Pharaohs of the Sun: How Egypt's Despots and Dreamers Drove the Rise and Fall of Tutankhamun's Dynasty

by Guy de la Bédoyère

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.

Genres: History, Egypt, Nonfiction, Ancient History, Historical, Archaeology, Egyptology

560 pages, Hardcover

First published January 3, 2023

About the author

Guy de la Bédoyère is author of a widely admired series of books on Roman history. He appeared regularly on the UK’s Channel 4 archaeology series Time Team and is well known in the United States for his volume The Romans for Dummies. His latest books are Gladius. Living, Fighting, and Dying in the Roman Army (2020), and Pharaohs of the Sun. How Egypt's Despots and Dreamers Drove the Rise and Fall of Tutankhamun's Dynasty (2022). He lives in Grantham, Lincolnshire, UK.

Reviews

[lizard · Rating 4 out of 5]

“My imagination runs riot wondering what the common people who see my monument in the years to come will say. Beware of saying ‘I know not, I know not why this was made and a mountain fashioned entirely from gold like an everyday event.’ ...I swear as Re loves me, as my father Amun favors me… I shall be eternal like the star that never sets.”

Guy de la Bédoyère offers a different perspective on the famous rulers of the 18th Dynasty—so much of written Egyptology comes across as awestricken. And, certainly, this all being some 3,500 years ago, it is worthy of some reverence. But, as he shows, these are still just people, ones with command of great resources and a divine persona, lending themselves to some questionable outcomes. I really enjoyed seeing these familiar characters reframed in a unique lens.

Also, I love you, Hatshepsut ❤️

[Elentarri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a semi-scholarly but still accessible introduction to the 18th Dynasty (approx 1550-1291 BC) of Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs - an era roughly midway between the age of the pyramids and end of Egypt as an independent country in 30 BC, when it became a state of the Roman Empire. This is an era which Ancient Egypt achieved the peak of its power, built on a "hierarchy with gold-bedecked kings at the top and the broken bodies of labourers, including children and prisoners of war, at the bottom". An era in which the 18th Dynasty Pharaohs "operated an international state protection racket", with the army turning Egypt into an imperialist predatory state in search of war booty, tribute, slaves and raw resources.

This era featured such well-known personages as Hatshepsut (the queen who insisted on being King/Pharaoh), warrior pharaohs Thutmose III and Amenhotep II, queen Tiye and her parents Yuya and Thuya, beautiful Nefertiti, religious zealot and heretic Akhenaten, the mysterious and little known Smenkhkare, the juvenile king Tutankhamun (with his wealthy, though hastily arranged, tomb discovered by British Egyptologist Howard Carter), as well as the elderly Ay, and his successor general Horemheb. And all those temples, tombs, giant statues and buildings that half the time got cannibalized for spare building material by the deceased monarchs descendants.

A large portion of the text explains what is known, what is generally accepted, what is conjecture, and what evidence is available for this. The first chapter is dedicated to explaining the types of sources available for obtaining knowledge about Ancient Egypt and how scanty, fragmented and damaged these sources are. There is also the lack of knowledge about the Ancient Egyptian language and its development that leads to faulty translations or biased interpretations. The problem of accurately dating events is also an issue that plays a part in what is known about Ancient Egyptian history. The book also includes a timeline, glossary, colour plates, and a few other extras.

Guy de la Bédoyère has written an informative and interesting introduction to the 265 year rise and fall of the 18th Dynasty, provided a glimpse of an ancient world long in the past and also highlights the difficulties of gaining knowledge about that ancient civilization from the scraps that are left over.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

unreasonably distressed at the thought of spending your life constructing a legacy and building monuments of it for posterity just to have your kids wreck and steal it for a laugh. then having the same happen to them.

also any time a date was mentioned i had an existential crisis because it is insane to me the amount of years between these people and us 🤯

[Helen - Great Reads & Tea Leaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Their legacy was their history, temples, tombs, and works of art of the 18th Dynasty which the world has looked upon in awe ever since, all the while sobered by the wreckage and decay, and the lone and level sands stretching far away. In that. if we are honest, we can also see the relics of our own time and our hubris in some far distant future.’

