meaning man who left an admirable legacy. I've read the Countess' book about Carnarvon's wife, Almina, so some things were repeated but I felt like there was a ton of new information in here and the two books complement each other well. Recommended to biography, turn of the century British history, and Egyptian archaeology fans.

Notes on content: A small handful of mild swears in quotes. No sexual content really. Affairs of acquaintances are mentioned in passing but absolutely no details. A bad car crash, deaths from illness, injuries and deaths of family members and people in Almina's hospital during WWI and other wars are all included but nothing super gory described. The Earl had issues with gambling, especially when young. Smoking and drinking are mentioned.

[Anne Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

To all the people whining about how the whole book isn't about the discovery, you didn't pay much attention to the description of the book (EDIT: the Goodreads description is much more misleading. The book jacket description is spot on.. so maybe blame Goodreads?)... It's a biography of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon who is most well known for finding Tutankhamun with Howard Carter. Yes it's a lengthy intro of his life before Egypt, but again it is a biography, and we still get Egypt before the halfway mark. Also worth noting, he literally dies less than a year after the discovery so of course it is a smaller portion of his biography.

For the major egyptologists, maybe this book isn't what you're looking for. And for those who don't know much about Egypt archaeology, might be worth watching "Lost Treasures of Egypt" before reading as I did. I was quite pleased to feel that I was accurate in my mental pronunciation and understanding of artifact lingo.

I think this book is wonderfully well done and as someone who is fascinated by both Egypt and Victorian/Edwardian aristocracy, it hit nearly all the marks. That said, I ALWAYS want more pictures within to go with the history, especially when they found so many cool things in that tomb (so I don't have to look things up).

Okay bye!

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Today's nonfiction post is on The Earl and the Pharaoh by The Countess of Carnarvon. It is 400 pages long and is published by Harper. The cover is blue with a castle at the bottom and a pharaoh's mask on top. The intended reader is someone who is interested in the history of the Earl of Carnarvon. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the dust jacket- In November 1922, the world was mesmerized by news of an astonishing historical find in Egypt's legendary Valley of Kings: the discovery of the tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun. George Herbert, himself a famed amateur Egyptologist and noted antiquities collector, financed the expedition and excavation headed by lead archaeologist Howard Carter, and accompanied him inside this sacred space that had remained untouched for centuries.
Inside the tomb, the explorers found King Tut's sarcophagus and a treasure trove of astonishing artifacts: chariots and model boats, board games and paintings, a coffin made of pure gold. But these objects were more than just beautifully crafted works of art; they shed new light on Tutankhamun world and this fabled period of history, and changed our understanding of how the ancient Egyptians had lived--transforming overnight what had been formed through centuries of history and myth.
Drawing on Highclere Castle's archives, Lady Fiona Carnarvon pays homage to her ancestor on the 100th anniversary of this extraordinary event. In vivid and dramatic detail, she brings into focus the larger-than-life characters and lustrous settings--as well as those twists of luck and tragedies that shaped Herbert's life. Across the early 1900s, Highclere saw no less drama than the fictional Downton Abbey, with early tragedies for the Earl and love affairs, as well highs of exorbitant wealth and trials of punishing debt. But above all there was adventure. While Herbert first went to Egypt for his health, this mysterious, romantic land would become a second home; the beloved place where he funneled his attentions over a period of decades, never quite realizing how great the fruits of his labors would prove.

Review- This is not a book about Egyptology and the discovery of King Tut's tomb. It is a biography of the Earl of Carnarvon and his life, in which he was interested in Egyptology but that was just a small part of his life. The book starts with his birth and goes until his death and it covers everything in between. Herbert was a man of many interests, from flying to racing horses and Egyptology was just one. He did help Howard Carter get funding and help to do his excavations. He did have a collection of many priceless artifacts but I was expecting a story just about the discovery of the tomb not a life story of a man tangentially involved in the discovery. The writing is fine but at times can drag with all the details about the Earl's life. If you are a fan of Downton Abbey and want to learn more about the real people that inspired it, then you may like this book. But if you are looking for an in-depth book about the discover of King Tut's tomb, then you should pass on this book.

I give this book a Three out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

[William Cross · Rating 1 out of 5]

At the centenary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s Tomb in 1922 no one can take away the remarkable contribution to Egyptology made by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter, or be anything other than astonished by the many thousands of stunning artefacts resulting from the epic search funded by Almina, Carnarvon’s wife and Countess from her access to Rothschild loot.

There are several writers currently hanging out the constant curios of this never ending story of King Tutankhamun and its various players, this book from Lord Carnarvon’s successors should be the most authoritative and accurate. But is it?

