Pharaohs of the Sun

A RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK

An impressive amalgamation of scholarly research with popular historyThe Times

An evocative account of an era of epic riches and ruthlessnessHistory Revealed

De la Bédoyère has not just an archaeologists eye for accuracy but also a broadcasters nose for a colourful story Radio Times

For more than two centuries Egypt was ruled by the most powerful, successful and richest dynasty of kings in its long and epic history. They included the female king Hatshepsut, the warrior kings Thutmose III and Amenhotep II, the religious radical Akhenaten and his queen Nefertiti, and most famously of all for the wealth of his tomb the short-lived boy king Tutankhamun.

They presided over a system built on war, oppression and ruthlessness, pouring Egypts wealth into grandiose monuments, temples and extravagant tombs. But the power and riches of the Pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty came at enormous cost to Egypts enemies and most of its people.

Pharaohs of the Sun is their extraordinary story, showing how the glamour and gold was tainted by selfishness, ostentation and the systematic exploitation of Egypts people and enemies.