Egypt's Golden Couple
When Akhenaten and Nefertiti Were Gods on Earth
ISBN10: 1250272874
ISBN13: 9781250272874
Hardcover
384 Pages
$29.99
CA$39.99
Akhenaten has been the subject of radically different, even contradictory, biographies. The king has achieved fame as the world's first individual and the first monotheist, but others have seen him as an incestuous tyrant who nearly ruined the kingdom he ruled. The gold funerary mask of his son Tutankhamun and the painted bust of his wife Nefertiti are the most recognizable artifacts from all of ancient Egypt. But who are Akhenaten and Nefertiti? And what can we actually say about rulers who lived more than three thousand years ago?
November 2022 marks the centennial of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun and although "King Tut" is a household name, his nine-year rule pales in comparison to the revolutionary reign of his parents. Akhenaten and Nefertiti became gods on earth by transforming Egyptian solar worship, innovating in art and urban design, and merging religion and politics in ways never attempted before.
Combining fascinating scholarship, detective suspense, and adventurous thrills, Egypt's Golden Couple is a journey through excavations, museums, hieroglyphic texts, and stunning artifacts. From clue to clue, renowned Egyptologists John and Colleen Darnell reconstruct an otherwise untold story of the magnificent reign of Akhenaten and Nefertiti.
Reviews
Praise for Egypt's Golden Couple
"Full of acutely observed detail and intriguing insight."—Toby Wilkinson, New York Times bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt
"A new presentation of what may have been the most important period in the ancient world."—Bob Brier, author of The Murder of Tutankhamen
"Fascinating."—Dr. Zahi Hawass, former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities
"Two of the finest minds in Egyptology—have created something wholly new: a bridge between the wonder of fans and scholars of Ancient Egypt.”—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of A Spark of Light
"In addition to chronicling the complex political, social, economic, and architectural elements of the history, the Darnells offer a touching portrait of family life . . . Riveting."—Kirkus Reviews
"A lively and insightful portrait of the ultimate power couple."—Booklist (starred review)
"Readers will delight in this accessible study of a consequential period of Egypt’s history."—Publisher's Weekly
Reviews from Goodreads
BOOK EXCERPTS
Read an Excerpt
1A Divine Conception
His eyes roam over the contents of the bedchamber, illuminated by moonlight through a window high in one wall. In a corner of the room, an inlaid wooden box on tall legs holds the wig of closely plaited human hair...