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Tutankhamun - Pharaoh, Icon, Enigma: Ten Tales of Egypt's Enduring King
A hundred years ago, a team of archaeologists in the Valley of the Kings made a remarkable discovery: a near-complete royal burial, an ancient mummy, and golden riches beyond imagination. The lost tomb of Tutankhamun ignited a media frenzy, propelled into overdrive by rumours of a deadly ancient curse. But amid the hysteria, many stories - including that of Tutankhamun himself - were distorted or forgotten.
Tutankhamun: Pharaoh, Icon, Enigma takes a familiar tale and turns on its head. Leading Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley has gathered ten unique perspectives together for the first time: that of the teenage pharaoh and his family, ancient embalmers and tomb robbers, famous Western explorers and forgotten Egyptian archaeologists. It's a journey that spans from ancient Thebes in 1336 BCE - when a young king on a mission to restore his land met an unexpected and violent end - to modern Luxor in 1922 CE - as the tomb's discovery led to a fight over ownership that continues to this day.
Above all, this is the story of Tutankhamun, as he would have wanted to be remembered. Piecing together three thousand years of evidence and unpicking the misunderstandings that surround Egypt's most famous king, this book offers a vital reappraisal on his life, death and enduring legacy.
Tutankhamun: Pharaoh, Icon, Enigma takes a familiar tale and turns on its head. Leading Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley has gathered ten unique perspectives together for the first time: that of the teenage pharaoh and his family, ancient embalmers and tomb robbers, famous Western explorers and forgotten Egyptian archaeologists. It's a journey that spans from ancient Thebes in 1336 BCE - when a young king on a mission to restore his land met an unexpected and violent end - to modern Luxor in 1922 CE - as the tomb's discovery led to a fight over ownership that continues to this day.
Above all, this is the story of Tutankhamun, as he would have wanted to be remembered. Piecing together three thousand years of evidence and unpicking the misunderstandings that surround Egypt's most famous king, this book offers a vital reappraisal on his life, death and enduring legacy.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2022
24 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
Joyce A. Tyldesley
34 books166 followersJoyce Tyldesley is a British archaeologist and Egyptologist, academic, writer and broadcaster.
Tyldesley was born in Bolton, Lancashire and attended Bolton School. In 1981, she earned a first-class honours degree in archaeology from Liverpool University, and a doctorate in Prehistoric Archaeology from Oxford in 1986. She is a Teaching Fellow at Manchester University where she is tutor and course organiser of the three-year distance learning (internet based) Certificate in Egyptology programme run from the KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology.
She is an Honorary Research Fellow at the School of Archaeology, Classics, and Egyptology at Liverpool University, an ex-trustee of the Egypt Exploration Society, Chairperson of Bolton Archaeology and Egyptology Society, and a trustee of Chowbent Chapel.
In 2004 she established, with Steven Snape of Rutherford Press Limited, a publishing firm dedicated to publishing serious but accessible books on ancient Egypt while raising money for Egyptology field work. Donations from RPL have been made to Manchester Museum and the Egypt Exploration Society: currently all profits are donated to the ongoing fieldwork at Zawiyet umm el-Rakham.
She is married with two children to Egyptologist Steven Snape and lives in Lancashire.
Tyldesley was born in Bolton, Lancashire and attended Bolton School. In 1981, she earned a first-class honours degree in archaeology from Liverpool University, and a doctorate in Prehistoric Archaeology from Oxford in 1986. She is a Teaching Fellow at Manchester University where she is tutor and course organiser of the three-year distance learning (internet based) Certificate in Egyptology programme run from the KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology.
She is an Honorary Research Fellow at the School of Archaeology, Classics, and Egyptology at Liverpool University, an ex-trustee of the Egypt Exploration Society, Chairperson of Bolton Archaeology and Egyptology Society, and a trustee of Chowbent Chapel.
In 2004 she established, with Steven Snape of Rutherford Press Limited, a publishing firm dedicated to publishing serious but accessible books on ancient Egypt while raising money for Egyptology field work. Donations from RPL have been made to Manchester Museum and the Egypt Exploration Society: currently all profits are donated to the ongoing fieldwork at Zawiyet umm el-Rakham.
She is married with two children to Egyptologist Steven Snape and lives in Lancashire.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 6, 2022
Joyce Tyldesley is a new author and Egyptologist to me but when I saw this book of hers at the bookstore I just knew I had to buy it and read it as soon as possible. And guess what? It turned out to be beyond amazing! In fact, it went to the top of the list of my favorite books that involve ancient Egypt. Since this year it's been 100 years since the tomb of Tutankhamun has been rediscovered there are probably a lot of books that have come out or are coming out soon but I really would highly recommend this one. I loved it so damn much!
