Customer Reviews:
Golen Age of the Pharaohs: offical Book of the Exhibition .......2007-09-09
Fantastic book; saved money by purchasing it through Amazon. Shows all the exibits. Very pleased with the book. A fine edition to anyones collection.
Very good book.......2007-09-09
I bought the book before seeing the tour in Philly. The book is very well done, and very good representation of the tour. Beautiful photographs, plus good rich text around the history of the 18th dynasty.
Other reviews talk about the tour, which isn't really what the book is about. The tour was rather crowded, and I was somewhat disappointed that all the objects were small, and no Tut sarcophagus. Very little explanation of the layout, so my son was complaining about the lack of Tut objects; they included many from the 18th dynasty.
I recommend the official DVD, its great; bought it at the show.
yasangel.......2007-08-31
Beautiful book, great pictures. Great to have with you if you get to see exhibit.
Gollden Age of the Pharaohs.......2007-07-16
Purchased in anticipation of the opening of the exhibition in London in November, the book is a mine of information. Not only does Zahi Hawass describe the objects on display, but he places them in context and gives a vivid picture of life in Egypt at the time of Tutankhamun and before his accession to the throne. Not only a great read, a reference for future use and up to Dr Hawass usual enthusiastic and vivid style. A must-have book for anyone interested in Egypt.
absolutly stunning....a once in a life time chance...........2007-07-04
First and formost DO NOT miss the King Tut tour.....the artifatcs are absoutely astounding and incredibly beautiful beyond words..It it truly extremely hard to wrap your mind around that every peice is wll over 3000 yers old. As for the book itself it is nithing short of amazing...caputring the exibit almost in its entirety....but NOTHING compares to seeing the absoultly stunnig tour live...a truly once in a life time experience...after the US tour concludes it it will never leave Cairo again...The book is worth its weight in gold...the awsome photography and articles by renowned archiloghits and her HRH the Queen of Egypt her self...THis tour the book by National Geographic and the Official DVD are some of the greatest gifts ever bestowed opon the world. A gift from the heart of Egypt to the world that will never be go on tour again...A humbling experience live and most interesting reading a msater work indeed...Bravo!!!
Book Description
Reveals the common origins of the ancient Egyptian and Mayan civilizations.
• Shows how these cultures had the ability to gaze into the heavens to predict the future unfolding of humanity and their place within the cosmic order.
• The author's revelations about the Freemasons' connection to this ancient knowledge generated a firestorm of controversy in Europe.
• By the author of the bestseller The Mayan Prophecies.
Maurice Cotterell's background as a scientist, mathematician, and engineer helped him to decipher the code of the ancient Maya, revealing the mystery of their science and religion to an extent never before possible. Using the same techniques, the author turns his attention here to deciphering the secrets encoded within the tomb of Tutankhamun. His extensive research revealed that both the ancient Egyptians and the Maya possessed a sophisticated understanding of sun spot activity and other astronomical phenomena--facts recently confirmed by modern science. Knowledge of the connections between solar patterns and human destiny allowed the Egyptians and Maya to harness the energy generated by the sun to achieve spiritual enlightenment and soul growth.Â
The link between reincarnation and solar energy encoded in the tombs of Tutankhamun and the Mayan Lord Pacal is a jealously guarded secret held by a select number of occult groups, including the higher orders of Freemasonry. The author unleashed a firestorm of controversy in Europe when he exposed much of the esoteric knowledge of the Freemasons, including one of the society's most carefully concealed secrets: incarnate gods like Lord Pacal and Tutankhamun have come to earth to help humans achieve spiritual enlightenment, soul growth, and individual realization as solar beings.Â
Customer Reviews:
I look at the stars at night and my mind just drifts away.......2007-10-08
Amazing, spiritual and full of incredible secrets. I wish I have read this book before I travelled to Egypt and Mexico. I remember the places, but at that time I could not understand all the details and the story behind it. This book explains in such details the way of thinking and planning of little details for future generations to discover the secrets of The Mayan, Tutankhamun Prophecies.
After reading this book, I look at the stars at night and my mind just drifts away.
K Shea.......2004-08-18
Solar flares are the reason behind all our problems and the the world can only be saved by mathamaticians. Aside from the usual "Hey look Mom, I figured out the meaning of the pyramids" stuff that seems to be in all of these esoteric books there is a smacking of truth in amongst all the those calculations. It may not be enough to support some of the theories put forward by Mr. Cotterell but it is certainly food for thought. If you don't mind wading through the math, there are at least 144,000 seperate calculations, then I would reccommend the reading.
