Egypt's Golden Couple: When Akhenaten and Nefertiti Were Gods on Earth
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- Author：John Coleman Darnell
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Summary
Two celebrated Egyptologists bring to vivid life the intriguing and controversial reign of King Tut's parents。
Akhenaten has been the subject of radically different， even contradictory， biographies。 The king has achieved fame as the world's first individual and the first monotheist， but others have seen him as an incestuous tyrant who nearly ruined the kingdom he ruled。 The gold funerary mask of his son Tutankhamun and the painted bust of his wife Nefertiti are the most recognizable artifacts from all of ancient Egypt。 But who are Akhenaten and Nefertiti？ And what can we actually say about rulers who lived more than three thousand years ago？
November 2022 marks the centennial of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun and although "King Tut" is a household name， his nine-year rule pales in comparison to the revolutionary reign of his parents。 Akhenaten and Nefertiti became gods on earth by transforming Egyptian solar worship， innovating in art and urban design， and merging religion and politics in ways never attempted before。
Combining fascinating scholarship， detective suspense， and adventurous thrills， Egypt's Golden Couple is a journey through excavations， museums， hieroglyphic texts， and stunning artifacts。 From clue to clue， renowned Egyptologists John and Colleen Darnell reconstruct an otherwise untold story of the magnificent reign of Akhenaten and Nefertiti。
Akhenaten has been the subject of radically different， even contradictory， biographies。 The king has achieved fame as the world's first individual and the first monotheist， but others have seen him as an incestuous tyrant who nearly ruined the kingdom he ruled。 The gold funerary mask of his son Tutankhamun and the painted bust of his wife Nefertiti are the most recognizable artifacts from all of ancient Egypt。 But who are Akhenaten and Nefertiti？ And what can we actually say about rulers who lived more than three thousand years ago？
November 2022 marks the centennial of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun and although "King Tut" is a household name， his nine-year rule pales in comparison to the revolutionary reign of his parents。 Akhenaten and Nefertiti became gods on earth by transforming Egyptian solar worship， innovating in art and urban design， and merging religion and politics in ways never attempted before。
Combining fascinating scholarship， detective suspense， and adventurous thrills， Egypt's Golden Couple is a journey through excavations， museums， hieroglyphic texts， and stunning artifacts。 From clue to clue， renowned Egyptologists John and Colleen Darnell reconstruct an otherwise untold story of the magnificent reign of Akhenaten and Nefertiti。
Reviews
Nancy
，
Review to come
Elizabeth
，
I read this as an ARC from Netgalley。com。Egypt's Golden Couple by John Darnell and Colleen Darnell took a hard look at a dynasty who ruled about three thousand years ago that tried to change the beliefs of a nation and， ultimately， failed。 Amunhotep IV （later known as Akhenaten） and his wife， Nefertiti were stuck from the historical record by their son， King Tut， for their and Akhenaten's parents' efforts to create an Egyptian monotheism that only worships one aspects of the sun god， Aten。 While I read this as an ARC from Netgalley。com。Egypt's Golden Couple by John Darnell and Colleen Darnell took a hard look at a dynasty who ruled about three thousand years ago that tried to change the beliefs of a nation and， ultimately， failed。 Amunhotep IV （later known as Akhenaten） and his wife， Nefertiti were stuck from the historical record by their son， King Tut， for their and Akhenaten's parents' efforts to create an Egyptian monotheism that only worships one aspects of the sun god， Aten。 While this book is very interesting， especially as the authors sought to mesh facts with imagined anecdotes about the lives of both the rulers and common people of Egypt， I found it to still be a little too technical for a layperson。 The authors go into detail with hieroglyphics， measurements， and geography。 Skimming these sections allow you to understand the basics without having to go into too much detail。 All in all I found this to be a pleasant read and I enjoyed the speculation the authors made as to what the royal couple may have been thinking， since there are no existing records that would allow for any certainty。 。。。more
Lori
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There was so much filler in this book。 The actual information about Akhenaten and Nefertiti would make a good essay or chapter in a book。 There is just not enough known of their actual lives for a full length book。 I think the author would have been better to have written a fictional account since 1/3 of the book was fictional vignettes anyway。 I received an ARC of this work in exchange for my honest review。
Natalie
，
