Author(s): Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt

Egyptology

The very name, Tutankhamen, has come to represent one of the most romantic and exciting moments if ancient history and modern archaeology; Egypt, land of the sphinxes, at the height of her magnificent civilization; a young king whose burial treasure of staggering wealth and unsurpassed beauty was discovered almost intact; and an archaeological find which astounded the world and seemingly laid a curse on the members of the expedition, the vengeance of the pharaohs. What is in fact and what is fancy; is the truth stranger than the legend? Here, in an impressive combination of provocative text and superlative color plates, is the disclosure of indeed a strange and wonderful truth, Christiane Desroches - Noblescourt, Cheif Curator if the National Museums of France, and F. L. Kenett, photographer of sculpture par excellence, have put their remarkable talents together to produce what is certainly one of the most interesting and beautiful books ever published. The art objects from Tutankhamen's tomb have never before been photographed out of their cases in color, or reproduced with such fidelity.

Tutanhkamen first tells the story of the discovery of the tomb by Howard Carter in 1922 and explores the legend of the curse of the pharaohs. Then with remarkable historical insight, the author sets the scene for the drama that took place in Egypt 3,300 years ago. She explores the background of Tutankhamen’s early life and disentangles his complicated family relationships; she reconstructs in graphic and moving detail the ceremony of his coronation and the nine short years of his reign. Giving a new and often controversial interpretation of the objects found in his burial treasure, she goes on to describe the elaborate process of mummification of the young king’s body and the funeral rites involved in the preparation for his afterlife and immortality. Finally she brings new evidence to shed light on the pathetic predicament of his widow and the problems of succession caused by his death. This is the most substantive general work produced on the subject since the publication of the original account by Howard Carter. Tutankhamen combines a brilliant and thoroughly up-to-date text with color photography at its finest, has become the classic work on a person and period of Egyptian history which has perennially intrigued mankind.

hardcover with dust jacket; second-hand; very good condition