The book is basically divided into two parts. Part one is called Thebes 1336 BCE and it goes into a lot of aspects of Tutankhamun's life like his family and early life, his (short) life as pharaoh of Egypt and details of how he was prepared for his afterlife but also about his sister-wife Ankhesenpaaten. The second part is called Luxor 1922 CE and goes into the search for lost kings and of course the rediscovery of Tutankhamun's tomb + so much more. It was all highly fascinating and it was always so hard to stop reading because I never wanted to put the book down. It was that good.
Initially I thought part one would be the part I'd be the most interested in but I was surprised by how much I also enjoyed part two as well. There were a lot of interesting things with the tomb discovery and the aftermath of it all and how views on it all have changed so much over the years.
I also saw that Joyce Tyldesley has written a bunch of other books that I'm very interested in to read. She's written books about Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, Cleopatra, myths and legends of ancient Egypt and many more. So more reviews of her books may be coming sometime soon!
The book is basically divided into two parts. Part one is called Thebes 1336 BCE and it goes into a lot of aspects of Tutankhamun's life like his family and early life, his (short) life as pharaoh of Egypt and details of how he was prepared for his afterlife but also about his sister-wife Ankhesenpaaten. The second part is called Luxor 1922 CE and goes into the search for lost kings and of course the rediscovery of Tutankhamun's tomb + so much more. It was all highly fascinating and it was always so hard to stop reading because I never wanted to put the book down. It was that good.
Initially I thought part one would be the part I'd be the most interested in but I was surprised by how much I also enjoyed part two as well. There were a lot of interesting things with the tomb discovery and the aftermath of it all and how views on it all have changed so much over the years.
I also saw that Joyce Tyldesley has written a bunch of other books that I'm very interested in to read. She's written books about Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, Cleopatra, myths and legends of ancient Egypt and many more. So more reviews of her books may be coming sometime soon!
January 10, 2025
Сподобалося, що науковиця не тільки подала серйозний матеріал, але й приділила увагу різним байкам, як-от прокляттю Тутанхамона. Завжди цікаво читати спростування коспірологічних теорій, водночас відчуваючи легкий тремор від факту, що лорд-меценат розкопок гробниці Тутанхамона помер у Луксорі від маленького укусу комарика, а його головний археолог втратив на розкопках улюблену канарку від укусу кобри, яка пробралася в клітку, - це при тому, що декоративна кобра містилася на чолі мумії Тутанхамона, охороняючи його для вічності від будь-яких посягань з боку світу живих, як-от безбожників-археологів. Словом, читалося захопливо, моторошно (скрупульозні розділи про процедуру муміфікації - наче детективи Беккета з його дбайливим ставленням до розкладених тіл) і весело, особливо коли свої 'експертні' думки з приводу прокляття Туттанхамона висловлювали Артур Конан Дойл, Генрі Райдер Гаґґард (той, хто писав пригоди про "Доньку Монтессуми") й популярна авторка готичних романів.
Не дуже весело читати, як єгиптян усунули від розкопок, досліджень і навіть висвітлення відкриттів у гробниці фараона у пресі. Не кажучи про те, що найцінніші артефакти з гробниці Тутанхамона британці-розкопники продали Метрополітен Музею.
Не дуже весело читати, як єгиптян усунули від розкопок, досліджень і навіть висвітлення відкриттів у гробниці фараона у пресі. Не кажучи про те, що найцінніші артефакти з гробниці Тутанхамона британці-розкопники продали Метрополітен Музею.
August 13, 2025
De beste detectives zijn boeken over Oude Geschiedenis
March 25, 2023
An amazing non biased history of his life and death.
March 19, 2024
As a complete layman of Egyptology (my niche of history runs more to 18th century literature, I know less of ancient stuff :'] ) this was such a brilliant read. Joyce Tyldesley presented everything needed to know about Tutankhamun, his discovery and more. I loved reading about Ankhesenamun especially. New item added to the bucket list: meet professor Joyce Tyldesley.
January 14, 2023
A fascinating and enjoyable account by Egyptologist Prof Joyce Tyldesley of Egypt's most famous king, Tutankhamun. Tracing the history and unpicking the legends, rumours and opinions of other archaeologists, Tyldesley's book spans a long period of three thousand years from ancient Thebes in 1336 BCE to Luxor in 1922. This is an interesting and thought-provoking book that includes some excellent photographs.
