Egyptian Pharoahs

by Martin Howard

From the Jacket "Almost two-and-a-half thousand years after the death of Queen Cleopatra, Ancient Egypt's rulers still fascinate us more than any other line of kings and queens in history. The scale of the monuments they raised has never been surpassed and many of the mysteries they embodied still elude us today. For three thousand years these mighty monarchs reigned over a complex culture with complete authority, holding the power of life and death over all citizens, and claiming kinship to the gods themselves. Illustrated throughout with superb photographs of relics and monuments, this book is a historical journey through the lives and time os the pharaohs. From the earliest, almost mythical, kings who united Lower and Upper Egypt, through the great monarchs whose names still chime down the eons - such as Ramesses the Great, Akhenaten, Tutankhamun, Cleopatra - to those less well known, but no less significant, it details three thousand years of wonder...."

Genres: History, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Randee · Rating 5 out of 5]

32 dynasties from first to last with a short synopsis on each of their pharaohs. Some interesting pictures too. This is a handy reference book when you forget which Pharaoh ruled a specific period in time. An excellent addition to my ancient Egypt collection.

[Sonia Lowry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book may only be 196 pages but it is one of the most detailed books that I ever read. If you want a detailed summary of the Egyptian Pharaohs this is the book to get. It documents all of the Pharaohs from the first ever known Narmer in 5150 BC to Cleopatra son, Caesarion which ended in 30 BC. It talks about how the country of Egypt became developed before the Pharaohs. It talks about the Politics, what each Pharaoh achieved and lost, the religious and the political climate of each of the kings.

It also talks in detail about how art, music and trade from other countries help influence the rise and fall of the Egyptian empire. It packs a lot of knowledge in this short book and it is a book that will continue to be a good reference book no matter how many other books you use to study Egyptian culture. It one of the best that is out there.

[Naomi Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book goes in approximate chronological order of Egyptian pharaohs via mini bios of each pharaoh. I can't speak to how accurate it is, but there are some great photos and I felt like it gave a good general overview to get an idea of the timeline of events - but I would recommend reading beyond this for more information. There were some editorial mistakes that made me question the validity of some of the information that was being presented.

[Mark]

I wanted to like this book. It's a good size, attractively designed, and clearly written. Unfortunately, it was not written by (or edited by) anyone with a truly close knowledge of Ancient Egyptian history, and there is an uncomfortably large number of factual errors. The author, evidently an author of children's books, can write well, but needed a collaborator with a better grounding in Egyptology. Skip this one and go with Peter Clayton's "Chronicle of the Pharaohs" instead.