The Woman who Would be King
Books | Biography & Autobiography / Cultural, Ethnic & Regional / Arab & Middle Eastern
3.4
(68)
Kara Cooney
An engrossing biography of the longest-reigning female pharaoh in Ancient Egypt and the story of her audacious rise to power. Hatshepsut--the daughter of a general who usurped Egypt's throne--was expected to bear the sons who would legitimize the reign of her father's family. Her failure to produce a male heir, however, paved the way for her improbable rule as a cross-dressing king. At just over twenty, Hatshepsut out-maneuvered the mother of Thutmose III, the infant king, for a seat on the throne, and ascended to the rank of pharaoh. Shrewdly operating the levers of power to emerge as Egypt's second female pharaoh, Hatshepsut was a master strategist, cloaking her political power plays in the veil of piety and sexual reinvention. She successfully negotiated a path from the royal nursery to the very pinnacle of authority, and her reign saw one of Ancient Egypt's most prolific building periods. Constructing a rich narrative history using the artifacts that remain, noted Egyptologist Kara Cooney offers a remarkable interpretation of how Hatshepsut rapidly but methodically consolidated power--and why she fell from public favor just as quickly. The Woman Who Would Be King traces the unconventional life of an almost-forgotten pharaoh and explores our complicated reactions to women in power.
AD
Buy now:
More Details:
Author
Kara Cooney
Pages
298
Publisher
Crown
Published Date
2014
ISBN
0307956768 9780307956767
Community ReviewsSee all
"This was an interesting history lesson and commentary about female rulers. I enjoyed how the author acknowledged that we don’t have as much information as we might want about ancient events, people, and politics, so she had to speculate on public opinion or interpersonal relationships. Her interpretations made sense and I think painted a good picture alongside the more concrete story that archeologists have uncovered. Some of this basically has to be fanfiction and guesswork because we sadly don’t have personal journals that walk through everything that ever happened. It brings up thought-provoking ideas about what ancient Egyptians were willing to put in writing and architecture and how much individuality is lost to history. I wouldn’t call this historical fiction, but if it was written in that way, I’d like that too.<br/><br/>It was written well and humanized people that we’ll never meet or hear from directly. It’s entirely possible that what really happened in Hatshepsut’s head can’t be discovered, but chronicling her life and achievements in this way still felt important. The lack of confirmation about what happened behind closed doors makes me want to look deeper and hope there’s something there. I think that’s how the author feels too which is why she constantly theorizes and gives many historical figures the benefit of the doubt. The child in me who loves ancient Egyptian mythology and history appreciated this. I learned a lot about things I had never heard of, and it was fun to hear how gender performance, sex, politics, and religion influenced each other in this period. Going through everything from her father’s position as king to her mummification and the destruction of many of her statues after her death gave me a stronger understanding of their culture. It’s very impressive to read about what Hatshepsut did to rise to power, and I’d recommend it."
Izzie