August 27, 2025
I've read articles and watched documentaries about Tutankhamun, but never read a book. I picked this one up thinking it was high time I changed that.
The Topic
Egyptologist Joyce A. Tyldesley takes a clever approach to telling Tut's story. This is because there is a lot we just don't know about him so she couldn't have written the book as a biography.
She tells the tale from the perspective of different 'characters' including Tut himself, the undertaker who embalmed him, all the way to the journalist who got exclusive rights to photograph his tomb once it was opened. This made the book more creative than others I've read about Ancient Egypt.
The Information
I appreciate that Tyldesley tries to stay as factual as possible even though it ruins the story most people associate with Tutankhamun. That was her point though - a lot of gaps in his life have been filled by logical assumptions, some of which don't have solid evidence to stand on. For example, the book talks about Akhenaten as Tut's father, but also considers it might make more sense for Smenkhare to have fathered him.
In doing this again and again - discussing popular beliefs and showing the evidence for and against them - the author successfully puts a spotlight on what we can be sure of rather than what might just be fiction. Spoiler alert: we can be sure of a lot less than you think.
There is also a detailed summary of the drama that surrounded the discovery of his tomb and the consequent examination of its contents. I didn't know much about this and I was both entertained and horrified to read about all the squabbles that occurred over his mummy and goods.
Writing Style
While this book has obviously been written by an academic (perhaps with the help of a ghostwriter), it's not as dry as other history books. I liked that Tyldesley mentions her own theories and beliefs without insisting they are correct. There is also an element of storytelling at the beginning of each chapter which challenges you to imagine for a few moments the 'character' whose point of view you're about to hear.
Final Thoughts
I recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about Tutankhamun from an unbiased and factual source. Just be warned that the book is so factual, it will leave you with more questions than answers. On a scale from 1 to 10, I'll give it a 7.
The Topic
Egyptologist Joyce A. Tyldesley takes a clever approach to telling Tut's story. This is because there is a lot we just don't know about him so she couldn't have written the book as a biography.
She tells the tale from the perspective of different 'characters' including Tut himself, the undertaker who embalmed him, all the way to the journalist who got exclusive rights to photograph his tomb once it was opened. This made the book more creative than others I've read about Ancient Egypt.
The Information
I appreciate that Tyldesley tries to stay as factual as possible even though it ruins the story most people associate with Tutankhamun. That was her point though - a lot of gaps in his life have been filled by logical assumptions, some of which don't have solid evidence to stand on. For example, the book talks about Akhenaten as Tut's father, but also considers it might make more sense for Smenkhare to have fathered him.
In doing this again and again - discussing popular beliefs and showing the evidence for and against them - the author successfully puts a spotlight on what we can be sure of rather than what might just be fiction. Spoiler alert: we can be sure of a lot less than you think.
There is also a detailed summary of the drama that surrounded the discovery of his tomb and the consequent examination of its contents. I didn't know much about this and I was both entertained and horrified to read about all the squabbles that occurred over his mummy and goods.
Writing Style
While this book has obviously been written by an academic (perhaps with the help of a ghostwriter), it's not as dry as other history books. I liked that Tyldesley mentions her own theories and beliefs without insisting they are correct. There is also an element of storytelling at the beginning of each chapter which challenges you to imagine for a few moments the 'character' whose point of view you're about to hear.
Final Thoughts
I recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about Tutankhamun from an unbiased and factual source. Just be warned that the book is so factual, it will leave you with more questions than answers. On a scale from 1 to 10, I'll give it a 7.
January 9, 2023
Written to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, Joyce Tyldesley's 'Tutankhamun: Pharaoh. Icon. Enigma' is an interesting addition to the scholarship surrounding the life, reign and death of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.
The book tells the familiar story through ten different perspectives including that of the teenage pharaoh and his family, ancient embalmers and tomb robbers, famous Western explorers and forgotten Egyptian archaeologists.
I have read a lot about Tutankhamun yet I still came away from this book having learnt a few new things. Furthermore, Tyldesley does a fantastic job in reconstructing a portrait of Tutankhamun, the way he would want to be remembered.
The book tells the familiar story through ten different perspectives including that of the teenage pharaoh and his family, ancient embalmers and tomb robbers, famous Western explorers and forgotten Egyptian archaeologists.
I have read a lot about Tutankhamun yet I still came away from this book having learnt a few new things. Furthermore, Tyldesley does a fantastic job in reconstructing a portrait of Tutankhamun, the way he would want to be remembered.