Egypt's Golden CoupleBy John and Colleen DarnellThis book is a combination of fact and supposition about the ancient Egyptian 18th dynasty which included Amunhotep III and his wife Tyie， and his son， Amunhotep IV （subsequently to be known as Akhenaten） and his wife， Nefertiti。Akhenaten and Nefertiti were to drastically change the religious faith of Egypt by turning from the previous multiple deities to a monotheistic worship of the one God， Aten。 These changes were not accepted gladly by the Egy Egypt's Golden CoupleBy John and Colleen DarnellThis book is a combination of fact and supposition about the ancient Egyptian 18th dynasty which included Amunhotep III and his wife Tyie， and his son， Amunhotep IV （subsequently to be known as Akhenaten） and his wife， Nefertiti。Akhenaten and Nefertiti were to drastically change the religious faith of Egypt by turning from the previous multiple deities to a monotheistic worship of the one God， Aten。 These changes were not accepted gladly by the Egyptian people， and after his death， the Egyptians tried to expunge all things associated with Akhenaten and his reign。I have read previously about this period and the strife it caused。 This book， while full of information， gets bogged down in the multiple names of gods， the various interpretations of hieroglyphics， place names， etc。 I found it to be a hard go to get down to the meat of Akhenaten and Nefertiti's story。 。。。more
Stacy
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Although I haven't spent tons of time digging into it， I've always been interested in Egyptology， so this seemed like a no brainer to give a shot。 I'm of two minds on my review of this--my favorite biographies are those that establish a smooth narrative voice and bring the historical figures to life， and this doesn't quite accomplish that。 Each chapter opens with a dramatic recreation of a scene from an artifact that somewhat makes that attempt， but they're too disjointed to create a real flow。 Although I haven't spent tons of time digging into it， I've always been interested in Egyptology， so this seemed like a no brainer to give a shot。 I'm of two minds on my review of this--my favorite biographies are those that establish a smooth narrative voice and bring the historical figures to life， and this doesn't quite accomplish that。 Each chapter opens with a dramatic recreation of a scene from an artifact that somewhat makes that attempt， but they're too disjointed to create a real flow。 On the other hand， I always admire authors who obviously know their subject， and this is very much that。 The Darnells go into a lot of detail about what's been found from the time of Akhenaten and Nefertiti， giving their own interpretations and translations with lots of justifications and use of historical precedents to explain how their establishment of Aten as a singular deity was not as unique and heretical a concept as it is frequently presented。 Sometimes the amount of detail put me into a bit of an overload state--I'd zone out and have to re-read passages I realized I'd not processed the first time。 I was hoping for a bit more insight into the royal couple's relationship， and particularly into Nefertiti's actions as a ruler， but I realize now that there is not any remaining evidence that would allow anything other than speculation on that topic。 I also found myself wishing there were pictures of the various tomb paintings and artifacts that they used as their narrative basis， but there is a list of figures in the back of the book， so maybe that lack is only a problem with the electronic ARC that I was reading。I received this ARC from NetGalley。 。。。more
Julie
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I love reading about archaeology and hope those in the middle of the research try to solve the mysteries of the past。 This book has a lot of solid research but also some interesting conjecture。 I learned a lot and it got me thinking outside the history I thought I knew。
Erin
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I was provided an advanced copy from NetGalley and St。 Martin’s press。 All these opinions are my own。 Thank you！ As someone who has been fascinated by Ancient Egypt since childhood， I have began to read up on Ancient Egyptian history in the past few months。 I wanted to expand my learning beyond what I learned in brief lessons I had in high school。 Before reading this book， I took a couple courses learning the overall history of Ancient Egypt。 I tried to take courses that took into account recent I was provided an advanced copy from NetGalley and St。 Martin’s press。 All these opinions are my own。 Thank you！ As someone who has been fascinated by Ancient Egypt since childhood， I have began to read up on Ancient Egyptian history in the past few months。 I wanted to expand my learning beyond what I learned in brief lessons I had in high school。 Before reading this book， I took a couple courses learning the overall history of Ancient Egypt。 I tried to take courses that took into account recent developments of findings in Ancient Egypt。 I have also been reading articles from perspectives of Egyptians as they learn about their ancestors history。 While the overall history of Ancient Egypt is a lot to take in， I enjoyed these courses immensely。 However， I wanted to start reading books and literature that examined specific points in Ancient Egyptian history。 When I came across this upcoming book providing a history on Akhenaten and Nefertiti， I was very excited to read this。 I was lucky enough to be provided the advanced copy by NetGalley and I dived right in to discover the lives of these fascinating rulers。 The book starts each chapter with a narrative that looks into the lives of how Ancient Egyptians lived based in many historical articles。 This openings allowed for me to get a glimpse into how the Ancient Egyptians lived。 Past books I have read on Ancient Egypt have been hard for me to read as they are filled with facts and dates that start to get confusing for me。 