Rating:  Summary: Excellent for all amateurs of Egyptian history Review: I absolutely loved this book! Bob Brier really has a feel for ancient Egypt. It hardly matters whether his driving thesis is 110% spot on; his love of the subject matter and the characters in his story comes shining through. It is a gripping read, 'unputdownable' in the true sense, highly recommended not only to those who feel a strange attraction for those ancient times in Egypt, but also for the casual student of religious history. He casts a fascinating light on this most extraordinary period and carries us buoyantly along with him. Don't wait for the softcover; if you like ancient Egypt this book is too important, and you will want to read it again and again to savour the vital flavour of the epoch, it's characters, religion and royal culture. 5 stars and more!
Rating:  Summary: Interesting but not convincing... Review: I enjoyed reading this book, but Brier didn't convince me of Aye's guilt. One thing that bothered me was that if Aye was such a wily character why would he send someone to bop Tut on the back of the head? Wouldn't he have chosen a quicker, more precise means of murder? If you believe Brier, the poor boy lingered for two months. Also, Brier depicts Ankhesenamen as being the same age as Tut. Several other sources make her a few years older, having previously born a child to her husband/father Ahkenaten. That discrepancy bothered me. Still, it was an interesting read and a good springboard for further reading re: Tutankhamen et al.
Rating:  Summary: Intriguing Review: I found the book to be very interesting. The immediacy with which the events are told make it seem as though this only happened yesterday. There are times it feels more like reading a novel than reading about archeology. The author deserves credit for taking history and breathing life into it. He seemlessly delves into King Tut's family history, the politics and religion of Egypt, and what Carter did when he discovered the tomb while making every subject not only accessible but interesting. In the end discovering what actually happened to Tut and his young wife is less important than the sense that the reader discovered more about Egypt and Egyptology than they knew before they began the book.
Rating:  Summary: Fabulous Read from a Man Who Loves Egypt Review: I highly recommend this book if you enjoy reading historical interpretations of limited facts with an open mind. Bob Brier is one of my favorite authors, because his obvious love of Egypt comes through in all the books that he writes. In this instance, he explores the known facts regarding King Tutankamun's death and comes to the conclusion that it was his grandfather, Aye, who arranged for the King's death so that Aye could assume the throne. Aye apparently killed off the widow, Annkesenamun, to boot after he married her to legitamize the claim. Do I think this is what happened? No, but I enjoyed the approach and the summary of information currently available on the subject. The book is enjoyable, easy to follow, and I felt that the new viewpoint was worth to consider.
Rating:  Summary: Fabulous Read from a Man Who Loves Egypt Review: I highly recommend this book if you enjoy reading historical interpretations of limited facts with an open mind. Bob Brier is one of my favorite authors, because his obvious love of Egypt comes through in all the books that he writes. In this instance, he explores the known facts regarding King Tutankamun's death and comes to the conclusion that it was his grandfather, Aye, who arranged for the King's death so that Aye could assume the throne. Aye apparently killed off the widow, Annkesenamun, to boot after he married her to legitamize the claim. Do I think this is what happened? No, but I enjoyed the approach and the summary of information currently available on the subject. The book is enjoyable, easy to follow, and I felt that the new viewpoint was worth to consider.
Rating:  Summary: Inspiration Review: I LOVE HIS SENSITIVITY WHEN EXAMINATING THE FOETUSES THAT AS A SCIENTIST IT WAS SIGNIFICANT, BUT ON A HUMAN LEVEL IT WAS AS NEAR TO TUTANKHAMUN AND ANKHESENAMUN AS HE COULD EVER BE..... A FASCINSATING READ.........
Rating:  Summary: Solving the ancient mystery of how Tutankhamen died Review: I loved this book. I found it as intriguing as any fictional mystery story I have ever read and very well written and presented. It has all the elements of desire for political power and status as any modern true story of the 20th century. Mr. Brier writes in an extremely easy to read style but gives so much information about the fascinating world of ancient Egypt. I enjoy reading about Egypt but have found some books do not make the subject matter come to life. I have also read his book on Egyptian mummies and found that equally fascinating. I hope Mr. Brier continues to write more about Egypt in his style that is easy to follow for someone not trained in archeology but who loves history.
Rating:  Summary: Take it with a grain of salt.....or better yet, not at all. Review: I read it in hopes for an accurate, and unbiased yet entertaining narrative of the aftermath of the Amarna period and the political intrigue it entailed. I was sorely dissappointed. Much that is only theory or speculation is treated as hard fact in this book. Briar insists that Ankhesenamen wrote the letters to the Hittite king, and that the desperation in these letters is hard proof of the murder of Tuthankamun. That she was the author of these letters is mere specuation. In fact, many prominent Egyptologists firmly beleive that it was either Nefertiti or Merytaten who wrote these pleas. Nowhere are these alternative theories even mentioned...or refuted in this text. Citations are rarely present for many things that Briar presents as firm fact, and when they are present, facts are twisted so that they support Briar's theory. When this text is not bombarding the reader with skewed facts, it is trying to manipulate with sentimentalism. The many melodramatic narratives of Tutankhamn dying pitifully in the arms of a sobbing Ankhesenamen bring the book close to the realms of fiction, and further cloud the fact. In conclusion, Tut may have been murdered. However, the cloudy, vague, sentimentalized, and sometimes skewed evidence in this book provides absolutely no proof, and worst of all, is guaranteed to be misleaing to the reader. Instead, I recommend Christine El Mahdy's Tutankhamun. She seems to do a much better job of arguing alternative theories and addressing evidence, without manipulating the emotions of the reader.
Rating:  Summary: a fascinating look at history Review: I read this book shortly before seeing the Pharoahs of the Sun exhibit that toured the country last year, featuring the artwork that appeared around the reign of Akhenaten and Tutankhamen. The background in Brier's book allowed me to fully understand the importance of the artwork, and even have an interesting conversation with one of the curators about the debate over Tut's parentage. (Brier says Tut was Akhenaten's son by a secondary wife and the curator agreed.) I found almost nothing left out of this book and the scholarship was impressive. Whether it was murder that killed Tut will probably never be known, but Brier presents a good case.
Rating:  Summary: Really Interesting Review: I think this is a really good book, especially for those that are not so knowledgable on ancient egypt. It describes cerimonys, rituals, and different beliefs. It also explains every-day egyptian life in an interesting way. With the thrill of a novel, but so much information!! I learned tons of facts that I didn't know before! Even if some people say there wasn't enough evidence to prove foul play, I thought it was good! I would recomend it to anyone who enjoys a good book!!
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