Ever since I was at school and first introduced to Egypt and its history I have been fascinated. So much so that I had to fulfill a childhood dream by sitting beside the Sphinx and visiting Tutankhamen’s tomb. I have read both fiction and nonfiction tales from this time as I just can't get enough of it. For anyone like me, Guy de la Bédoyère 's latest book is sure to make you happy.

Guy has written many historical books over three decades. His latest, Pharaohs of the Sun, details ancient Egypt in the 18th Dynasty, a time when this civilisation was at its peak. Under this particular group of Pharaohs, Egypt became the richest and most powerful Bronze Age state that would prove to intrigue and captiviate people for thousands of years to come. This book covers it all and is very readable for the non-academic. I enjoyed the parallels Guy brought from other Empires to try and explain and correlate.

‘Egypt’s glory days of the 18th Dynasty were built on a hierarchy with gold-bedecked kings at the top and the broken bodies of labourers, including children and prisoners of war, at the bottom. These kings presided over a population most of whom died before their thirties from disease or other hazards.’

Guy does an amazing job across the depth and breadth of this dynasty. With the big names such as Tutankhamen, Hatshepsut, Akhenaten and Nefertiti to lesser known ones, he writes of their stories inclusive of the cost to those they ruled. It was certainly a time of great riches with complete and utter ruthlessness. There is also a most impressive index, glossary, timeline colour photos and more included in some of the 100+ pages of reference materials and extras.

The 18th Dynasty was an incredible era for the ancient Egyptians - well up there with some of the world's best. For me, and for many others, it continues to be such a source of fascination. We see it all from the grandeur to the enormous cost to all involved. This is a book I highly recommend to lovers of all things ancient Egyptian.

‘My imagination runs riot wondering what the common people who see my monument in the years to come will say. Beware of saying I know not, I know not why this was made and a mountain fashioned entirely from gold like an everyday event I swear as Re loves me, as my father Amun favours me shall be eternal like the star that never sets.’
~ Hatshepsut, on her obelisks at Karnak ~




This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

[Jonathon McKenney · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I had a good ancient Egypt read, so this felt like slipping into a comfy pair of old sweatpants. What a read! Eminently readable, each chapter short enough to feel quick but long enough to not feel like I could read this on Wikipedia. Bedoyere makes it clear how little we actually know about these pharaohs and their stories while emphasising the incredible fact that we know anything at all about them. Most interesting trend I learnt was the fact that Akhenaten WAS a rupture from the past, no doubt, but he was a natural outgrowth from the dynasty’s divine rights and pushback against the Amun cult. The Armana period always reads like a novel, and this was no exception. Absolutely loved this book

[Tamsyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good, full of info.

But the asides and digs at others’ theories got a bit annoying - all good to criticise but maybe de-snarkify it, since this wasn’t meant to be a funny book? and some of the prose got a bit purple.

[Chrisorc · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author was aware of the dumb theories about the pharaohs that was commonplace before the 20th century but was too proud to repeat them here. I wish he would dunk more on those, it was great fun when he did.

I would not recommend the book even if it does what it says on the tin. Ancient history is more archeology than true history. Not my cup of tea.

[kaitlyns_library · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a massive fan of Ancient Egypt (and it’s one of the subjects in history I love to teach), so I had to pick up this book!
I really like delving into this book and get more of a knowledge about this ancient civilisation, especially when I already know some things, but want to know more.
I find it so fascinating how much Ancient Egypt has left a legacy in our world, which this author reflected throughout.
However, whilst I appreciate the writing style of the author, the chapters were quite lengthy and I did, at times, become disengaged.
I do appreciate the complexities of trying to uncover the past, highlighting the issues with translating language and texts that are no longer present in our societies.
Something that annoys me with historical non-fiction books: images being placed in the middle of a sentence. Why can’t the images be placed between chapters or after a sentence ends? It makes me forget the sentence as I’m too busy looking at the images.
If you’re an avid lover of history and enjoy the wordiness that comes from non-fiction books, I definitely recommend it.

[Donna Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meticulous research makes for a very entertaining read about the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt .Everyone knows about Tutankhamen but he was one of the least interesting characters in this dynasty . My personal favourite was the amazing female Pharaoh Hatshepsut.They left us art ,temples and tombs but all at the cost of thousands of slaves and ordinary people .