As someone who is just reading about Ancient Egypt， this is a great book to start with as it is easy to read and it provides readers with translated writings from the Ancient Egyptians。 The authors provide a lot of context and explanations on some of the complex matters they discuss。 This helps the reader understand the social and political impacts of phrases used in the book。 When talking about the lives of Akhenaten and Nefertiti， the authors show us every aspect of these two historical figures reign and their impacts on Ancient Egyptian history。 In the past courses I have taken， the names of these two have come up in various lectures but it was so amazing to find a book that brought together recents findings and discoveries of these figures。 I enjoyed this book immensely and it allowed me to learn so many new facts about Ancient Egypt that I never knew before。 。。。more
Mary S。C。
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Won an advanced readers copy via goodreads。 :）As someone interested/intrigued by Egyptian history; only having knowledge learned from public school， this was a dense read for me。 It read very much like a film documentary。 It has dramatized reenactments， talks about traveling to locations in present time， and then， of course， the facts/history。 The authors are clearly knowledgable on the subject matter。 However， for someone like me， it read very similar to a college textbook at times （a lot of ti Won an advanced readers copy via goodreads。 :）As someone interested/intrigued by Egyptian history; only having knowledge learned from public school， this was a dense read for me。 It read very much like a film documentary。 It has dramatized reenactments， talks about traveling to locations in present time， and then， of course， the facts/history。 The authors are clearly knowledgable on the subject matter。 However， for someone like me， it read very similar to a college textbook at times （a lot of times）。 I recommend this to folks who are more than the causal Egyptian history buff。 。。。more
Elisa
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The subject matter of this book is fascinating， but personally I found the way it’s written too dry and technical。 My knowledge of Egyptian history is not as limited as other subjects， and yet most of this material went over my head。 I liked the parts that recreate the time of the pharaohs， but the descriptions of the temples， for instance， were so detailed as to specify the measurements of the columns， in cubits。 There are too many dates， geographical details and names to hold my attention for The subject matter of this book is fascinating， but personally I found the way it’s written too dry and technical。 My knowledge of Egyptian history is not as limited as other subjects， and yet most of this material went over my head。 I liked the parts that recreate the time of the pharaohs， but the descriptions of the temples， for instance， were so detailed as to specify the measurements of the columns， in cubits。 There are too many dates， geographical details and names to hold my attention for long。 I’m sure that readers who enjoy historical treatises will love it， since it’s very well researched， but it’s too technical for laypeople with only a casual interest in the matter。I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased。 Thank you， #NetGalley/#St。 Martin's Press！ 。。。more
Saltygalreads
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Egypt's Golden Couple is an exploration of the lives of Akhenaten and Nefertiti， who ruled Egypt from 1352-1336 BCE during the Eighteenth Dynasty。 Most people would recognize the iconic bust of Nerfertiti， with her tall conical hat， full lips and beautiful lined eyes。 They are also known as the parents of the famous boy-king of Egypt， Tutankhamun。 This heavily researched book outlines the ways in which Akhenaten relegated the many ancient gods of Egypt to the background， and elevated Aten， the s Egypt's Golden Couple is an exploration of the lives of Akhenaten and Nefertiti， who ruled Egypt from 1352-1336 BCE during the Eighteenth Dynasty。 Most people would recognize the iconic bust of Nerfertiti， with her tall conical hat， full lips and beautiful lined eyes。 They are also known as the parents of the famous boy-king of Egypt， Tutankhamun。 This heavily researched book outlines the ways in which Akhenaten relegated the many ancient gods of Egypt to the background， and elevated Aten， the sun god， to prominence as the one and only god of Egypt at the time。 Through a myriad of ceremonies， spectacles， writings and rituals， Akhenaten and Nefertiti also elevated themselves as the representation of Aten on earth - essentially gods themselves through which their subjects could connect and communicate with their god。This is a research-heavy book， which delves into the rituals of these rulers and their ancient writings， as well as their life with their seven children。 It provides fascinating insight into the methods that the rulers used to create mystery， reverence and spectacle around themselves， so that they might convince their subjects to revere the god of Akhenaten's choosing and regard the royal family as deserving of worship and loyalty。 Given that some 1345 years later in basically the same region of the world， a Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be the living representative of God on earth and the only path to heaven， creating spectacles and miracles to convince people to follow him; it does cause one to think deeply about the ways in which humans can be convinced to believe and pursue faith and worship。This is a well-researched and fascinating book。 It is not for the casual reader or someone with only a passing interest in Egyptology， however if you are a non-fiction reader with an interest in ancient religion and ritual， or in Egyptian dynasties， then you will most certainly enjoy it。 Many thanks St。 Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy。 。。。more
