The Pharaoh

A highly illustrated look at what it was like to be the pharaoh of Egypt, revealed through the king’s role as husband, lawmaker, judge, priest, builder, and warrior

The pharaoh is the iconic ruler from the ancient world, immortalized in stone and gold and celebrated today in countless films and books. But how did these monarchs—mortals who lived and died like anyone else—spend their days? How did they become pharaoh? How did they govern and how were they entertained? In this vividly written and authoritative account, Garry Shaw conveys the full experience of what it was like to be pharaoh, from birth to death, in private and in public, at court and on campaign, and shows how a uniquely Egyptian vision of kingship, with its complex ideology and regalia, evolved. We follow daily events, from… Keep Reading