To the modern world, Ramesses II is perhaps the Pharaoh who best
represents the grandeur of ancient Egypt. During his reign of
67 years, Egyptian power and influence was at its height and a
vast number of spectacular building projects were undertaken,
culminating in the famous Temples of Abu Simbel. Dr Kitchen, the
leading expert on the Nineteenth Dynasty, tells the story of this
remarkable king and his family. Ramesses' childhood and early
military career as a young general under his father, Sethos I,
are followed by an account of the long reign of Ramesses himself,
at war and in peace.
But this book is much more than a biography of Ramesses the king;
it examines the whole world of New Kingdom Egypt. The government,
politics, the religion and funerary rites, daily life in the town
and country are all illustrated by numerous photographs and quotations
from contemporary documents. Both Dr Kitchen's profound knowledge
of the period and his understanding of people make this one of
those rare works which is at the same time authoritative and readable.
K.A. Kitchen was formerly Professor of Egyptology at the University of Liverpool and author of the definitive publication of the Ramesside period Ramesside Inscriptions. For this series he has written The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt and Catalogue of the Egyptian Collection in the National Museum, Rio de Janeiro.
280pp. A5; 74 photos; 5 maps; (1982) pb 0 85668 215 2 $19.95 / £20
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CONTENTS List of Illustrations PART I - Prelude Charts |
SOME COMMENTS BY REVIEWERS
"Throughout, the author's mastery of his material
is evident, and we are given an authoritative and reliable picture
of the reign." "Pharaoh Triumphant sets new standards
of accuracy, richness of presentation, and depth of knowledge
in popular works. We must be grateful to the author for his full,
lively and painstaking work." TLS