In parts this book is at least a more satisfactory volume than earlier ones from Highclere but only thanks to the hard work of others who are not even acknowledged. Indeed this account of Lord Carnarvon of Old King Tut fame ranks as a face saver with countless corrections to previous offerings by Highclere’s ghost writers, from utilising facts uncovered by others, and without specific citations, or the smallest contrition for previously pouring out bad history.

The Earl’s famous motor car accident in Germany is now admitted as being in 1909, the subject of others research for a decade. The proof of the pudding convincingly made public this year by Dr Carola Vogel, a German Egyptologist in the Gottingen Miscellany ( No 266).

That said the text does not let go of this accident and perpetuates it as the trigger for Carnarvon spending winters in Egypt. All a smokescreen, the devilish work of Lady Winifred Burghclere in her flowery cover up biography of Lord Carnarvon from 1923, 40- odd- pages of elegant dross that has been slavishly regurgitated by Highclere, and which now stands as a poor legacy of monumental howlers blighting thousands of books and articles.

The motive for proclaiming an earlier date for Carnarvon’s near death experience in Germany by Lady Winifred ( the Earl’s protective sister) and of altering history was to deflect away the Earl’s many peccadilloes and health crisis caused by years of debauchery. But this new effort from a chequered army of scribes still follows a selective path of highlighting only what is praiseworthy and so sadly it falls short of portraying George Herbert’s whole life. Yes, his legacy with Carter for finding a Pharaoh’s tomb has much merit, yes, he took good photographs, yes, he was a successful race horse owner and early pioneer of flying but if this is a biography it should be scrupulously honest by including warts and all.

The book cuts short at any mention of the actual event that led to Carnarvon’s initial digging years ( before he teamed up with Howard Carter). The Countess Almina always said the spark was after a trip to the USA in 1903 by her and the Earl, and their faithful physician Dr Marcus Johnson ( Dr Johnny) and of a chance meeting with Jeremiah Lynch of San Francisco’s Bohemian Club. Lynch was a famous Egyptophile, with his own Mummy in situ, an author and explorer who fired up Carnarvon’s passion for the chance of cashing in on finding undiscovered Royal Tombs in the Valley of the Kings. To thank Lynch the Earl and Almina attended a huge farewell party in Cairo close to the time the Antiquities Service was chewing over on Carnarvon’s request for digging rights.

Egypt was a country George Herbert ( as Lord Porchester) knew well from 1889 onwards. Yes, the climate eased his congenitally diseased lungs and its seedy bath houses provided an avenue for carnal pleasure with his friend Prince Victor Duleep Singh. Whilst Victor does makes a string of appearances in the book any real transparency about the men’s coupling is ditched, nothing is said of Victor’s role in fathering Almina’s son, Henry, a subject of much speculation in books, articles and a recent TV documentary. It could be settled by DNA testing. So quick were the writers to pass on this thorn in the flesh that an error appears at page 100 on Henry’s birth date.

As boys the young Porchey and his adorable and intimate friend Victor ‘Tulip’ Singh broke every school rule book at Eton College, were gambling mad and clocked up colossal debts from money lenders. Here the book is commendable. But much more on this could be cited from the Earl’s father’s diaries ( held by the British Museum) but after the 4th Earl’s death Elsie Howard, the second 4th Countess took a razor blade and removed scores of the pages of the diaries where an entry did not show the family in a proper or decent light. OK, Porchey gave his father a hellava time and worry over his dangerous liaisons, but he was bullied and ignored and wished for dead as the 4th Earl had a more obedient and acceptable son in Aubrey, as the Carnarvon heir.

It is crystal clear that other people’s research carried out and other books and comprehensive narratives that are not acknowledged have steered, shaped, and assisted the narrative presented of Carnarvon’s early years and family and timeline interactions. It was a dysfunctional family – as many aristocratic families are, wet nurses, rearing by servants, harsh female relations, the 4th Earl’s sisters, also bullies.

Other elements of the book are flawed. Almina’s wealth provider Baron Alfred de Rothschild and the Earl’s savour from bankruptcy was not Almina’s father. There is not an iota of proof to sustain the claim. Alfred led a double life and it suited all concerned that Almina became an instant Countess in marrying Carnarvon. Alfred paid up by funding Almina marriage settlement ( incorrectly given at page 78 as 25 June 1866). The manipulative Mr Alfred acquired a ready made family that this allowed him to hide his secret world from scrutiny. Almina’s Wombwell descendants, who are on record as observing Almina’s physical resemblance to other Wombwell women, would be delighted to have the question of blood tested once and for all, another case for DNA testing, the Rothschild bloodline continues on a grand scale. Moreover, a clump of Alfred’s hair is deposited in the Royal Archives for modern science to declare wonderful things.

