Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Crown (2014), Edition: 1st, 320 pages
Description
Biography & Autobiography. History. Nonfiction. HTML: 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… (more)
Media reviews
We’ve come a long way since the 15th century B.C., but what’s interesting is how much remains the same.
User reviews
LibraryThing member santhony
I received this book from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.
As a coincidence, I recently viewed a History of Ancient Egypt, a scholarly presentation by Egyptologist Bob Brier, just prior to receiving The Woman Who Would be King. As a result, I was familiar with Hatshepsut and the
The author of this non-fiction work was faced with a difficult task: How to present a book length treatment of a historical figure for which very little historical data is present, without drifting saw far into speculation and hagiography as to lose its non-fiction status. The same problem was presented in Alison Weir’s “biography” of Eleanor of Aquitaine, a historical figure of much more recent vintage and for whom we have much greater historical data. By and large, I was not terribly impressed with the result in this case.
We know a little about Hatshepsut from the scant historical record. She was undoubtedly a fascinating and extremely important historical figure. We also know something about the roles she filled and from this we can make relatively sound presumptions. However, the author takes some pretty substantial liberties with these presumptions and in some cases ventures into the absurd. She covers herself by inserting “mealy-mouthed” qualifiers such as “One can imagine…”, liberal use of the words “perhaps”, “may have” and “probably”, followed by flights of fancy whereby the author opines on the personality of long dead ancient Egyptians without any basis of fact whatsoever. For example, we have this silly attempt at divining a self-esteem problem suffered by one of Hatshepsut’s advisors, Senenmut:
“Did Senemut harbor a secret anxiety that he did not fit in at the palace? Was he ashamed when a learned elite from a venerable old family said something at which he knew he should take offense, but which he did not really understand? Did he cover over that disgrace with a witty retort?”
Such writing really has no place in a non-fiction work. Drafting complete supposition, with absolutely no basis in fact or the historical record, and then qualifying it with question marks and language does not disguise the fact that the author is venturing into the realm of fiction. She advances into hypocrisy when she labels fellow Egyptologist as “sensationalist” for proposing the theory that Tutankhamen was possibly murdered. Her flights of fancy are no less sensationalist due to the insertion of a question mark.
Here is the problem: There is not enough historical record to support a book length non-fiction treatment on Hatshepsut. We can take what is available and produce historical fiction, or we can produce a far shorter (and not commercially viable) scholarly treatise which advances theories which may have some support. The author has chosen something of a middle ground which has resulted in a still very short work, full of what rapidly becomes annoying phrases and leaps of logic with no historical support whatsoever. I cannot recommend it.
As a coincidence, I recently viewed a History of Ancient Egypt, a scholarly presentation by Egyptologist Bob Brier, just prior to receiving The Woman Who Would be King. As a result, I was familiar with Hatshepsut and the
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Egyptian rulers who preceded, included and followed her reign. I was also familiar with much of the other history, customs and theories surrounding the period.The author of this non-fiction work was faced with a difficult task: How to present a book length treatment of a historical figure for which very little historical data is present, without drifting saw far into speculation and hagiography as to lose its non-fiction status. The same problem was presented in Alison Weir’s “biography” of Eleanor of Aquitaine, a historical figure of much more recent vintage and for whom we have much greater historical data. By and large, I was not terribly impressed with the result in this case.
We know a little about Hatshepsut from the scant historical record. She was undoubtedly a fascinating and extremely important historical figure. We also know something about the roles she filled and from this we can make relatively sound presumptions. However, the author takes some pretty substantial liberties with these presumptions and in some cases ventures into the absurd. She covers herself by inserting “mealy-mouthed” qualifiers such as “One can imagine…”, liberal use of the words “perhaps”, “may have” and “probably”, followed by flights of fancy whereby the author opines on the personality of long dead ancient Egyptians without any basis of fact whatsoever. For example, we have this silly attempt at divining a self-esteem problem suffered by one of Hatshepsut’s advisors, Senenmut:
“Did Senemut harbor a secret anxiety that he did not fit in at the palace? Was he ashamed when a learned elite from a venerable old family said something at which he knew he should take offense, but which he did not really understand? Did he cover over that disgrace with a witty retort?”