Stephanie Locklear Albrecht
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Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。I love love love anything there is to learn about ancient Egypt。 So much so that it's one of the big reasons I ended up studying anthropology， archaeology， and classical civilizations。 That is to say that I've read a lot about pharaohs， deities， and ancient culture specifically related to Egypt。While I have no doubts about the knowledge and experience professionally of the authors， this book was difficult t Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。I love love love anything there is to learn about ancient Egypt。 So much so that it's one of the big reasons I ended up studying anthropology， archaeology， and classical civilizations。 That is to say that I've read a lot about pharaohs， deities， and ancient culture specifically related to Egypt。While I have no doubts about the knowledge and experience professionally of the authors， this book was difficult to get through。 It's not that it's lacking in historical information， it's that it feels hard to take it all seriously。 It reads a little too on the historical fiction side and gets blurry as to when the authors are stating facts or fiction or when they're just wanting to talk about and promote themselves。 If it had stuck to one or the other it could have had the potential to be a decent read。 。。。more
Candy
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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review。The authors are Egyptologists who examine the intriguing and controversial reign of King Tut's parents， Akhenaten and Nefertiti。 Previous biographies sometimes paint different， and even contradicting， pictures of this royal couple。 The authors use excavations， museums， hieroglyphic texts and artifacts as clues， and reconstruct the reign of Akhenaten and Nefertiti。Unfortunately， I had a hard t Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review。The authors are Egyptologists who examine the intriguing and controversial reign of King Tut's parents， Akhenaten and Nefertiti。 Previous biographies sometimes paint different， and even contradicting， pictures of this royal couple。 The authors use excavations， museums， hieroglyphic texts and artifacts as clues， and reconstruct the reign of Akhenaten and Nefertiti。Unfortunately， I had a hard time following the information。 There is an immense amount presented， as well as discussion。 It read in some parts like a textbook， and some parts were historical fiction。 The book is well-researched and and will definitely delight those who have more than just a passing interesting in Egyptology。https://candysplanet。wordpress。com/ 。。。more
Catharine
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Special thanks to Netgalley and St。 Martin's Press for allowing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review！ I have always been interested in ancient Egypt and when I was offered to read this book I knew IMMEDIATELY I was going to love it。 I am also huge fans of the authors， specifically Colleen because she is so fun， stylish， and incredibly interesting。 Not to say that John isn't， but I thoroughly enjoy watching their adventures via Instagram。 So when I also saw this book was written b Special thanks to Netgalley and St。 Martin's Press for allowing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review！ I have always been interested in ancient Egypt and when I was offered to read this book I knew IMMEDIATELY I was going to love it。 I am also huge fans of the authors， specifically Colleen because she is so fun， stylish， and incredibly interesting。 Not to say that John isn't， but I thoroughly enjoy watching their adventures via Instagram。 So when I also saw this book was written by them， I knew I was HOOKED。 The story here follows exactly what the title says。。。the lives of a specific Pharaoh and his Queen。 It gives some before and after history so the reader can understand the history within its contemporary events but mainly focuses on the time Akhenaten is alive and ruling。 I absolutely adored reading this。 History books sometimes can get boring or text book-ey。。。this is NOT that book！！ Everything spoken about is written in a way that anyone would understand。 It does not matter if you know nothing about ancient Egypt， John and Colleen do a fabulous job explaining everything in a fun and interesting way。 I personally have always been intrigued by Akhenaten's rule and the changes he made to his country while Pharaoh and this book definitely scratched an itch I have had for awhile！ I also enjoyed the little vignettes of what life would have been like back then， or how they as people would have reacted to certain things。。。it really brings the reader closer to the people who were actually alive and not just thinking of them all as statues from ancient times。 If you love ancient Egyptian history， or want to start learning about it， this is a great book to read！ John and Colleen are excellent writers who can easily write "lay people" books along with their academic papers。 Definitely a great read！ 。。。more