Admissions about Lord Carnarvon’s life long health struggles are frequently mentioned and are justified albeit the instances given are selective and censored. The reliance upon the family physician Dr Marcus Johnson ( Dr Johnny) who first pops up at page 170 ( for events in 1909) just wont do. Carnarvon knew Johnny at Cambridge University in the 1880s when Marcus was a medical student. Dr Johnny witnessed Carnarvon’s body deterioration over a period of 30 years. He treated the Earl as a patient at the Lock Hospital, London, in the 1890s – an institution that specialised in venereal diseases. Johnny also appeared as a witness for the Earl in 1900 at one of Motor Carnarvon’s many court appearance for speeding offences. Later appearances by Dr Johnny in Egypt as medic to the Earl and Almina are well enough drawn, but when the Earl was on his death bed at the Continental Hotel, Cairo in March-April 1923, being tended by Almina – and in the arms of Morpheus- Johnny was still in England and could not have comforted Lady Evelyn, as stated. Johnny only arrived in Cairo the day after the Earl died. Poor Johnny, his loose tongue in later years at Highclere weekends with Almina let the proverbial mummified cat out of the bag of Carnarvon family secrets and lies and he was shipped off to a mental asylum.

Oh dear! I give up on other counts at trying to set this record straight. This book is certainly NOT as asked at the outset the most authoritative and accurate record of the life of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon. Perhaps another centenary, that of his death, which falls next year will bring forth that definitive biography.

[Marco · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I began "The Earl and the Pharaoh" I literally was like, 'This is just like Downton Abbey' and came to find out that the author, Fiona, The Countess of Carnarvon, lives in THE actual Downton Abbey castle that was used in the show. (Also, it was in huge letters on the front jacket of the book which apparently I just glanced over 😐).

I know most people know the history of "The Curse of Tutankhamun", where archeologists digging in his tomb died under "mysterious circumstances", the shaving archeologist who went into the tomb after and met a grisly fate? Well, this is about that guy.

In the book, Lord Carnarvon, one of two British historians in the early 1920s, is detailed in Downton style until the last third of the book that deals with actual excavation. Lots of history and crossover history such as meeting with the Wright Brothers are interesting, but we're here for the thrill of historical Egypt as seen on the cover.

It's not as thrilling, I guess, as the title and cover makes it seem, but it does at least confront foreign interference in Egypt's excavation, the robbing of these sites, but also details how Carnarvon was trying to make history closer to people - he had no interest in removing artifacts or mummies as his contemporaries, just records of them - and really wasn't interested in fame and saw fortunes he had, or collected for the excavations, dwindle. Still, Egypt in history credits his work with increasing tourism to their nation.

It's interesting for the most part, staying away from controversial topics (colonialism) is either to keep the peace or hide it, but it's mostly a biography of one man but doesn't tie into much of the grandeur of ancient Egypt. Even the Countess writes both men covered were lost to time, both with similar lives, but both in a spotlight that no one knows what to do with. I think if you like Downton -a lot- you'll like it, or biographies of the sort, but a lot of information on the ancient discoveries and their complicated histories are already available in other works concentrating solely on that.

[Sarah Raley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh, I really want to like this book but it is SO hard!!! I actually find the whole family history interesting. Where I have issues is the way it was written and the amount of confusing and down right wrong information. Maybe the author isn’t used to writing a biography. The chapter at first seem to be strictly in chronological order, but then a few chapters in, switch to subject based. It gets so confusing because she will mention an event in one chapter, then move on only to bring it back up in much detail in another chapter out of chronological order. Then she doesn’t use the same name for everyone, especially Lord Carnavon to the point where it becomes confusing when the 3rd Earl dies. Parts are just poorly written. For example, on page 47, it mentions the wife of Lord C, named Lady Florence dies. His wife already died and he got remarried. So clearly they are referring to someone else. After a dumb amount of hour googling this family, it was the wife of the 3rd Earl’s BROTHER!! Clearly a key word missing from that sentence. But read as is, is so freaking confusing.
The there are just the inaccuracies- on page 94, the birth of the 4th Earl is stated as Nov 7, 1898. She doesn’t give his full name, just his shortened with his nickname- George Herbert (Porchey). Then on page 100, it is stated the birth is Nov 7th 1899 with his full given official name (George Alfred Marius Victor Francis). Clearly a misprint of the birth year, but again- not using the same name or referencing the two names together so you know who she’s talking about.
My biggest issue- the family tree. There are siblings missing. Siblings she refers to within the first 5 pages. I get there’s not a lot of room, but if you are going to talk about one of the 3rd Earl’s sisters, why not include her in the family tree? The family tree makes it look like she doesn’t exist. And she’s mentioned many times.
I’m only 100 pages in and these are the issues…
Maybe she should really hire a ghost writer with biography and genealogy experience the next time she wants to write about her husband’s family history!