Such writing really has no place in a non-fiction work. Drafting complete supposition, with absolutely no basis in fact or the historical record, and then qualifying it with question marks and language does not disguise the fact that the author is venturing into the realm of fiction. She advances into hypocrisy when she labels fellow Egyptologist as “sensationalist” for proposing the theory that Tutankhamen was possibly murdered. Her flights of fancy are no less sensationalist due to the insertion of a question mark.
Here is the problem: There is not enough historical record to support a book length non-fiction treatment on Hatshepsut. We can take what is available and produce historical fiction, or we can produce a far shorter (and not commercially viable) scholarly treatise which advances theories which may have some support. The author has chosen something of a middle ground which has resulted in a still very short work, full of what rapidly becomes annoying phrases and leaps of logic with no historical support whatsoever. I cannot recommend it.
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LibraryThing member ritaer
In the spirit of Sesame Street, this book is brought to you by the words "perhaps," "maybe," "might," and the entire conditional tense. I realize there is little known about the reign of Hatshepsut. That's why I wanted to read a ne book about her. But I felt that Cooney tried too hard to spin a
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monograph's worth of information into an entire book. I did learn interesting details about the ceremonies of the god Amen, and about the details of Hatshepsut's reign in terms of campaigns, rituals, temple building etc. I also learned that Thutmose III did not begin to destroy his aunt's legacy until over 2o years after her death. In summary, this book was interesting, but too long for the amount of information it contains. Show Less
LibraryThing member EmScape
Kara Cooney is a professor of Egyptian art and architecture. As such, her treatise on the life and rule of Hatshepsut is quite academic. From the description, I was expecting a more fictionalized tale, written as a story instead of a chronological account of the period and the monarch riddled with
However, the importance of a work regarding this important historical woman is evident. There seems to be much debate about Hatshepsut's reign and apparently prior Egyptologists have regarded her as a scheming, ambitious bitch. A more nuanced and feminist view of her reign is welcome.
I am sure a more academic reader would be better served by this text than I, so I would recommend it as a classroom text or introduction for a student seriously interested in archaeology or Egyptology.
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footnotes. Also, since much of the minutiae of Hatshepsut's life is not known, possibilities of what might have happened are strewn throughout. The myriad sentences and passages beginning with words and phrases such as "might have," "possibly," "likely," and "perhaps" actually serve to make her text less believable. It's clear that these assumptions are based on extensive research and understanding of the culture, but the reader just feels like she's making it all up. Because of this, the book falls into a space between an authoritative account of archaeological study and straight-up fiction. Many passages are quite repetitive, and reading it became a slog towards the end. However, the importance of a work regarding this important historical woman is evident. There seems to be much debate about Hatshepsut's reign and apparently prior Egyptologists have regarded her as a scheming, ambitious bitch. A more nuanced and feminist view of her reign is welcome.
I am sure a more academic reader would be better served by this text than I, so I would recommend it as a classroom text or introduction for a student seriously interested in archaeology or Egyptology.
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LibraryThing member Desilu42
I enjoyed learning about Hatshepsut's story but felt the book went back and forth to much and the dryness made the story hard to read through. I loved the content but felt it could have been written differently.
LibraryThing member kbuchanan
In this intriguing work, Cooney takes on the challenging prospect of tackling a full-length biography of a woman about whom we know relatively little. As Cooney states in her work, this has as much to do with the way that information was recorded and represented in ancient Egypt as it does to the
While there are many aspects of this texts that are both compelling and enjoyable, I found Cooney to be at her strongest when constructing her reading of Hatshepsut's theater of power. The fascinating and often surprising process by which Hatshepsut transforms herself from regent to Pharaoh is a joy to read. Her choices in self-representation are chronicled and illuminated by Cooney in a way that reads well, grounded in serious scholarship but open to speculation when required.
Obviously, due to the amount of speculation required in such an endeavor, there will always be detractors who believe this sort of thing should not be taken seriously. I think, however, that Cooney's expertise in the field does give credibility to her writing, even if imagination does occasionally run away a bit too far. Ultimately, I feel the effort is worth it. Cooney argues convincingly, creating a rich portrait of a vanished world and a unique, extraordinary woman.
Thank you to LibraryThing and Broadway Books for the Advanced Readers' copy.
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fact that these events simply took place so very long ago. Given that much of Hatshepsut's life as represented in this work must be conjecture, Cooney draws on her extensive experience in the field to present a vividly convincing picture of both day-to-day life in this time period, and the ins and outs of court intrigue. While there are many aspects of this texts that are both compelling and enjoyable, I found Cooney to be at her strongest when constructing her reading of Hatshepsut's theater of power. The fascinating and often surprising process by which Hatshepsut transforms herself from regent to Pharaoh is a joy to read. Her choices in self-representation are chronicled and illuminated by Cooney in a way that reads well, grounded in serious scholarship but open to speculation when required.