The tutankhamon speculations........2004-07-15
The book starts with a short introduction of previous work the author has done regarding the Mayan culture. As he explains, he cracked a secret code the Mayans used to leave messages to future finders. The code involved a jade mask and a lid of a sarcophagus. The author discovered that when one projects images of these mirror onto itself, new pictures form. He presents the readers with his ideas regarding these images and the explanation thereof.
In my opinion, the author makes a few excellent points in this introduction, and I do genuinely believe he really is onto something regarding secret messages and the way to decode them; however I cannot help but feel as if at times the author sees things that really aren't there. He is determined to prove himself right, and thus presents 'evidence' that's at times very meager and very open for discuussion.
After this introduction, the author switches from the Mayans to the Egyptians, and specifically secret messages left in Tutankhamon's tomb in the form of objects. Obviously a great lover of math, he picks a few random objects from the treasure and goes on to analyze them. All their pecurilarities are counted, multiplied, and summed up to always come to the same set of numbers.
Again, I cannot help but feel as if the author is trying to fit everything to his own conclusions. He believes the Tutankhamon is one of the super-gods, just like the Mayan emporer, Buddham and Jesus. He presents his case by referring to the divine number 144,000, and various things that links the Mayan emporer to Tutankhamon (For instance, both are identified with a feathered snake. The Mayan emporer by Quetzeqotl, Tutankhamon by the cobra and the eagle of his crown). Furthermore, he draws a few conclusions that are blatantly speculative in my opinion. As an example, the author quotes a list of known 64 pharaos, noting that neither Achnaton nor Tutankhamon (Achnaton's son) were recorded on this list. Then, he tries proving that a necklace found in the tomb, carrying 64 complete and 2 broken beads, represents this list. This is in my humble opinion, a little far fetched.
The third part of the book starts with an account of a UFO sighting, and moves from energy lines to telepatism, and how freemasons possess secret ancient knowledge. Why this is included in the same book is a puzzle to me; the connection to the 'middle chapter' about Egypt is unclear, and the third part is highly speculative.
All in all, I'd recommend against buying this book. I do fully intend to read the author's other book on the cracking of the Mayan code, but feel as if I gained very little by reading this book; loosely linked theories are presented by the author as solid evidence, and used to prove other theories assumptions he makes. All this leads me to believe the case the author is trying to build is shaky at the best.
Completely Awesome!.......2004-01-08
Serious evolutionist beware! this is the book you have been looking for...Covers so much
A Book That Will Shake Your Senses.......2003-05-25
I bought this book thinking it was reference about the Mayan calendar end date. I was wrong. This book is a totally new revelation of an age-old theory that was concealed within the ancient carvings of two breathtaking civilizations, and a secret society with an agenda not known to anyone. What totally interested me is the sceitific approach Cotterell took in his analysis, and although his methods might seem to some people as intricately improbable, I think that he employed the sciences of maths and physics into an outstanding revelation of ancient knowledge. I think most readers of this genre are true believers that ancient wisdom outmatches our own, and that the knowledge known to our great ancestors will probably never be available to us. So in this fine work of his, Cotterell analysed buildings, tombs, treasures and literature of ancient Maya and Egypt, applying numerous scientific theories and equations to draw on his conclusions. I personally am a big fanatic of ancient civilizations and I believe that the Mayan culture was narrowed down to its calendar, while the secrets within their culture are uncountable. Same goes with the Egyptians who mystified the new world with their culture. The greatest thing about this book is that it attempts to create bonds between its different conclusions, and it never fails to back up any statement with illustrations and scientific proof. By the end of part 1 I was amazed, and although I haven't read Cotterell's first book, The Supergods, this book managed to give me a fair summary of what the previous one concluded. The secret revealed is not anything you would expect. Some might believei it's a simple idea, while I personally believe it's an outstanding revelation. If you're a reader of Zecheria Sitchin, Erich Von Deineken or others in this genre, you will most likely ponder for hours after reading this one.
Average customer rating:
- Good overview of both the discovery process and the treasure
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Tutankhamun: His Tomb and Its Treasures
Iorwerth Eiddon Stephen Edwards
Manufacturer: Random House Inc (T)
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Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs: Official Companion Book to the Exhibition sponsored by National Geographic
ASIN: 0394411706 |
Customer Reviews:
Good overview of both the discovery process and the treasure.......2006-04-20
After reading the latest Amelia Peabody novel, I realized that my cultural consciousness about Carter's discovery of King Tut's tomb was lacking. All I could remember was "Wonderful things," and I think I'd picked up THAT much from a Connie Willis novel. So I took this book out of the library, to get an overview of the facts behind Barbara Peters' novel, and I'm glad I did.
It would have been nice enough to see all the photos of the treasures that Carter found. But what makes this book especially enjoyable is that they are interspersed with photos taken at the time, showing where the original item was found (the tomb looked like a teenager's bedroom, except that the mess was all priceless objects). You get a sense of how the item was discovered, examined, and moved -- not just "oh look at how pretty that is!"
I'm obviously no scholar on the topic, but the book hit what I wanted: a general introduction. I dare say it can do the same for you.
Customer Reviews:
Tut in a Nutshell.......2007-07-07
Though no book is truely a complete examination of the tomb and its contents, Reeves has done an excellent job. Though hardly an exhaustive study, this volume is filled with color and black & white photos Tutankhamun's Tomb: The Thrill of Discovery: Photographs by Harry Burton (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications), line drawings, lists and tables of every room in the tomb. Wine, clothes, boxes, jewelry, statues, seal impressions, ritual devices, etc., are well documented with Howard Carter's original numbers.
How the tomb was found, its archaeology, Tut's family line, newspaper articles at the time of discovery, letters and diagrams put this volume near the top of every Egyptophile's "must have" list.
Take a look at the giant sized "Tutankhamun" by T.G.H. James Tutankhamunfor another incredible detailed photographic account of the treasures from the tomb.
Great introduction.............2007-06-08
The Complete Tutankhamun by Nicholas Reeves proves to be a great introductory book on the discoveries made by Howard Carter in 1922. The book covers the history surrounding Tutankhamun during his time and the reasoning why his tomb was overlooked. But the book centered around Howard Carter whose tireless efforts finally paid off and his parton, Lord Carnarvon who financed and supported Carter. There are sections for each part of the tomb and what treasures were found there. There is a lot of information in this book on the content of the treasures that have gained so much attention since it revealation. The coverage of the book is pretty complete although as one previous reviewer wrote that there isn't much in terms of analysis or insight in this book But I thought that part may be left to other books since this book is your basic but very complete coverage of the discoveries of Tomb of Tutankhamun.
The book proves to be well written and easy to read for any one who may be interested in this subject. The author obviously have great command of the subject matter and wrote in a matter that is easy to understand. There are enough photos and illustrations in this book to dazzled most readers although I wished there were more color photos. The book was published in 1990 so it doesn't includes some of the new insights into the real Tutankhamun or his treasures that came out in the past 17 years. But within the context of this book, maybe that may not be so important.
But overall, this is an highly informative book that should interest anyone who have any interest in this subject or history of ancient Egypt.
Thorough but narrow in scope.......2007-02-11
While this book provided an impressively thorough list of all the artifacts found in King Tutankhamun's tomb, it was sorely lacking in analysis and commentary. There was a brief chapter toward the beginning that dealt with the history of the boy king, followed by approximately two hundred pages detailing every little artifact found in the tomb. While this was interesting at times, it quickly began to feel like a list rather than a commentary.
This book is a perfect for the reader who is exploring the tomb to a great deal of depth. That is, if a reader has read several other books on the life of the king and is thoroughly familiar with Egyptian art and culture, then this book could provide an excellent means through which he or she could become more acquainted with the particulars.
This book is not, however, for people who want a "one-stop" book to read and come away with a brief understanding of the key points of the reign of the king, Egyptian society, and the artifacts of the tomb.
The Splendors Of The Boy Pharaoh.......2004-11-26
Since the sensational discovery of the Boy Pharaoh Tutankhamun's almost intact tomb in the Valley of the Kings in 1922 there has been a regular stream of books dealing with the tomb, its discovery, and the rich bounty of treasures found in the burial. The books vary greatly in quality but I have to say that Nicholas Reeves' 1990 work on the subject "The Complete Tutankhamun: The King, the Tomb, the Royal Treasure", is without a doubt one of the very best on the subject and is full of informative information and historical background, and beautifully presented colour and black and white photographs on the subject all displayed in an easy to read format that has a logical flow to it. Indeed "The Complete Tutankhamun", is a small jewel box in itself and is essential reading for all budding Egyptologists or people interested in the customs and religious beliefs of ancient civilisations such as Egypt.
Beginning with a highly appropriate forward written by the present Seventh Earl of Carnarvon the format of the book is very well thought out and takes the reader firstly through the time that Tutankhamun lived in which of course was the controversial Amarna period created by the "Heretic Pharaoh", Akhenaten. This section provides much needed information on Tutankhamun's life much of which is still largely unknown to us. It deals with the Pharaoh's childhood and his eventual succession to the throne of Egypt as a 8 year old God and most interestingly looks at other monuments that Tutankhamun was responsible for creating during his short 9 year reign, most of which were usurped by later rulers. Later sections explore in detail the search for the tomb of the mysterious boy Pharaoh and its eventual discovery and excavation by Howard Carter. The tomb itself , small and largely undecorated compared to other Pharaoh's tombs is examined in an often interesting manner using three dimensional drawings to show its layout and side views. Finally the burial and the tomb's magnificent treasures encompassing golden shrines, jewellery, solid gold coffins, exotic animal figurines, and clothing are examined in detail. This section of the book is in particular a treat as the stunning colour photography really shows each piece described to its best advantage.
When one thinks of Tutankhamun's tomb one always thinks of gold and jewels however one of the great strengths of "The Complete Tutankhamun", is that good coverage is given to the myriad of personal and domestic objects that accompanied a Pharaoh on his journey to his new life. Interesting examinations of food stuffs, clothing, board games, and even touching family heirlooms like a boyhood bow and arrow belonging to Tutankhamun's childhood and a lock of Tutankhamun's Grandmother Queen Tiye's hair are examined and it is these less spectacular items that go a long way towards showing the reader more about just who Tutankhamun was as both boy and Pharaoh. Each section of the book is accompanied by a huge selection of photographs that are both from the time of the discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun and more recent ones photographed at the Cairo Museum. Those photos that are contemporary with the discovery of the tomb are of great interest and reveal the painstaking work involved in the clearing and cataloguing of even a small tomb such as Tutankhmaun's. Rarely has a book on this subject managed to incorporate photos of so many of the items from Tutankhamun's tomb which helps make "The Complete Tutankhamun", one of the definitive sources of information for the modern reader about a Pharaoh's burial and of Tutankhamun and Egypt near the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty.
"The Complete Tutankhamun", is one of my most cherished books on Ancient Egypt and I strongly recommend it to history and art lovers as one of the best sources of information on the Egypt of the glorious Eighteenth Dynasty. Egpyt of the time of the Pharaohs always seems to have a real attraction to even those people not greatly interested in history and this beautiful book is just the thing to satisfy anyone curious with this fascinating young ruler during Egypt's golden age. Make this gem part of your history library soon it is sure to become a treasured acquisition that you will find yourself returning to time and time again.
The tomb and its "treasures" are the real focus........2002-10-23
If you want a multitude of pictures and a fair discussion of the tomb's discovery and the objects found in it, then this is an excellent book. We used this in a grad/undergrad level seminar I took back at Columbia University because it is so detailed on the tomb and its discovery. However, when it comes to information about Tutankhanum himself there are only 20 pages that look at his life and the historical context of his life, most of that is spent on his family and the dynasty he is part of. 20 pages out of 200+?! This is why I'm giving this book only 4 stars -- the cover and the summary offered by the book itself suggests the book has three parts and this first one is barely there.
Book Description
This richly illustrated book of vintage photographs commemorates one of the most memorable episodes in the history of archaeology: the discovery and exploration in 1922 of the tomb of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun (Dynasty 18, ruled ca. 1336–1327 B.C.). These photographs, documenting every stage in the process of discovery, were taken by the renowned archaeological photographer Harry Burton. Burton was a staff member of the Metropolitan Museum Egyptian Expedition when he was “lent” to Howard Carter, the famed excavator of Tutankhamun’s tomb.
From the rock-cut steps leading down to the entrance passage, to the opening of the sealed chambers inside, to the first view of the contents of the tomb and the removal of the objects, Burton’s beautiful black-and-white photographs show thousands of the richly made and decorated objects found in the tomb. Carefully reproduced from Burton’s original prints, the photographs are accompanied by new descriptive text written by two prominent Egyptologists with extensive knowledge of the history of Tutankhamun and the contents of his tomb.
Customer Reviews:
Review of Burton book.......2007-09-05
This is a superb book. The original black & white photographs taken in the tomb by a master photographer are wonderful. I just wish there had been more.
i wanted more..........2007-03-28
everything from the size of this book to the image on its dust jacket is lovely. the book says that harry burton, the man who visually documented the clearance/excavation of kv 62, took some 1,400 images of the tomb's 5,400 objects; the book contains but 78 of these images. there is no substantive exploration of how the man worked but it's a coffee table book, not a bio. the images are vivid and give context and meaning to the find, and mr. burton's photos of the artifacts, particularly those of the metalwork, capture with brilliant clarity the unparalleled craftsmanship, skill, and design sensibility of the ancient egyptian artisans of the 18th dynasty; as his legacy shows, mr. burton surely related to them now and then.
This book is highly recommended -- a great gift for the Egypt lover in your life!.......2006-08-10
If you thought you'd seen everything there was to see about the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, you were wrong! This amazing book is an invaluable addition to the Tut library. I picked up a copy of the book while visiting the Metropolitan Museum, and I can't recommend this book highly enough. The original excavation photos are beautiful and truly give you a sense of what it must have been like to witness the discovery of the tomb. From photos of the landscape in the Valley of the Kings (setting the geographic scene), to photos of the excavators working on the tomb through to object photos, the entire story of the discovery of the tomb is illustrated. Despite their age, the photos are vivid and gorgeous and bring the discovery to life. The accompanying text is kept to a minimum -- narrating the story nicely, but allowing the photos and objects to speak for themselves. (Longer photo captions at the end of the book accompany thumbnail photos, giving more detailed information about each photography.) This book will make a welcome addition to the library of anyone who loves ancient Egypt, a beautiful coffee table book, a nice backdrop or preparation for the King Tut show that's touring, or a lovely gift for anyone interested in Egypt or archaeology.
Book Description
Part history, part detective story, this book recounts the brief life and reign of the boy Pharaoh Tutankhamun.
Customer Reviews:
exceptional.......2005-12-26
This remains one of the best adventure stories written in the last twenty five years. Hoving skillfully recounts Carter and Carnarvon's epic quest for Tutankhamun in a vivid tale of mystery, suspense, discovery, and treasure. True history can indeed be better than fiction.
In the company of the pharoah.......2005-11-28
The tomb was discovered in 1922 in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. Tutankhamun was a shadowy pharoah, a boy-king. He died around 1350 B.C. The discoverers were Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon. They became celebrities. It was a phenomenal discovery. They had been very persistent. The treasures found have fascinated the public.
Starting in 1975 the author, Thomas Hoving, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, immersed himself in the story of the Tutankhamun's tomb's discovery. Hoving became suspicious of Carter's account of the noble discovery. Thutmose I had the brilliant idea to set his burial place in the Valley of the Kings since other tombs, pyramids, had been plundered. The pattern was set and it became the burial place for five hundred years.
Carter kept careful track of archeological discoveries. Jacob Rogers, heading a locomotive factory in Paterson, New Jersey, funded archeology projects for the Metropolitan Museum because he made a donation for acquisitions. Herbert Winlock, a friend of Carter, worked for the Museum. Carter was precise, calculating, gifted. He examined circumstantial evidence of an undiscovered tomb. Mountains of rubbish encumbered the search. Carter wanted to go right down to bedrock in a triangular plot of land containing the tombs of Ramesses II, Merenptah, and Ramasses VI. Carter devised a grid system. By 1921 Lord Carnarvon was beginning to lose interest. Most people believed the valley was exhausted as a place to make finds.
In the sixth season, 1922, supposedly Lord Carnarvon's last, the step to the walkway of a tomb was found. At the end of twelve steps there were hieroglyphs and seals. Carter telegraphed Lord Carnarvon of the finding. An antechamber glimpsed 11/26/22 contained magnificent objects. Later a horde of reporters and tourists descended on Luxor. Carter saw that years of work would be required to sort and sift the treasures.
The LONDON TIMES was granted exclusive coverage of the find and political problems with nationalist elements in Egypt resulted. A new door constructed by Carter became a symbol of malevolent foreign supremacy. Carnarvon died in 1923. Arthur Conan Doyle announced to the world a pharoah's curse. There were instances of near hysteria. A rail line was constructed to carry the objects to the River Nile for transport to the Museum in Cairo. When the intact sarcophagus was found, everyone was agog with interest. After a hiatus, Carter worked from 1925 for eight years extracting the objects.
Pictures appear in this splendid work, too, in addition to a table of sources and an index.
A work of questionable integrity.......2005-03-29
Thomas Hoving was sacked as director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His integrity had become questionable in the eyes of scholars. He then wrote a number of popular-style money-spinning tell-all books, such as this one. Alas, Tutankhamun: The Untold Story, suffers from that same lack of integrity which critics saw in Hoving during his years at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In particular his charges against Howard Carter are trash, not backed up by evidence. This book is entertaining twaddle -- but twaddle primarily, and not reliable.
Superior to all other Tutankhamun related books.......2003-03-25
Thomas Hoving wrote a great book. He made you feel like you were in the tomb with Howard Carter spectating. His discriptions of the events that happened kept you on the edge. I recommend this book to everyone who wants to know the truth about the events that happened surrounding the discovery of Tut's tomb and the scandalous behavior of those involved.
WHAT A FIND!!!!!!.......1999-09-04
I came across this book in a used book store a decided to read it. I had some interest in the story behind the discovery of King Tut and this book was full of information. It traces the beginnings of Howard Carter's search, the discovery,and the events that followed. I had no idea of the problems that Carter was faced with after the discovery. Perhaps there is some truth to the legend of "Tut's Curse" after all. I suggest that the book be read if you have any interest at all in the history surrounding one of the biggest archeological finds ever.
Average customer rating:
- Portrait of a hero
- Great story about a great story teller
- Great story about a great story teller
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A Passion for Egypt: Arthur Weigall, Tutankhamun and the 'Curse of the Pharaohs'
Julie Hankey
Manufacturer: I. B. Tauris
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ASIN: 1860645666 |
Book Description
This compelling biography of Arthur Weigall, the British Egyptologist and Chief Inspector of Antiquities, chronicles his involvement with the discovery of Tutankhamuns tomb under Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon. Weigall came into conflict with Carter and Carnarvon over newspaper reports of the famous find. His remarks to the press during that time led to the infamous story of the Curse of the Pharaohs. This biography brings to life the atmosphere, intrigue, and intense competition in Egypt during the first quarter of the 20th century.
Customer Reviews:
Portrait of a hero .......2004-10-31
Mainly and above all, this book gives you a great insight into what might be called "the golden age of archaeology in Egypt". I greatly enjoyed all the little stories covering the various social events of that time (particularly the "party at the ombdeh's") which manage to cover Weigall's own colourful imagination and way of storytelling.
Nevertheless, this biography never quite suceeds in bringing you near Arthur Weigall as a person. What I disliked most was the apologetic tone in which Hankey tried to "answer" several references to Weigall made by TGH James in his book "Howard Carter - The Path to Tutankhamun". It almost seems as if Hankey desperately tries to make clear to the reader that in reality, Weigall was a truly "heroic" guy, fighting for Egypt's heritage, while the "evil" Howard Carter was putting stones in his way.
There is no doubting the fact that Carter was a pretty difficult character but reading Hankey's book, one begins to suspect that Weigall was one as well - a fact not really admitted by his granddaughter.
In comparison to James, who painted a very objective and not in the least biased picture of the person he portrayed in his biography (Carter), Hankey trusts in letting Weigall's own views and thoughts speak for themselves without ever trying to question them.
For me, Weigall's behaviour towards Carter and Carnarvon during the Tutankhamun excavation is still more than questionable, even if one has to share his views concerning the "Times"-agreement and the division of antiquities.
In the end, for me, Howard Carter with all his faults remains the more interesting personality, especially when compared with Julie Hankey's semi-perfect Arthur Weigall.
Great story about a great story teller.......2001-12-08
This book is really a great read. Not only does it give you a great deal of insight about Weigall and his exploits, but it also has a lot of good stories about Egypt and it's exploration during it's most colorful time period of the early 20th century. I have always enjoyed Weigall's books and his ability to weave a good story and describe what it would be like to be exploring various sites while on his inspection tours.
This book really goes into a great deal about his crusade to save and catalogue monuments instead of just digging for "treasures". He doesn't seem to get his due for what he tried to accomplish under the difficult conditions he had to work within at the time. What I also found interesting was the perspective of his relationship with Howard Carter from more his point of view versus what is more often seen discussed from Cater's. Being that it was written by his grand-daughter I'm sure there's a little bit of bias there. Either way, it is truly a great book written about a great author.
Wiegall showed that a history book doesn't have to be dry and boring. It seems that his grand-daughter inherited that trait too!