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This book covers the 18th dynasty of ancient Egypt - arguably the most interesting and controversial. It includes two female pharaohs (Hatshepsut and Neferneferuaten), a heretic monotheist (Akhenaten), the woman whose face is perhaps the most well known in the modern world (Nefertiti) and second only to the fame of one of the last pharaohs of the era: Tutankhamun. The dynasty may have ended in a whimper with Pharaoh Horemheb - but he would then set the stage for the 19th dynasty Ramesses with the adoption of his son and heir, Ramses 1. So there is clearly a wealth of very interesting characters here.

The book is presented chronologically, starting with the founding of the dynasty by Ahmose after he ejects the foreign invaders and establishes a unified Egypt again. After Ahmose we have the Thumoses and Amenhoteps who increased Egypt's wealth and power in their reigns. The author presents the known information about each of those individuals, giving insights into their conquests and power, monuments and proclamations. Along the way, viziers and other important individuals who left history or monuments in their tombs listing their services to their pharaoh(s) pop up to provide more detail. It isn't just about the royalty - we also learn about others in the society, especially from those wealthy enough to have tombs.

The book definitely has the author's personality throughout. Although he speculates less than many and instead focuses on presenting the various theories and evidences behind them (e.g., who were Tutankhamun's parents? How did the Egyptians view Hatshepsut? Was Amenhotep III dominated by his powerful wife Tiye? etc.). But the continual themes throughout the book are a) the pharaohs and noblemen were narcissistic, callous, and unconscionable while b) there really is too much uncertainty over 'facts' since all we have are propaganda pieces (e.g., stele describing victories that the Pharaoh likely never even participated in) and that the pharoahs all usurped each other's histories. It was almost comical how many times it was mentioned that this later pharaoh or that later Pharaoh chipped out predecessors' names on monuments and put their own on it (same with funerary items). Even Tutankamun's tomb was fully of items that were not originally his nor intended for him - and were likely Nefertiti's, Neferneferuaten's, Meritaten's, Smenkare's, or even Queen Tiye's.

This dynasty is rather unique since it had players who regularly broke with tradition - a move that sent their heirs scrambling to write them out of history once they died (chiseling out their faces, names, and destroying anything they did or built). It means there are rulers whose names we have references to but very little else (Meritaten, Neferneferuaten, Smenkare, etc.). But it gave us people like Hatshepsut who held power away from her nephew and heir by usurping his throne and also Akehnaten - who broke from the Egyptian pantheon and created a new city and cult around one god, Aten.

The author really wants you to know that this was a terrible time to be alive, the common people were treated poorly, the slaves were brutalized, the pharaohs built monuments and spent money without regard to the country's health or the people's happiness, and that these were all terrible people. You have to get past those sections a lot - the author REALLY wants to make sure you don't overidealize, respect, or idolize these pharaohs.

In all, it is an interesting read. There are images and drawings that help with the descriptions. Since stele outlining battle campaigns are often found and remain to today, there is a lot in the book about endless wars and battles that can get old pretty fast. But they are considered a part of the historical record so they are included - with the caveat that it is highly unlikely the pharaohs were either as skilled at warfare as depicted nor likely even was at any of the battles they were portrayed as gloriously crushing. I especially appreciated all the different theories being presented rather than just standing behind one. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Reason Restored · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF: I tried, I really did! The book began with a sort of slap in the face to all who held any reverence for the story of Ancient Egypt.
A quite aggressive and disrespectful take down of any notions that the Egyptians were to be admired let alone revered, contextualising them as just another self serving colonial Empire of shocking brutality, whose wealth was built on slavery and who plundered their conquests only to expand the wealth and prestige of the Pharonic families. Seen through the lens of 2025 this may all be true, but its a reductive and myopic way to tell a story of one of the greatest civilisations ever known to us.
Had this preface been in service of a rollicking good tale of the rise and fall of the evil empire, it might have been justified. It was not.
The writer chooses a particular Dynasty, and if he may have explained why, I have forgotten it already. It seems entirely arbitrary.
Essentially what follows is a great deal of properly researched archeological insight, shared in a rather glib manner suggesting a proper disdain for these undemocratic types from yesteryear in thrall to their own lies (mythologies etc).
What it never does in the 40-50% i read, is amount to a narrative story in any way. There is nothing to really bind these endless insights. Nothing to draw one in and hold one’s attention. It almost feels like an index to academic studies that exist elsewhere. Perhaps the snide dismissals of the prologue should have been kept for an epilogue? Perhaps there is a wonderful epilogue, but I will never know. I just cant face the grinding out of any more opaque genealogical references or caveated perspectives on some half-clue to who these people were. Either we know enough to tell a story or we don’t. It may be that the weakness is in the source material’s but i doubt it. Ive read much of English history in what was until very recently always referred to as The Dark Ages (because of the absolute scarcity of documentary records) , but more than one author managed to weave a narrative that brought the peoples to vivid life, so I suspect it is this author’s failure.
As a friend of mine says, no regrets, but life’s too short