Eileen Kennedy
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Akhenaten and Nefertiti， parents of Tutankhamun， vary in reputation from good to bad。 Their analyses in this work are presented through historic events and objects to present informed and documented opinions。 Hieroglyph representations display the divine attributes and identities of these two figures; the accuracy is questionable since they were influenced by the royals themselves。 There is much to learn through these carvings about the rulers， considered the first offspring of the creator deity Akhenaten and Nefertiti， parents of Tutankhamun， vary in reputation from good to bad。 Their analyses in this work are presented through historic events and objects to present informed and documented opinions。 Hieroglyph representations display the divine attributes and identities of these two figures; the accuracy is questionable since they were influenced by the royals themselves。 There is much to learn through these carvings about the rulers， considered the first offspring of the creator deity， themselves， as well as the development of the writing and grammar systems。 This couple together revised the faith and sought a new space to perform rituals。 Akhenaten’s prime interest is religion; Nefertiti whose name reflects the beauty with which she is associated。is a worthy companion ruler to her husband。 He depicts himself as a victor and at times an inventor; she is Known worldwide for her famous profile in artistic depictions。 They are together portrayed as special， unique， divinely-blessed and adored by their people。 John Coleman Darnell and Colleen Darnell’s work is unique; it is a creative， artistic and historic analysis of a dynasty。 They have made these distant figures human at times， experiencing emotions。 There is much to learn; however， for this reader it was at times too technical and confusing。 。。。more
Amy
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This book is a deep dive into the lives of Akhenaten and Nefertiti who were the parents of Tutankhamun （King Tut）。 My interest in reading this book was that I knew Akhenaten and Nefertiti radically changed the worship of the gods during their rule， something that I find quite interesting。There is a lot to be absorbed by reading this book。 Basic knowledge of the history of the time is helpful but not completely necessary， this book provided enough background information to get the reader through。 This book is a deep dive into the lives of Akhenaten and Nefertiti who were the parents of Tutankhamun （King Tut）。 My interest in reading this book was that I knew Akhenaten and Nefertiti radically changed the worship of the gods during their rule， something that I find quite interesting。There is a lot to be absorbed by reading this book。 Basic knowledge of the history of the time is helpful but not completely necessary， this book provided enough background information to get the reader through。A few things that I appreciated about the book were the chapter layout， the discussion of scholarly debates and research of this time period， and the bibliography。 Each chapter started with an imagined scene based on research evidence。 The rest of the chapter expands on the research。 Of particular interest to me was the explanation of hieroglyphics， how they are translated， and where translation can be difficult。 The bibliography sets out the sources and makes clear the depth of research that went into writing this book。It took me slightly longer than average to read this book， but it was time well spent。Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC copy of this book。 This review is my honest opinion。 。。。more
Rick Brown
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A very interesting book that was clearly well researched and written by knowledgeable authors。 I would have given it four stars except it read too much like a college textbook at times。
Leslie Zemeckis
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Thorough and entertaining look at King Tut’s parents - considered gods and goddesses and the journey the authors took to uncover their information。
SmokingMirror
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For the question， "if you could time travel， when would you go？" my answer has long been， to Egypt during the Amarna period。 Not that it's even my favorite period in Egyptian history， and there are other times and places I have more of an emotional connection to， but I used to lie sleepless in my bed， tormented by the questions of who were Tutankhamun's parents， who was Smenkhkare and what happened to Nefertiti。 Of course， it's hard to see why the people who knew the answers to these questions， For the question， "if you could time travel， when would you go？" my answer has long been， to Egypt during the Amarna period。 Not that it's even my favorite period in Egyptian history， and there are other times and places I have more of an emotional connection to， but I used to lie sleepless in my bed， tormented by the questions of who were Tutankhamun's parents， who was Smenkhkare and what happened to Nefertiti。 Of course， it's hard to see why the people who knew the answers to these questions， or thought they did， would confide in an odd foreigner who barely spoke the language （ha） but could write a bit。 Anyway， I was excited to receive this book as an ARC from Netgalley。 Although it did not provide satisfying answers to all my questions， it seems to solidly address some of the outstanding problems of the reign of Akhnaten and Nefertiti。 