April 8, 2023
a pessoa foi só uma - mas há (pelo menos) dois faraós com este nome. um é aquele cujo túmulo foi descoberto há cem anos e que, como nenhum outro, deu origem a mitos, lendas, maldições e fez da egiptologia muito daquilo que é actualmente. porém, há outro: aquele que viveu há mais de três mil anos e reinou inesperadamente no egipto. é sobre a vida deste último que a autora desvenda mistérios e propõe hipóteses, numa narrativa fascinante.
February 18, 2023
An interesting read and yet confusing in that there are so many unanswered questions and assumptions. With so many name changes it gets a tad confusing as to who is who and who is related to who. At the very least I learned a bit more about what goes into the rituals in preparing bodies for mummification and the challenges when discovering a tomb with regard to rules and regulations of Egypt.
May 28, 2025
Un libro muy interesante de los muchísimos que hay publicados sobre Tutankamón, incluidos varios de la misma autora.
Dentro de todo lo que hay para elegir sobre el tema esta es una opción recomendable, que se lee bien y rápido y que sintetiza todo lo que hay que saber, tanto de la época del rey como del descubrimiento de su tumba.
Dentro de todo lo que hay para elegir sobre el tema esta es una opción recomendable, que se lee bien y rápido y que sintetiza todo lo que hay que saber, tanto de la época del rey como del descubrimiento de su tumba.
January 12, 2025
Well written summary of the authors many years teaching and learning about Egypt and Tutankhamun.
February 17, 2025
Am amazing book, kept me gripped all the way from start to finish
September 25, 2023
--- "Several of her images were clumsily altered so that they depicted Princess Meritaten, and her inscriptions on the Maru Aten sunshade temple wall were overwritten so that they, too, referenced Akhenaten’s oldest daughter. This seems a curious way of treating a favoured wife. It only makes sense when we realise that the alterations are not intended to be read as sign of royal displeasure. In fact, they are not intended to be noticed at all. They are a practical if unsubtle response to the fact that Kiya’s vital religious role has passed to Meritaten." (Tyldesley: 42)
--- "Dictators routinely erect large statues to celebrate themselves, but this plethora of royal images reflects more than a simple desire to dominate the cityscape. As the old gods are relegated, Akhenaten is reassigning the roles formerly held by the traditional solar deities." (Tyldesley: 120)
--- "Tutankhamun’s tomb, with its evidence of at least two ancient robberies, would class as a tomb that had ‘already been searched’; Carnarvon would therefore be able to claim a share of its contents. This has prompted some to suggest that perhaps the evidence for the ancient robberies – the damage to the doors, the tunnel through the chip-filled passageway, the disorder within the tomb and a collection of gold rings tied up in a linen cloth – is less clear-cut than Carter would have us believe." (Tyldesley: 229)
This book talks about Tutankhamun and his tomb from different points of view, including that of one of his wives or that of the robbers. Each chapter provides a different moment in the history of Tutankhamun and his tomb.
One of the things I find about Joyce's style of writing is that she does not acknowledge enough her ideas/theories, especially in a book like this where so many ideas are given. She claims in the introduction to be putting forward ideas of her own but when you read throughout the text these are not stated clearly. She should use the I-persona more often to ensure her voice is heard. In my opinion that could make her book sound more assertive.
As for the contents in the book, I think they are quite original. The book shows the importance of a woman in the discovery of Tutankhamun and predicts what may have happened if more women had been allowed to take part more actively. The book offers a variety of theories for some issues and the book is not afraid to criticise popular ideas. But I felt certain ideas could have been explained better or were ill-conceived in my opinion (including that of the broken nose or the fact that some images in the tomb were intended to be seen).
--- "Dictators routinely erect large statues to celebrate themselves, but this plethora of royal images reflects more than a simple desire to dominate the cityscape. As the old gods are relegated, Akhenaten is reassigning the roles formerly held by the traditional solar deities." (Tyldesley: 120)
--- "Tutankhamun’s tomb, with its evidence of at least two ancient robberies, would class as a tomb that had ‘already been searched’; Carnarvon would therefore be able to claim a share of its contents. This has prompted some to suggest that perhaps the evidence for the ancient robberies – the damage to the doors, the tunnel through the chip-filled passageway, the disorder within the tomb and a collection of gold rings tied up in a linen cloth – is less clear-cut than Carter would have us believe." (Tyldesley: 229)
This book talks about Tutankhamun and his tomb from different points of view, including that of one of his wives or that of the robbers. Each chapter provides a different moment in the history of Tutankhamun and his tomb.