[Shrike58 · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I can't quite remember precisely when now, I can remember how Akhenaten went from being seen as a visionary figure, to being regarded as a terror akin to Pol Pot. This got filed away with the notion that there was a thesis for an aspiring cultural historian about the propensity of thinkers who were products of the late British Empire to turn the leaders any ancient political system they didn't understand (Amarna, Minos, Classical Maya) into philosopher kings, when the truth turned out to be very different.

That brings us to this book, which is my first exposure to the author. De la Bedoyere provides the reader with a systematic examination of the glittering Egyptian 18th Dynasty, whose founders returned Egypt to great power status by breaking the Hyksos polity in the Nile delta, and then going from strength to strength, until the polity nearly crashed out due to the ineffective trio of Amenhotep III, Akhenaten, and Tutankhamun. One can't help but think about the Spanish Habsburgs, as the 18th Dynasty was as addicted to incestuous marriages to consolidate power, until they biologically flamed out with Tut.

Still, having said all that, I mostly came to this book for a contemporary take on Akhenaten and, to a certain degree, de la Bedoyere concludes that the Amarna Man mostly just practiced the same predatory processes as his whole dynasty, demanding more and more of his people and neighbors to create a grandiose platform for his own glory. The image that de la Bedoyere gives is of a very self-centered individual who bought too much into his own propaganda, and really never thought through his own religious program; probably egged on by Nefertiti. In the end the whole mess was cleaned up by Horemheb the experienced general who set the stage for the 19th Dynasty. Who knows? Maybe this is even a correct take; the source material is very, very thin.

What de la Bedoyere really leaves me with is his close analysis of what we know about these people and does so with clear-eyed skepticism. How much you like this work will depend on how much you take to de la Bedoyere's dryly acerbic tone.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I checked this hardcover out of my library.

Brief Summary: This book examines the Pharohs and consorts of Egypt's 18th Dynasty. De la Bédoyère explores the political, environmental, and familial aspects of each reign of the dynasty providing important context for the known primary evidence.

Thoughts: I absolutely loved this book. It painted an engrossing and detailed picture of the 18th dynasty and I barely put it down once I began reading. De la Bédoyère makes the complexities of ancient Egyptian politics accessible to the reader.

During each reign of the dynasty, multiple players needed to be discussed and de la Bédoyère made it clear who was a member of the royal family and who was a political advisor. Given the sheer amount of information to get through it is a testament to both de la Bédoyère's writing and the formatting of this book that I was never confused by what was going on.

My favourite parts of the book were the discussion of Hatshepsut and Nefertiti. De la Bedoyere's discussion of Hatshepsut and her rule as the first female king of Egypt was nuanced and provided primary evidence that was interesting to read. I also found it fascinating how he used the sources to argue for Nefertiti's life and possible rule after the death of her husband. I also thought the discussion about how Akhenaten and Nefertiti's reign impacted Tutankhamun's decisions during his brief reign.

I highly recommend this book to general and Egyptian history lovers.

Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

[Tahlia Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guy de la Bedoyérè has done it again! This book is very readable and makes a point of being as unbiased as possible, which is a breath of fresh air after reading other books on the 18th Dynasty that are anything but unbiased. He is clear on what cannot be known and what can be surmised with some level of certainty. What I enjoyed just as much as the pointed effort not to interpret artifacts to fit an agenda, was the scholarly snark toward Egyptologists more focused on proving their pet theory than considering other possible interpretations of that which has passed down to us from the 18th Dynasty. This is a book where you don’t want to miss the endnote. You can still get a great grasp for the topic explained in unbiased way by reading only the main text. But there is so much richness missed in the endnotes if you do, including some of the best scholarly snark. In the endnotes, Bedoyérè includes website addresses to his sources where he can, including a really cool source where you can experience a 3D interactive virtual tour of a couple of the tombs. The tours of Ay and Horemheb are well worth experiencing… and were something I would not have gotten to experience except for this book. This book is easily a 5-star read for me and I could easily see myself rereading it in the future. This is probably my favorite book on ancient Egypt to date; I can’t rate it high enough. “Domina” and “Praetorian” made me realize that I enjoy Bedoyérè’s work; “Pharaohs of the Sun” has made me a hardcore Bedoyérè fan.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