I am still worried by the identity by the identity of Kiye。 Why was she thought to be the mother of Tutankhamun for a time and now considered unrelated to him？ Are we sure that the mummy said to be Akhnaten the heretic， hated by Amun， is actually his？ I suppose there is DNA to be examined， as well as the labels placed on the mummies during antiquity that give some answers but I would like to have been shown more thoroughly the process through which current ideas about the end of the 18th dynasty developed。 We have the author's version， which is why I recommend reading many books about the golden couple。。 If you are reading popular books on the subject， this one works fine。 I did not think that the narrative introductions to the chapters were an entirely successful way to convey the information which the reader needs to understand what was going on。 It seemed like the dramatic nature of the presentation overwhelmed the facts， and it was kind of a flip flop to switch from what would ordinarily be a fictional type of material to the outright scholarly descriptions。 The chapters on Akhetaten were fascinating， as was the discovery the authors made in the Eastern Desert。 Thank you NetGalley 。。。more
Jessica Jones
，
Egypt's Golden Couple such an interesting read。 Especially for a lover of Egypt history。 Getting to know Akhenaten and Nefertiti on a personal level after years of study。 Their way of life and the choices they made every day。 This is a must read for any fan of Ancient Egypt history。 Egypt's Golden Couple such an interesting read。 Especially for a lover of Egypt history。 Getting to know Akhenaten and Nefertiti on a personal level after years of study。 Their way of life and the choices they made every day。 This is a must read for any fan of Ancient Egypt history。 。。。more
R J Mckay
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I received a copy of this book from Goodreads in exchange for a review。This book is a history lesson told in an easy-to-read narrative。 The authors， John and Colleen Darnell， do a deep dive into the lives of Akhenaten and Nefertiti， the golden couple of their time， and their assentation to the status of gods。I for one have always enjoyed watching the shows on tv where a tomb is unearthed in Egypt of this Pharaoh or that king。 And I dare say that there isn’t a person alive who hasn’t heard of Tut I received a copy of this book from Goodreads in exchange for a review。This book is a history lesson told in an easy-to-read narrative。 The authors， John and Colleen Darnell， do a deep dive into the lives of Akhenaten and Nefertiti， the golden couple of their time， and their assentation to the status of gods。I for one have always enjoyed watching the shows on tv where a tomb is unearthed in Egypt of this Pharaoh or that king。 And I dare say that there isn’t a person alive who hasn’t heard of Tutankhamun。 This book tells the story of his parents。 There is a lot to read and absorb in this book， and I found it best if I did so in smaller doses。 I learned so much about the culture， beliefs， and religion。 The Darnell’s did a thorough job of reconstructing the lives of Akhenaten and Nefertiti。 I could almost imagine the golden couple walking past， or riding past on their chariot， and all the pageantry that surround them。 。。。more
James （JD） Dittes
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There are many pharaohs that come to mind before the heretic， Akhenaten: Rameses II， Hatchepsut， Khafre of the Great Pyramid of Giza， and even a few of the heretic's direct descendants: Tutmose and Amenhotep III。 But when it comes to royal couples， Akhenaten and his beautiful queen， Nefertiti， reign supremem。There is a lot of literature on the couple and their time ruling Egypt。 To summarize， the pharaoh （who was crowned Amenhotep IV before changing his name to acknowlege the one god） consolidat There are many pharaohs that come to mind before the heretic， Akhenaten: Rameses II， Hatchepsut， Khafre of the Great Pyramid of Giza， and even a few of the heretic's direct descendants: Tutmose and Amenhotep III。 But when it comes to royal couples， Akhenaten and his beautiful queen， Nefertiti， reign supremem。There is a lot of literature on the couple and their time ruling Egypt。 To summarize， the pharaoh （who was crowned Amenhotep IV before changing his name to acknowlege the one god） consolidated the worship of gods into the worship of Aten， the sun with warm hands at the end of its rays， and went so far as to move the kingdom's capital from Luxor/Thebes to a site now known as Al Amarna then known as "Akhetaten。"What the Darnells bring to the story is a bit of new evidence。 Subsequent pharaohs dismantled the heretic's capital city， and removed many references to the royal couple during the subsequent， short reign of their son， Tutankhamum， and thereafter。 What archaeologists have found in recent years is the remains of those temples were used as filler material for the pylons and buildings of later dynasties。 This has opened a host of new clues about the couple and their grandiose intentions， as well as a peek into life in Akhetaten。The second element cleverly spun into this book is the Darnells' structure。 Each chapter begins with a detailed dramatisation from the lives of Akhetaten and Nefertiti: a chariot ride through the city， a coronation， even the workshop where the famous bust of Nefertiti was created。 These scenes put the reader front and center into the world and the worldview of the subjects。 