Obviously, due to the amount of speculation required in such an endeavor, there will always be detractors who believe this sort of thing should not be taken seriously. I think, however, that Cooney's expertise in the field does give credibility to her writing, even if imagination does occasionally run away a bit too far. Ultimately, I feel the effort is worth it. Cooney argues convincingly, creating a rich portrait of a vanished world and a unique, extraordinary woman.
Thank you to LibraryThing and Broadway Books for the Advanced Readers' copy.
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LibraryThing member mabith
Writing about ancient Egypt is a difficult task, and Cooney leaves us with an interesting book which gives us a lot to think about. One of the big problems with writing about the rulers in ancient Egypt is that the king-ship was seen as a sacred position, and the holiness of it could not be sullied
Cooney does go far in her suppositions, but she is upfront about when she's going out on a limb. The book provides a lot of sources and notes about the differing views between Egyptologists, and the reasons for her views in particular.
The key thing with Hatshepsut is that she seems to have been an incredibly intelligent, capable, and bold woman. It seems clear that she was involved in the large decisions during her husband's reign and that the priests and generals were happy for her to continue as regent when he died, despite her young age.
I enjoyed this book, and felt like I got a lot out of it. I think Cooney's suppositions are generally reasonable, barring the idea that Hatshepsut truly believed in the religious visions she describes and uses to justify her rule. She does not have to have been grasping or power-hungry in order to use religion to her own ends, there is a middle ground (and Thutmose III was still too young to rule at this point).
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by recording in writing political struggles, coups, how an heir was chosen, etc...Cooney does go far in her suppositions, but she is upfront about when she's going out on a limb. The book provides a lot of sources and notes about the differing views between Egyptologists, and the reasons for her views in particular.
The key thing with Hatshepsut is that she seems to have been an incredibly intelligent, capable, and bold woman. It seems clear that she was involved in the large decisions during her husband's reign and that the priests and generals were happy for her to continue as regent when he died, despite her young age.
I enjoyed this book, and felt like I got a lot out of it. I think Cooney's suppositions are generally reasonable, barring the idea that Hatshepsut truly believed in the religious visions she describes and uses to justify her rule. She does not have to have been grasping or power-hungry in order to use religion to her own ends, there is a middle ground (and Thutmose III was still too young to rule at this point).
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LibraryThing member Storeetllr
Well-researched, but there is just too little archaeological evidence on the reign of Hatshepsut for a full-length book. I think a shorter work, like a treatise or monograph, would have been sufficient. I did enjoy learning about some of the more esoteric details about religious rituals and
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political framework of this period of ancient Egypt, and the author's thoughts on how and why Hatshepsut was able to become a king in a time when women were mere adjuncts with little power of their own, though after a few dozen "maybes" and "could haves," I started to get annoyed. I also found it interesting that her successor didn't begin his work of destruction of her monuments and obliteration of her accomplishments and her very name until 20 years after he became ruler, which kind of rules out revenge as a motive. It was interesting but just a bit too long for my taste. Show Less
LibraryThing member riofriotex
Probably best for those with an intense interest in ancient Egypt, this book is nonetheless an interesting one, about a little-known early female ruler, Hatshepsut. Author Kara Cooney, a professor of Egyptian art and architecture, makes a lot of assumptions about the life of this woman, as there is
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little left about her in the historical record (and her suppositions as to why that is the case are part of this narrative, too). My advance reader edition had 41 pages of footnotes (which were not quite complete) and an 11-page bibliography, so it is clear the book is well-researched. This isn't a book for the merely curious, as the terminology assumes that the reader is familiar with Egyptology. Show Less
LibraryThing member dpappas
She was the most formidable and successful woman to ever rule in the ancient Western world, and yet today few people can even pronounce her name.
Kara Cooney clearly has a passion for Ancient Egypt and especially for Hatshepsut, that is evident in this book. I realize now that as a reader who is
Usually when I read a biography or a book on a topic in history I like to be able to read actual facts about that topic. With Ancient Egypt (and especially Hatshepsut) readers are left to rely on hypotheses based upon ancient artifacts that have been found. Having said that, this book contained a lot of conjecture not only on the details concerning Hatshepsut's reign but also concerning her motivations and emotions. I don't necessarily mind the conjecture concerning her reign, it was the conjecture about her motivation that I didn't like and felt was unnecessary. The attempt to really humanize Hatshepsut didn't work for me as there is little evidence of any person's motivations during those times.