[Jessica Foust]

Imagine my utter delight on finding this gem -- the author is married to the 8th Earl of Carnavon. His great-grandfather, Lord George Herbert Carnavon funded and assisted Howard Carter in the discovery of King Tut's Tomb.

The Countess lives in Hiclere (made famous for us plebians by "Downton Abbey") with her husband, the 8th Earl, and has written extensively on her husband's extraordinary family.

I've often wondered why the discovery of King Tut's Tomb and the subsequent excavation was handled so differently than prior discoveries, and now I know why.

Some was based on when it occurred, just after World War I, but much was due in part to the extraordinary men who refused to give up, and who loved and respected the history, the archeology, and the people of Egypt. They treated the discovery with the care, tact, and diplomacy needed to make it possible.

The Canarvon Family themselves are fascinating and I'm going to have to go back and study more of the Countess's works.

In short, by reading "The Earl and the Pharaoh", not only do I better understand and have more respect for the entire history surrounding such a momentous discovery, I can now say I've had the history narrated to me by a Countess herself, and met many real life characters I can't wait to learn more about.

A resounding 5 out of 5 stars!

[Emma Hinkle · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I wasn't so interested in learning about the role the Earl of Carnarvon (who lived at Highclere castle where Downton Abbey was filmed I would have stopped reading this book 30 pages in.

90% of the book was name dropping English aristocrats and sharing who they were, what they were doing, and how much leisure time they had. Too many chapters were spent talking about the Earl's interest in horses, cars, and airplanes. Egypt wasn't even mentioned until 100 pages into the book and the discovery of King Tut's tomb until 300 pages in.

The writing of this book was poor and did not flow well. One moment we'd be in Egypt, the next in England, and back and forth throughout a chapter which was disorienting. The author would begin telling a story and then pivot to sharing about some random person and then pivot back. At one point, the author jumped numerous years between paragraphs and it wasn't clear which made it extremely confusing.

I enjoyed the time the author spent sharing about how Highclere castle participated in the war effort. But overall, I was sorely disappointed with how little was written about the discovery of King Tut's tomb.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a free copy of this book.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read Lady Carnarvon’s previous books and was lucky enough to find a signed copy of this book in a local charity shop. I was drawn in by the title and was a bit disappointed to find Egypt isn’t mentioned till much later. In fact some readers may find it a bit misleading as there is not actually a lot about the discovering of the tomb of Tutankhamen. This actually doesn’t really feature in the book until the last 80 or so pages. With this being said I still think the book was a worthwhile portrait of the life of the fifth earl - it’s a cultural snapshot of that important period of wealthy society in England and has many fascinating elements of its own, asides from being about the man who is most famous for finding the tomb of the lost Pharaoh with his assistant, Howard Carter. Also, given it’s a biography and he died less than a year after they had made the discovery it’s kind of understandable that there would be a limited amount of information available to write about after that. It’s not something I would read again and I think I would have liked a few more photo sections and because I think it probably had mislead some readers by the title into thinking there would be more of an Egyptian focus I have only given 3.5 stars.

[Deborah James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another non-fiction adventure for you all now. I’m hoping you’ve all read my review of Howard Carter’s Diaries , or at least vaguely know information surrounding the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb because this book is a behind the scenes of Lord Carnarvon’s life, his trials and tribulations and his fascination with ancient Egypt that led him to this point with Howard Carter in 1922.

“This is a book about a man whose life and death became front page need throughout the world between the autumn of 1922 and the spring of 1923 when, with his colleague Howard Carter, he discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun and then, shortly afterwards, died.”

In all honesty, this book should have been incredible. Providing such an insight into the life of such an extraordinary man by someone who has had the stories passed down to her should have been super interesting. But actually up until he met Howard Carter, the book was a bit dull. There were odd bits of excitement in the chapters but found the first part of the book a struggle.

Find my full review on my blog -> http://bookworminglife.com/the-earl-a...