The second part in each chapter goes into the archaeological evidence that underpins the descriptions。What I think the Darnells （the galley I read from NetGalley identified John AND Colleen Darnell as the authors， not just the latter） achieved for me was an insight into the mind of Akhenaten。 His heresy wasn't necessarily a rejection of Egyptian theology as it was a revelation of it。 Akhenaten really did see himself as the embodiment of god--and in many respects， even conjugal relations， he and Nefertiti acted out the work of god。I also "saw" the city of Akhetaten for the first time through their rich descriptions and detailed analysis。Egypt's Golden Couple isn't just a look AT the lifetime of a fascinating royal marriage， it is a look INTO the minds that turned a great civilization on edge and created a new city， and a new ideology that fascinates still today。 。。。more
Kevin Halter
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Egypt's Golden Couple by John and Colleen Darnell is an interesting look at Akhenaten and Nefertiti the parents of Tutankhamun。By examining various records， information and art the authors try to bring to life the past。 At several points in the book the others comment that the Egyptian considered the remembrance of the dead is a sort of immortality that the ancient Egyptians would have appreciated。 The authors also attempt to give a more rounded version of Akhenaten who as they say "has been the Egypt's Golden Couple by John and Colleen Darnell is an interesting look at Akhenaten and Nefertiti the parents of Tutankhamun。By examining various records， information and art the authors try to bring to life the past。 At several points in the book the others comment that the Egyptian considered the remembrance of the dead is a sort of immortality that the ancient Egyptians would have appreciated。 The authors also attempt to give a more rounded version of Akhenaten who as they say "has been the subject of radically different， even contradictory， biographies。 The king has achieved fame as the world's first individual and the first monotheist， but others have seen him as an incestuous tyrant who nearly ruined the kingdom he ruled。" The biggest drawback for me with the book was the time jumps in the narrative were sometimes jarring and could have been distinguished a little better in the text。Thank you #NetGalley， #StMartinsPress and the authors for the ARC of #Egypt'sGoldenCouple。 。。。more
John Majerle
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I very much enjoyed reading this book。 I previously only had a passing knowledge of Akhenaten and Nefertiti but after reading this I almost feel like we have met。My only disappointment is with the lack of pictures， illustrations， and maps that might have made it easier for an amateur like myself to follow the content。I looking forward to a follow up book on the author's latest discoveries！ I very much enjoyed reading this book。 I previously only had a passing knowledge of Akhenaten and Nefertiti but after reading this I almost feel like we have met。My only disappointment is with the lack of pictures， illustrations， and maps that might have made it easier for an amateur like myself to follow the content。I looking forward to a follow up book on the author's latest discoveries！ 。。。more
Ashlee Bree
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This was an in-depth and discerning account of Akhenaten and Nefertiti， one of Ancient Egypt's iconic power couples。 Part archaeological analysis， part travelogue， and part fictional reimagining， this book takes readers on a chronological trek through their lives and reign。 It focuses on how they reshaped various aspects of Egyptian art， architecture， politics， culture， and religion， paying special emphasis on how they took Egyptian solar worship from polytheistic to monotheistic。Egyptology has This was an in-depth and discerning account of Akhenaten and Nefertiti， one of Ancient Egypt's iconic power couples。 Part archaeological analysis， part travelogue， and part fictional reimagining， this book takes readers on a chronological trek through their lives and reign。 It focuses on how they reshaped various aspects of Egyptian art， architecture， politics， culture， and religion， paying special emphasis on how they took Egyptian solar worship from polytheistic to monotheistic。Egyptology has long fascinated me。 I have always been interested in history， in pyramids and hieroglyphics， in the lives of pharaohs and their wives and their progeny， so I hoped there would be much to entice me in this book。 A lot of new knowledge I would be able to accrue。 There were informative passages and intriguing insights about Akhenaten and Nefertiti that were new to me， and I relished those with readerly vigor， but at times they were overshadowed by the disjointed pacing， which could be dense at best and cumbersome at worst。 The transitions that existed between the travelogue and research sections weren't always obvious， either。 They could be difficult to follow。 I had to focus hard， chew on them a bit until I was able to catch up again。 Overall， I thought this was well-researched and educational。 My only complaint is that I wish it would've had a more cohesive flow because I believe it would've elevated my reading experience。 Still， I would recommend this to anyone who's interested in Ancient Egyptian history。Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my review。BOOK BLOG 。。。more
Inés Molina