According to the title i was expecting an informative book about the family of Tutankhamun and the end of the XVIII dynasty.
I got a well researched, informative, and engaging story of the XVII dynasty since it started.
I loved how the author analyzed the different pharaos and, to be honest, Tutankhamun is the less interesting and his ancestors were quite an interesting group of people. Hatshepsut, Amenophi II or Akhenaten anyone ?
100 years ago Carter discovered the most famous tombs and made Tutankhamun famous.
This book is an excellent way to discovered his formidable family
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

[Paul Convery · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

A great overview of Egypt's 18th dynasty which is very approachable while still offering plenty of detailed insight into the period and its ruling elite.

In the opening chapter Guy de la Bédoyère takes time to explain the difficulties in establishing the real knowable facts in Egyptology. Between lost or damaged source material, mistranslations which can be by mistake or people trying to place their own interpretations into the source, or the simple fact that our knowledge of the Egyptian language and its development is a lot more limited than people may think. This plays a key role in the rest of the book.

[GBL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guy de la Beyodere explores the fascinating 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt in this detailed history of the period.

The author moves chronologically through the period with a chapter on each of the pharaohs of the Dynasty. He is open and honest about many of the problems surrounding the events of the period and is sceptical about many of the theories built upon a desire to make the evidence fit the theory. His writing is clear and accessible and he guides the reader through the complex relationships that underpin the historical narrative.

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely one of my favorite books of the year! I love anything to do with Egyptian history, and this book details aspects of the pharaohs, their reigns, and the turmoil and conflicts they were dealing with.

Masterfully put together, this book is a bit overwhelming at times with the information, so those not completely familiar with Egyptian history may feel overwhelmed. I could not put this one down!

[Rik · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those that spends as much time explaining what isn't known and what ia uncertain as what is accepted. This is a great book with an exceptional level of detail, it doesn't feel like a popular book for the masses but a more scholarly work. It walks right up to line of being dry but never crosses it and remains on the brink throughout. There's an air of cynism about the thing too and the author is not going to romanticise the subject in the slightest. Really great book.

[Ernest Spoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book could be subtitled "A Skeptic's Guide to Egypt's 18th Dynasty" as evidenced by author de la Bedoyere's asides and quizzical comments on what many have held as established fact for decades. I guess, however, skepticism serves best when dealing with a civilization and kings so long dead that the Roman Empire seems contemporary by contrast.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brisk, very well-written and accessible introduction to this intriguing period of history, with reference to recent research, and with some attention to the unreliability of the written language. The fragmented nature of the available material is frequently addressed, with no loss of clarity. Useful additional guides to pronunciation and to the (often hypothetical) timeline. It is certainly useful to think about how little we really know, even about much more recent and well-documented societies.

[Lindy High · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is more for scholars than casual readers. Its subtitle — Tutankhamun’s dynasty — seems a bit off since he was neither the longest-reigning nor the most interesting king. Still, for serious readers, the book would be a treasure trove.

[Katrina Gilles · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75, it's definitely slow and name- heavy, but still really interesting and I empire reading it. There is plenty of conjecture, but the author is upfront about it as these people lived so long ago and in such a different culture than we are used to so things are not recorded as we do now.

[Liza Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable look at a period of Egyptian history I hadn’t studied since High School, amazing how much I’d forgotten. I like the way he writes, it kept me very invested in finishing the book

[Penny · Rating 2 out of 5]

This an expanded thesis sprinkled with numerous warnings about how very little we know for certain about ancient Egypt.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A weighty history text, but still very readable as it covers so much ground about this fascinating dynasty.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book was a good read, the second half - starting with Achnaton - was a nearly unreadable bore.

[A.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting, but harder to wrap my head around the Egyptians than the Romans and Greeks.