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part family history, part Edwardian gossip, part adventure story: I really enjoyed this biography of George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon - the Carnarvon who financed the dig by Howard Carter that discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Written by the current Countess of Carnarvon, this story draws on family sources and contemporary accounts to bring to life the fascinating, restless personality of the 5th Earl: from birth, motherless childhood, unhappy schooldays, and marriage to Alfred de Rothchild's illegitamate daughter Almina in a deeply loving marriage; fascination with speed (he owned the first motor car in Britain, and likewise got the first speeding ticket!) and sponsoring early flight experiments, including supporting his neighbour and friend Geoffrey de Havilland's experiments with flight and designing early aircraft; establishing the Highclere racing stud; discovery of Egyptology and sponsoring many digs and discoveries in Egypt; to his death from septicemia from an infected mosquito bite (spoiler: no Mummy's Curse!).

Oh, and his home was Highclere Castle (now famous as the filming location of Downtown Abbey).

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think some of the reviews are harsh to give this book one star. There were opportunities but a lot of interesting pieces to the story were in there. I like many others wish the focus had been more on the excavation and Egyptology aspects - which I found very interesting and thought the book would be more about. She does spend too much time trying to cram in all the things regarding her Husband’s ancestor and his activities relating to:

- Victorian England
- English society and fashion, and the need for Eton to always be mentioned in any story about a well off Englishman
- Early aviation pioneering
- WWI… like a lot of it… many battles, political figures and diplomatic activities
- Horse racing and stud farms stuff
- English rich folks propensity for hunting and shooting
- Early automobiles
- So many names, like all the names of people that don’t matter to the overall narrative.
- … and a bit about Howard Carter and the excavations in the Valley of the Kings.

I learned something, it’s not a terrible book, it just could have been much more focused.

[Peter Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tells the life story of the fifth Earl of Carnarvon, and how he and Howard Carter found the tomb of Tutankhamun, in the Valley of the Kings.
An enjoyable book that describes a life lived to the full by one of the super rich of the early 20th century. I had assumed the book would be just about the Earl's Egyptology work, but it was a full account of his life, giving an eye-opening view of how a rich English aristocrat lived. Fortunately, the Earl had many and varied interests, so his life is interesting and tells us much about that period in history.
But the book is at its best when describing his time in Egypt with Howard Carter, and how he found the long-lost tomb of the ancient pharaoh, Tutankhamun. It provides fascinating background to the discovery, which was the first truly global media event. For anyone with an interest in Egypt and Egyptology, this will be an excellent read.

[Giovanna Walker · Rating 1 out of 5]

Such a disappointment. Introduced to Porchey & sister Margaret p4. I can only assume that Porchey is the 5th Earl, as his first name is not mentioned in the family tree, just their 4th, 5th earl titles.... Felt that was a little presumptive. And what was his actual name, not Porchey (that's only mentioned later).
Whilst travel to Egypt was a 'fixture' it is mentioned in 2 pages of detail on page 101.
I didn't get a feel of how The Earl came to go there in his early years, just 2 mentions 'oh and he went to Egypt'....lots of horse racing, golf, general travel....
More like a laundry list of his life & people, not insights. I guess I wanted some more insights, and recognition of what they did back then may not have been the best way to excavate, and how times have evolved.
Writing is ok, but you are kept at arms length.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a biography about someone with such an adventurous spirit, this was a major letdown. What could have been an engaging, and even thrilling, look into the Earl’s life and the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, was really just a retelling of his date book going back and forth between horse racing and digging in the sand for chapters on end. Not even a snippet from a journal entry to help add some life and personality to this cast of characters. I found the most interesting section to be that describing the hospital Lady C headed up during the war. When we finally got to King Tut’s tomb (hour 11 out of 13 in the audiobook) the descriptions were rather matter of fact, and the retelling lacked any of the emotion that I’m sure these people must have been feeling. It’s unfortunate what a disservice this book is to the life and legacy of the Earl of Carnarvon.

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you enjoy keeping up with British royalty and nobility, and if you especially like learning all about how they used to live, then you will love THE EARL AND THE PHARAOH. It is chock full of personal details on several generations of the Carnarvon extended family and friends.
However, if you are particularly interested in the Earl of Carnarvon who was involved with discovering the tomb of King Tut (Pharaoh Tutankhamun), then skip to the last half of this book. If you’re only interested in what really happened from finding the first step of the tomb onwards, skip to the final 30-35%.
I was only really interested in the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, Howard Carter, and the discovery, so I was disappointed and felt the book title was misleading. Nevertheless, all the family and friends’ details were enlightening and rather interesting. It just wasn’t what I thought I was buying.