My most anticipated December gift, this book was published in November of 2022 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the tomb of Akhenaten's son, Tutankhamun (né Tutankhaten). As I mentioned here, my ever-present love for Egypt has had a bit of an awakening lately and when I discovered this book I couldn't put it on my holiday gift wishlist fast enough.
This is a beautifully written, thoroughly researched deep dive into the history of one of Egypt's most controversial and, consequently, interesting, periods. As the subtitle suggests, the book goes into detail showing how the role of the royal couple was transformed during this period. The writing is wonderful, scholarly but easily understood. Numerous illustrations augment the descriptions and there are extensive notes provided for sources and ideas for further reading.
My favorite part was the beginning of each chapter, when the authors bring history to life with vignettes placing the reader in a scene as it might have occurred in history. I would love it if the Darnells produced a series of historical fiction books set in Amarna, maybe a mystery series starring the chief of police? Just an idea! :) A must read for anyone with an interest in Ancient Egypt. Highly recommended.
Side note - the autocorrect feature here in Blogspot recognizes and autocorrects the names Akhenaten and Nefertiti, but not Tutankhamun - isn't that interesting?
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