Tutankhamen's Curse

Joyce Tyldesley's books include acclaimed biographies of Rameses the Great, and the queens Hatchepsut and Nefertiti. She is the author of Egypt: How a Lost Civilization Was Rediscovered, which accompanied a major BBC television series. Her books have been published all over the world. She lives in Bolton, Lancashire.

Tyldesley's strength has always been her storytelling, and here she is on top form Sunday Telegraph This excellent biography scores with a wealth of splendid detail. Independent [An] engaging reconstruction of [King Tutankhamen's] tomb discovery, family and life. Fluent in her subject, Tyldesley gives her own spin to the story in order to get beyond the sensational nonsense... Tyldesley does an admirable detective job of reconstructing the boy king's narrative. Kirkus reviews [An] authoritative book... If Tyldesley finds the curse stories empty nourishment, the core of her book reveals Egyptian history to be full of more satisfying riches. Sifting through the findings from Tutankhamen's tomb, and the arguments of Egyptologists since, she aims to resurrect the man behind the mask. She succeeds: Tutankhamen emerges as a credible figure, a ruler presiding over a turning point in history, when his father Akhenaten's heresies were abandoned and the polytheistic traditions revived... That has always been Tutankhamen's power: ...to charm all who encounter him. As Tyldesley confesses, he kindled her schoolgirl fixation with ancient Egypt. She calls this 'my own personal version of Tutankhamen's curse', but if it inspires books like this, the rest of us may consider it a kind of blessing. Sunday Times Tyldesley's account of [Howard] Carter's momentous find and the clearance of the tomb is brought to life with contemporary quotes and colourful details... [Tyldesley is] a gifted storyteller... Her writing is crystal-clear and charmingly irreverent... She puts what little we know about Tutankhamun [sic] into context, giving a fascinating discussion of the discovery's social history. Nature [S]olidly researched and accessibly written. The range of topics covered is impressive. Guardian [Tutankhamen] is undeniably an entertaining read and full of interesting information... [Tyldesley] livens up her narrative with some arresting details... [E]njoyable. The Sunday Business Post (Ireland) In this well-researched study for the general reader, Tyldesley acknowledges the fragile nature of her biographical reconstructions, presenting conflicting theories and drawing careful conclusions. Highly recommended for all Egyptophiles. Library Journal