09/12/2022

In this innovative and detailed study, husband-and-wife Egyptologists John and Colleen Darnell (Tutankhamun’s Armies) explore the 14th-century BCE reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, the parents of Tutankhamun. The Darnells convincingly argue that Akhenaten and Nefertiti’s establishment of a monotheistic solar-based religion, support for architectural and artistic innovations, and strategic vision changed the course of Egyptian history. Early in his 17-year reign during Egypt’s Eighteenth Dynasty, Akhenaten changed his name from Amunhotep IV to Akhenaten, rejecting his father’s religious beliefs in favor of a new solar cult with the god Aten as its focus. Along with Queen Nefertiti, Akhenaten elevated Aten above all other deities, drastically altering Egypt’s religious infrastructure. The city of Akhet-Aten (also known as Tell el-Amarna) served as a sacred stage, reflecting the trinity of the god Aten, Akhenaten, and Nefertiti as god, high priest, and high priestess, respectively. Throughout, the Darnells draw on historical records, artwork, and archaeological discoveries to provide colorful vignettes of daily life during the era and share immersive descriptions of their own excavations and travels throughout Egypt. Readers will delight in this accessible study of a consequential period of Egypt’s history. Illus. (Nov.)

"Anyone devoted to ancient Egypt must have this book, which gives us the clearest picture yet of this powerful family that might not have become known if Howard Carter hadn’t found the resting place of the frail young pharaoh."
—St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Readers will delight in this accessible study of a consequential period of Egypt’s history."
—Publisher's Weekly

"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)

"The life and reign of King Tut’s parents...new interpretations of ancient artifacts."
—New Canaan Advertiser

"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

2022-09-06
A husband-and-wife Egyptologist team delineate the life and legacy of Akhenaten and his queen, Nefertiti.

Akhenaten (previously known as Amenhotep IV) and Nefertiti ruled from roughly 1352 to 1336 B.C.E. During their reign, they swept out the old gods in favor of a single sun god, Aten. Their legacy was powerful yet brief, all but erased by their son, Tutankhamun, who repudiated their iconoclasm and reinstated the former gods. In a multilayered narrative employing a variety of fictional re-creations, archaeological records, and descriptions of their own scholarly pursuits, the Darnells, co-authors of Tutankhamun's Armies, ably narrate the life and legacy of the titular “golden couple.” The authors readily acknowledge the academic controversy and endless speculation about their subjects, and they demonstrate the widespread influence of Akhenaten’s father on his outlook and methods. “As with so many of the seemingly innovative, unusual, or revolutionary actions of Amunhotep IV, his father’s reign provided a precedent,” write the Darnells. By the fifth year of his reign, “when the king changed his name to Akhenaten, he made an even more momentous decision, founding a new capital in Middle Egypt: Akhet-Aten. With that new name and in that new city, his new religion found its full expression.” In addition to chronicling the complex political, social, economic, and architectural elements of the history, the Darnells offer a touching portrait of family life, and they briefly trace some of the biographical details of the couple’s descendants. Acknowledging the cooperation of the Ministry of Antiquities in Egypt, the authors make good use of information gleaned from a variety of sites that have only recently undergone excavation, examining the evidence in a manner accessible to nonarchaeologists. The book also includes a brief chronology and a translation of the ancient poem “Hymn to Aten.”

For lay readers, a riveting, occasionally speculative portrait of ancient Egypt.