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I have always been curious， fascinated with Egypt's history。 I'm happy i got the opportunity to read this and dive into what was Egypt。 I found it interesting how they saw the sun as a god， Re。 They worshipped animal heads with human bodies。 The book also gives us interpretations of what some of the Egyptian text says。 The translation of the Hymn to Aten， struck something in my soul。 This book sheds a light into Egypt and after reading it， i am all the more intrigued。 I have always been curious， fascinated with Egypt's history。 I'm happy i got the opportunity to read this and dive into what was Egypt。 I found it interesting how they saw the sun as a god， Re。 They worshipped animal heads with human bodies。 The book also gives us interpretations of what some of the Egyptian text says。 The translation of the Hymn to Aten， struck something in my soul。 This book sheds a light into Egypt and after reading it， i am all the more intrigued。 。。。more
Debra
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King Tut （Tutankhamun ） is a household name and November 2022 marks the centennial of the discovery of his tomb。 His parents， Akhenaten and Nefertiti were viewed as Gods on Earth due to their transformation of solar worship， innovations in art and urban design， impact on culture， religion， and politics。This one took me some time to get through as there is a lot to absorb。 I have always been interested and in ancient Egypt: the pharaohs， pyramids， artifacts， history， and the way of life， so I tho King Tut （Tutankhamun ） is a household name and November 2022 marks the centennial of the discovery of his tomb。 His parents， Akhenaten and Nefertiti were viewed as Gods on Earth due to their transformation of solar worship， innovations in art and urban design， impact on culture， religion， and politics。This one took me some time to get through as there is a lot to absorb。 I have always been interested and in ancient Egypt: the pharaohs， pyramids， artifacts， history， and the way of life， so I thought I would love this book。 There were parts that were immensely interesting and informative and others that had me wondering how is this entirely a nonfiction history book with the opening chapter sections which tell scenes/imagined scenes from the character's lives？ I know these were added to give readers insight into life back then， but for some reason， I didn’t care for them。The authors know their stuff and have done a lot of research throughout their careers。 While some might find the imagined scenes interesting and worthwhile， they hindered my enjoyment of the book。 Don't get me wrong， this is still a worthwhile read especially those who are interested in Egyptology。 Well researched， interesting， and informative。Thank you to St。 Martin’s Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All the thoughts and opinions are my own。Read more of my reviews at www。openbookposts。com 。。。more
Kendra
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I love reading about archaeology and what it tells us about the lives of the past， but this was written in such an incredibly dull way I could hardly drag myself to the end。 It needed much more editor intervention and polishing， particularly evening out poor transitions， tone， and exposition。
Abbie | abbienruis
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A great dive into Egypt’s most extraordinary and iconic power couples。This one took me a while to trek through， but I appreciated all of the narrative-like openings to the chapters， giving you glimpses of life in Ancient Egypt。 I admit I was totally lost trying to keep track of the names and who was who。 I feel like I needed a physical family tree in my lap anytime I opened the arc of this on my phone 😂 I will definitely be referring back to this for writing research when the physical copy comes A great dive into Egypt’s most extraordinary and iconic power couples。This one took me a while to trek through， but I appreciated all of the narrative-like openings to the chapters， giving you glimpses of life in Ancient Egypt。 I admit I was totally lost trying to keep track of the names and who was who。 I feel like I needed a physical family tree in my lap anytime I opened the arc of this on my phone 😂 I will definitely be referring back to this for writing research when the physical copy comes out。 It was very research-heavy， which is to be expected， but I always like history books that appeal to the historical figures humanity。 Grant it， everyone mentioned in this book died thousands of years ago， but still。 Other than that， it was an interesting read。 🎵 Songs I Listened to While Reading: POV: ancient egypt but you're in love with the pharoah on Spotify 🎵 Writing Quality: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆Plot: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆Pacing: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆Enjoyment Level: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆「 Overall: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ 」 。。。more
Eugenia
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This was definitely an enjoyable read， both for amateur history buffs and people who consider themselves more of a lay expert。 It was well written and well researched as well as I could tell， Once again， not a huge fan of the fact that there were zero illustrations which for me are key for any history book。 Definitely a good place to start for anyone who is interested in the most current research on Akhenaten。
Paula B
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