In the middle of the book Cooney really starts to focus on Hatshepsut's reign as king and what she accomplished (instead of her motivation) and it was really quite interesting. There is no doubt that Hatshepsut was an important and powerful woman in the ancient world and this book really reinforces why we should all strive to learn more about her. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the galley.
Kara Cooney clearly has a passion for Ancient Egypt and especially for Hatshepsut, that is evident in this book. I realize now that as a reader who is
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looking to learn more about Ancient Egypt (and who is not passionate about it) that I might not have been a part of the target audience for this book.Usually when I read a biography or a book on a topic in history I like to be able to read actual facts about that topic. With Ancient Egypt (and especially Hatshepsut) readers are left to rely on hypotheses based upon ancient artifacts that have been found. Having said that, this book contained a lot of conjecture not only on the details concerning Hatshepsut's reign but also concerning her motivations and emotions. I don't necessarily mind the conjecture concerning her reign, it was the conjecture about her motivation that I didn't like and felt was unnecessary. The attempt to really humanize Hatshepsut didn't work for me as there is little evidence of any person's motivations during those times.
In the middle of the book Cooney really starts to focus on Hatshepsut's reign as king and what she accomplished (instead of her motivation) and it was really quite interesting. There is no doubt that Hatshepsut was an important and powerful woman in the ancient world and this book really reinforces why we should all strive to learn more about her. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the galley.
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LibraryThing member briandrewz
A decent look at the life of an ambitious woman who rose from being king's wife to the longest reigning female pharaoh in ancient Egypt.
Kara Cooney has little to go on in terms of source material, as the ancient Egyptians only recorded the things they wanted recorded and not much else. So,
I did find the repetitiveness of the sexual behavior a bit much. Granted, this was a huge part of Hatshepsut's life as God's Wife of Amen. I also did not like the way the author inserted Hatshepsut's point of view, for which there is no evidence.
In the author's note, the author quite rightly states that this is a fantasy.
Kara Cooney has little to go on in terms of source material, as the ancient Egyptians only recorded the things they wanted recorded and not much else. So,
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basically, all we have are the good deeds done by Hatshepsut.I did find the repetitiveness of the sexual behavior a bit much. Granted, this was a huge part of Hatshepsut's life as God's Wife of Amen. I also did not like the way the author inserted Hatshepsut's point of view, for which there is no evidence.
In the author's note, the author quite rightly states that this is a fantasy.
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LibraryThing member MarysGirl
I have read historical fiction about Hatshepsut in the past, but little non-fiction. I'm lucky to live in New York where the Metropolitan Museum of Art has a wonderful Egyptian section and featured a Hatshepsut exhibition a few years ago. One of the reasons we have so many statues of her is because
I liked this book. I felt Cooney provided a thorough background for King Hatshepsut and led us logically from one stage of her development to the next with her conclusions. As with much of ancient history, there are (many) more questions than answers, but Cooney fills in the gaps with well-reasoned suppositions. My biggest surprise was the profound influence religion had on Hatshepsuts ascendancy to power and her ability to hold onto it. I have to admit I think I would forgo the kingship if I had to spend a lot of my day tending to a statue. The discussion of religious rituals and holidays were fascinating. I would recommend this book to anyone who is studying this era or has an intense interest in it. Those who are more used to popular biographies might find it a bit dry, but I love reading footnotes, so it was right up my alley.
I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from the publisher which did not influence my review.
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they were broken and thrown into a pit by her successors and thus preserved from the elements and looters. So much for my personal knowledge.I liked this book. I felt Cooney provided a thorough background for King Hatshepsut and led us logically from one stage of her development to the next with her conclusions. As with much of ancient history, there are (many) more questions than answers, but Cooney fills in the gaps with well-reasoned suppositions. My biggest surprise was the profound influence religion had on Hatshepsuts ascendancy to power and her ability to hold onto it. I have to admit I think I would forgo the kingship if I had to spend a lot of my day tending to a statue. The discussion of religious rituals and holidays were fascinating. I would recommend this book to anyone who is studying this era or has an intense interest in it. Those who are more used to popular biographies might find it a bit dry, but I love reading footnotes, so it was right up my alley.
I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from the publisher which did not influence my review.
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LibraryThing member girlwonder87
This book was very well researched and covers Hatshepsut's childhood through the destruction of her images after her death. It's presented in a relatively easy to read manner, and doesn't have a lot of archaeological jargon thrown in. I thought it was a fascinating read, but I have an interest in
If you're looking for a light read or a historical fic, this isn't the book for you. But if you have an interest in actual Egyptian history, by all means, read it.
I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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Egyptology, so I may be more biased than the average reader. The only thing I disliked was the many places where the author said "Hatshepsut may have felt..." or "She may have thought...". I think generalizations like these have no place in an otherwise scholarly book; we have no idea what Hatshepsut thought, since it was never written down, so stick to the facts!If you're looking for a light read or a historical fic, this isn't the book for you. But if you have an interest in actual Egyptian history, by all means, read it.
I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member raisamichele
I did not win this book during the Early Review selection, however, the description caught my attention. Therefore, I bought the book when it hit the bookstores. Conney did an excellent job with the writing, research and analysis of archeological information. It simply may be me, but I was
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expecting even more information about the magnificent Hatshepsut. Show Less
LibraryThing member CarriePalmer
Very easy and entertaining to read and easy to understand. I didn't like the way the author jumped to conclusions about Hatshepsut, her family, and her life without citing authorities and completely dismissed some researcher's work without talking about them and why the author thought their work
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should be dismissed. Show Less
LibraryThing member Janine2011
I really enjoyed reading about this women. I knew very little about her prior to reading this book and i feel more knowledgeable. The only downside is that a lot of the book is pure speculation because the Egyptians never kept records of certain scandelous events as the author notes so she
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basically makes assumptions of what happened in some cases.. but the author is up front about this and it doesn't really detract from the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member BooksCooksLooks
Not much is left to history about Hatshepsut as a lof of what was built during her time was destroyed in later reigns. This book is well researched and extensively footnoted but the author had no choice but to inject her theories and opinions as to where the research led her. She very clearly
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indicated when she was theorizing and I did find the work to be fascinating as I do enjoy reading about Ancient Egypt. It is more for the person with a deep interest than for the casual reader but I did find it to be a well written tribute to a woman long forgotten by history. Show Less
LibraryThing member queencersei
The Woman Who Would Be King chronicles the life of the nearly forgotten Egyptian ruler Hatshepsut. In a male dominated society, Hatshepsut improbably became a long and successful ruler of Egypt. While constantly balancing Egyptian society’s desire for a male heir, Hatshepsut was remarkable for
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leading her country through a period of economic and military stability. In the end it was the societal demand for a strong male pharaoh of good breeding that led to an assault on Hatshepsut’s memory years after her death. Erased from public knowledge by her successor Thutomose III, Hatshepsut has only recently been rediscovered by Egyptian historians. Her reign was so successful though, it deserves to be remembered. Show Less
LibraryThing member al.vick
Hatshepsut was an amazing woman. She was a daughter of a king, married her half brother as was the custom to become queen. She had power as a priestess of Amen, and her husband was sickly and did not live long . She likely had ruling power while serving as his queen and took even more as she
ruled
Hatshepsut built many temples and monuments during her life, though many were defaced after her death. Usually the King's mother would have been the previous king's daughter, but Tutmose III's mother was only a concubine. The author suggests that the defacing of her monuments was not a personal vendetta on the part of her successor, but may have been a way to ensure the father-son succession that followed. Hatshepsut's successor may have wanted to emphasize his own paternity since that was his only claim to the throne at a time when the King's mother was generally high-born.
This book is straight history, not a novel, but easy to follow and an enjoyable read. It is well researched, and while it contains a lot of supposition of motives and emotions for the characters, the author states that these are her own opinions and why she thinks these opinions are likely to be true.
ruled
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as regent for his two year old son when he died. She had a slow and deliberate rise to power, taking power a little bit at a time, and ensuring loyalty with generous gifts of money and titles. The author suggests that her country was willing to accept a woman in a traditionally male role because she provided stability, money, jobs and prosperity. She claimed that her rule was desired by the gods, and her success and Egypt's prosperity would have made that seem justified.Hatshepsut built many temples and monuments during her life, though many were defaced after her death. Usually the King's mother would have been the previous king's daughter, but Tutmose III's mother was only a concubine. The author suggests that the defacing of her monuments was not a personal vendetta on the part of her successor, but may have been a way to ensure the father-son succession that followed. Hatshepsut's successor may have wanted to emphasize his own paternity since that was his only claim to the throne at a time when the King's mother was generally high-born.