One of the things I find about Joyce's style of writing is that she does not acknowledge enough her ideas/theories, especially in a book like this where so many ideas are given. She claims in the introduction to be putting forward ideas of her own but when you read throughout the text these are not stated clearly. She should use the I-persona more often to ensure her voice is heard. In my opinion that could make her book sound more assertive.
As for the contents in the book, I think they are quite original. The book shows the importance of a woman in the discovery of Tutankhamun and predicts what may have happened if more women had been allowed to take part more actively. The book offers a variety of theories for some issues and the book is not afraid to criticise popular ideas. But I felt certain ideas could have been explained better or were ill-conceived in my opinion (including that of the broken nose or the fact that some images in the tomb were intended to be seen).
March 21, 2025
I've always loved history, ever since I was captivated by a former teacher. I recall that he was able to weave valuable information into the exciting threads of tidbits and unbelievable notions.
This book does just that. Joyce writes in a wave pattern of knowledge and intruige as though she is walking toward a tomb with a lit torch in her hand.
I think people sometimes have a hard time separting history from fiction. They look at a pharaoh and see them as no more real as Tinkerbell...
This book separated that notion for me. She not only tells us of these grand kings of Egypt but also their humanity. When writing about his autopsy, I genuinely began to think of Tutankhamen as a human being and that is important. History is real and far more fascinating than any fairytale.
One of the best books I've ever read
This book does just that. Joyce writes in a wave pattern of knowledge and intruige as though she is walking toward a tomb with a lit torch in her hand.
I think people sometimes have a hard time separting history from fiction. They look at a pharaoh and see them as no more real as Tinkerbell...
This book separated that notion for me. She not only tells us of these grand kings of Egypt but also their humanity. When writing about his autopsy, I genuinely began to think of Tutankhamen as a human being and that is important. History is real and far more fascinating than any fairytale.
One of the best books I've ever read
March 6, 2023
Li na edição portuguesa, embora não a tenha encontrado aqui no Goodreads e por isso tive que escolher esta. Se por acaso alguém a encontrar, fico grata.
A tradução portuguesa é das Edições 70, e, tal como aconteceu com outros livros da mesma editora, o conteúdo é prejudicado pela tradução deficiente e uma revisão muito desleixada.
Apesar disso, e do horrível (des)acordo, que permite escrever os egípcios no Egito, é um livro muito bom, aos desmitificar vários mitos que foram sendo difundidos nestes cem anos. A premissa de que parte a autora, uma egiptóloga, é a do princípio da navalha de Ochkam: a explicação mais simples é a mais provável. Por isso, dá a conhecer ao leitor as provas arqueológicas e históricas, e discute as hipóteses de interpretação possíveis e mais pertinentes.
A tradução portuguesa é das Edições 70, e, tal como aconteceu com outros livros da mesma editora, o conteúdo é prejudicado pela tradução deficiente e uma revisão muito desleixada.
Apesar disso, e do horrível (des)acordo, que permite escrever os egípcios no Egito, é um livro muito bom, aos desmitificar vários mitos que foram sendo difundidos nestes cem anos. A premissa de que parte a autora, uma egiptóloga, é a do princípio da navalha de Ochkam: a explicação mais simples é a mais provável. Por isso, dá a conhecer ao leitor as provas arqueológicas e históricas, e discute as hipóteses de interpretação possíveis e mais pertinentes.
June 9, 2023
Mi amor por el Antiguo Egipto se despertó hace relativamente poco, aunque siempre he sabido que era un país mágico, no sabía mucho más que el nombre de algunos de sus dioses más famosos como Osiris, Ra o Anubis. Por circunstancias, he tenido que profundizar un poco más en mis escasos conocimientos, haciendo hincapié en la figura del faraón niño. Y he de decir que estoy totalmente agradecido de haber dado con este libro, donde la egiptóloga Joyce Tyldesley divulga con pasión la complejidad no sólo de la vida de Tutankamón, sino las dificultados que tuvo Howard Carter una vez localizado tan ansiado hipogeo, tanto a nivel arqueológico y financiero, como a nivel político. Ahora que he terminado esta lectura se me antoja que tengo más dudas que respuestas, lo cual me alegra.
March 4, 2023
Another book discovered from a podcast.
Fascinating but overwhelming.
Fascinating but overwhelming.
July 16, 2023
Really enjoyed reading this. Certainly learned a thing or 2 about King Tut that I didn't know before.
December 9, 2023
Well written with news insights about Tutankhamun. I always learn something new every book I read on Tutankhamun which proves that he remains top of mind subject for Egyptology.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews