Headline, 2022
ISBN 978-1-472-28984-1
Hardback, £22.
Do we need another book on Tutankhamun? The author herself has already published two Tutankhamun-focused works – the 2012 Tutankhamen’s Curse (reviewed in AE 71) in particular already covers much of the same ground. The answer in this case is ‘yes’! Joyce Tyldesley is a talented storyteller, writing for a wide general audience, weaving the strands of research past and present into a compelling narrative for beginner and enthusiast alike.
This time she places Tutankhamun himself at the centre of the story: “My Tutankhamun is a traditional pharaoh born in difficult times, who sets out to restore order to a neglected land. He rules Egypt for 10 peaceful years and is well on the way to achieving his ambitions when death intervenes.” This is a pharaoh destined for greatness, but whose time was cut short by an “ill-advised expedition”.
She divides the book into two parts, telling two separate stories: the life, death and burial of Tutankhamun; and the events leading to his rediscovery and reinvention in modern times. Each section is a straightforward chronological narrative split into chapters with titles such as ‘The Prince’s Tale’, covering his early life at Amarna, and ‘The Undertaker’s Tale’ to describe his mummification and burial. She also includes chapters on Ankhesenpaaten, and the ancient looting of the tomb.