Great story about a great story teller.......2001-12-08
This book is really a great read. Not only does it give you a great deal of insight about Weigall and his exploits, but it also has a lot of good stories about Egypt and it's exploration during it's most colorful time period of the early 20th century. I have always enjoyed Weigall's books and his ability to weave a good story and describe what it would be like to be exploring various sites while on his inspection tours.
This book really goes into a great deal about his crusade to save and catalogue monuments instead of just digging for "treasures". He doesn't seem to get his due for what he tried to accomplish under the difficult conditions he had to work within at the time. What I also found interesting was the perspective of his relationship with Howard Carter from more his point of view versus what is more often seen discussed from Cater's. Being that it was written by his grand-daughter I'm sure there's a little bit of bias there. Either way, it is truly a great book written about a great author.
Wiegall showed that a history book doesn't have to be dry and boring. It seems that his grand-daughter inherited that trait too!
Book Description
It has been almost three decades since the first traveling exhibition of Tutankhamun's treasures drew nearly 10 million viewers and sparked worldwide "Tut-mania." Now, celebrating this priceless collection's new tour of Europe and the United States, National Geographic presents a jewel-like little book featuring more than 30 of its finest pieces.
Based on the official catalog, captured in lavish detail and magnificent color, here are objects from Tutankhamun, whose tomb yielded the richest trove of all, and other 18th-Dynasty pharaohs. These superbly crafted artifacts offer vivid insight into the skill, artistry, and astonishing sophistication of Egyptian culture's golden age. Intricate jewelry glitters with precious gems, stylized statues summon ancient gods, lifelike busts bring long-dead kings and queens back to life, while vivid paintings and bas-relief panels depict not just great events but everyday scenes as well.
Zahi Hawass contributes a concise history of Tutankhamun's world. The book also examines new research that provides unprecedented information about the boy king's life, his exact age, and the mystery of his death, highlighted by a unique forensic reconstruction that uses state-of-the-art CT-scan data to recreate Tut's face.
A charming memento of a stunning exhibition, the Souvenir Book gazes back across the millennia to show us the astonishing splendor of a great civilization at its pinnacle.
Customer Reviews:
Golden Age of coffee table book.......2006-02-26
Having seen the original King Tuthamen exhibit in L.A. about 27 years ago I was most interested in seeing if the current exhibit could surpass the glory of the first. This book should be required reading for anyone going to one of the four cities where these priceless Egyptian artifiacts are to be displayed. I have tickets for the Chicago showing. To have this book to remind and inspire me long after the exhibit goes back to Egypt is something I look forward to. For those who do not obsess over ancient Egypt and just are intrigued by the culture I again, highly recommend this book. If you can imagine all this magnificents is part of a lesser pharoahs tomb you will be challenged to know more. Superb photos!!!!!
Book Description
What—or who—really caused the death of Egypt’s splendid young king? More than 3,000 years after his death, the entire civilized world is familiar with the face and burial site of one very special young Egyptian ruler, whose fabulous burial treasure represents one of the Ancient World’s most glorious and successful civilizations. It is assumed he died of natural causes. But how did he really die? In this exciting and thought-provoking account of the life and death of Tutankhamun, the basis for a new two-part Discovery Channel documentary airing in fall 2002, Paul Doherty reveals how King Tut’s famous calm and beautiful death mask conceals a story of bloody intrigue at the Egyptian court. The boy-king came to the throne when religious dissent threatened the vast empire and died mysteriously at the age of only eighteen. Was he secretly assassinated by the powerful cabal that ran the court and the country? Could the powerful first minister, Ay, have murdered him to seize the pharonic crown for himself? What part did Ankhesenamun, Ay’s granddaughter, and Tutankhamun’s beautiful queen, play in the court’s intrigues? And what about the hurried burial in a virtually unmarked grave—was it to conceal the evidence of fatal head wounds? Doherty believes that modern research, coupled with the original testimony of Howard Carter, the archaeologist who discovered the tomb, can answer all these questions and present an even more fascinating scenario. He offers important new theories about Tutankhamun, both as a man and a Pharaoh, and an illuminating explanation of the intrigue that surrounded his sudden and untimely end. Color photographs add to this intriguing investigation into the death of Egypt's most famous Pharoah.
Customer Reviews:
Another Insight into the Life and Death of King Tut.......2006-11-21
Paul Doherty is the consummate professional when it comes to writing historical novels. I for one do not know how he can be so prolific with his offering of books and yet make sure that each of them is well researched. Whether they be 13th, 14th, or fifteenth century they are always true to the period. He also writes about Ancient Egypt and now he has taken to writing about Alexander the Great. Paul Doherty has the rare talent of making you feel as though you are there, be it medieval England, or battling with Alexander. The sounds and smells of the period seem to waft from the pages of his books.
With this book Doherty proves that he is a scholar as well as a writer of novels and is a must for anyone interested in Tutankhamun or Egyptology in general. Ever since that day in 1922 when Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon looked through into the tomb of the boy Pharaoh, the world has never tired of hearing tales about him and looking at the fabulous artefacts that were carefully removed from the tomb in the valley of the kings.
Tutankhamun was only a very young man when he died mysteriously. Even with the lower life expectancy at that time he should have reigned for many more years. Was his death an accident, or was he murdered by people who opposed his rule? With the use of modern technology more and more clues are coming to light about the life and death of the young Pharaoh. This book offers new clues and highlights that intrigue that was going on at the Egyptian court at the time of Tutankhamun's death.
How many books about the murder of Tut is too many?.......2005-02-22
Poor King Tut! His death has now been reenacted in countless novels and at least two television specials. Doherty's book, as another reader has noted, is unscholarly, but in many ways no more so that Bob Brier's very similar book "The Murder of tutankhamen", and "Who Killed King Tut?: Using Modern Forensics to Solve a 3300-Year-Old Mystery" by Michael R. King, Gregory M. Copper, Don DeNevi, Joann Fletcher, GREGORY M. COOPER. The problem with all of these books is that they stretch the subject matter out to the breaking point, while most of the authors have no direct access to the body of the deceased king.
Yet Another Unscholarly Potboiler on Tutankhamun.......2004-01-23
We would never allow nondoctors to write medical treatises (one hopes, anyway); yet non-scholars who write on ancient Egypt in general, and Tutankhamun (or the El-Amarna epoch) in particular, are truly a dime a dozen in every respect. This book is on a par with Bob Brier's "thriller" on the putative murder of Tutankhamun. Ignorance of Egyptian language and history are outstanding here, the constant capitalization of epithets (real and imaginary--mostly imaginary)creates a hysterical tone, and the last chapter (fictional) is simply grotesque. One wonderful howler is that there are two references to "iced melon"--where would the Egyptians procure (and keep) ICE, of all things? Please, if you want delightfully readable AND absolutely accurate treatments of Tutankhamun, read "Akhenaten" and "The Complete Tutankhamun," both by Nicholas Reeves, and skip this overwrought mess. Oh, and one last thing--as genuinely interesting (if quite unprovable) as it may be to speculate that Tutankhamun had Marfan's syndrome, it is as silly to say that the many images of the King seated show that he was physically weak as to say (citing an old joke here)that Walter Cronkite had no legs because you never saw him standing.
A good book marred by editing problems.......2003-01-11
I have read and much enjoyed P.C. Doherty's books of Ancient Egytptian historical fiction, so I thought I'd read this "scholarly" volume.
Doherty makes some excellent points in his explanation of Tut's death. I especially liked his opinion on whether or not Tut was murdered, which is much different from the view presented in Bob Brier's "Murder of Tutankhamun." I recommend reading both books as it is interesting to see the different conclusions drawn using the same physical evidence.
What I did not like was that this book was not edited very well. There are several typos and some awkward sentences (clauses piled upon clauses.) Also, the 4th chapter is extremely repetitive of points made earlier in the book.
And finally, the 5th chapter is a complete work of fiction built around historical events. Though I like historical fiction, it doesn't belong in a book where Doherty has previously discussed historical fact. Were I not aware of Doherty's previous works of fiction, I would wonder where this chapter came from.
This book is worth reading, but does have some minor flaws.
Book Description
In November 1922 a momentous discovery, unlike any other before or since, changed our understanding of the ancient world. However, until now the marvelous story of Carter’s quest for Tutankhamun and its culmination in his unearthing of the intact, treasure-filled tomb has been told without a reliable account of the man behind the discovery and the myths that have surrounded it. Carter's legendary discovery in the Valley of the Kings and his painstaking clearance of the intact royal burial are the topic of this definitive biography.
Customer Reviews:
Complete biography.......2004-01-11
The most completest biography about Howard Carter I 've ever read.Complete story through his successful but regretfu life.
If you 've ever interested about The tomb of Tutankhamen and the man who spent his most of life on it.You should have this book.
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