This book is straight history, not a novel, but easy to follow and an enjoyable read. It is well researched, and while it contains a lot of supposition of motives and emotions for the characters, the author states that these are her own opinions and why she thinks these opinions are likely to be true.
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LibraryThing member CinaChilders
The Woman Who Would Be King gives us a lot of background and detail on a woman who ruled ancient Egypt for almost twenty two years. It's an impressive account of her life and her reign. I only knew her name before and after finishing this book, I know more than ever about this remarkable woman.
LibraryThing member Rosenstern
The Woman Who Would be King by Kara Cooney.
The author of this book is a professor of Egypt art and architecture. It was about the life of Queen Hatsheput. The author opens up by offering reasons as to why Queen Hatsheput was not as well known as the other female rulers like Cleopatra. She posits a
The author of this book is a professor of Egypt art and architecture. It was about the life of Queen Hatsheput. The author opens up by offering reasons as to why Queen Hatsheput was not as well known as the other female rulers like Cleopatra. She posits a
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modern explanation- the patriarchal society that we live in may have played a part. I have to say, the writing kept you interested. Some books, the author writes in complicated language or with extreme dullness. Cooney managed to keep me reading. She was also very clear on her speculations, citing everything and backing up her theories with data. She did not go too much into the narrative, making fiction as she went along. She stuck to the facts and wrote the story according to history. You don’t even have to be interested in history to like this book. Even an inkling of interest in Egypt/Egyptology would do. While she is a well learned professor of this topic, Cooney wrote a novel that could be read by the masses. Her style was engaging and fun. Even the end notes were fun to read. Other than being fun and informing, I loved the cover. Don’t judge a book by its cover right? But the cover for this book was beautiful. The inky black background contained only one picture, a portrait of Queen Hatsheput surrounded by a light golden halo, as though her jewels and adornments were glowing. Really nice effect. Show Less
LibraryThing member goode2shews
The fascinating tale of a successful female pharoah during the 18th dynasty of Egypt. This brilliant woman manipulated the ancient Egyptian patriarchy to become first regent and then co-king, ruling alongside Thutmose III. Well-organized and easy to read. I would highly suggest this book to anyone
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who is interested in learning about powerful women in history. Show Less
LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: Hatshepsut was a rarity in the ancient world - and even in the modern one - a woman who held power of the greatest empire of her day. Born as daughter to Thutmose I, she served in the ceremonial position of Gods' Wife, before being married to her younger half-brother Thutmose II. When
Review: This was an interesting look at some ancient history, and I certainly learned a lot, but I didn't always find it the easiest read. Hatshepsut was a fascinating figure, and I like Cooney's idea to use her to examine the perception of and reaction to women in political power, although this was used more as an introduction to the biography than analyzed in any critical detail. Cooney does a nice job of explaining the relevant social, political, and religious aspects of life in ancient Egypt, something which I - as a relative neophyte to Egyptian history - greatly appreciated as a means of putting Hatshepsut's life into context. The writing was generally smooth, although there were places where it was harder for me to get through - I felt like it occasionally lost track of the main narrative thread of Hatshepsut's life and struggles, and thus lost some of its driving force and became somewhat dense.
I also thought that Cooney did a good job of differentiating fact from interpretation in her reconstruction of Hatshepsut's life, something that is not always the case in histories based on limited or fragmentary sources. (She occasionally ventured a little far into the "may have" form of sentence construction when discussing aspects of Hatshepsut's life for which there is no direct evidence, but that's preferable to treating interpolation and interpretation as truth.) One issue that did bother me is that the evidence that Cooney did have was rarely "on display", as it were. Early in the book she discusses how most of Hatshepsut's monuments were destroyed, but I was never entirely clear on a) how archaeologists could tell they were Hatshepsut's monuments in the first place, and b) what evidence remains that wasn't destroyed. Not that I need to see every statue or read every hieroglyph, but I would have appreciated some more direct discussion of where this information was coming from. 3 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: I found this book interesting but not exactly compelling. Those with a strong interest in ancient Egypt would certainly find this one worth a try, although those with a more casual interest may do better to stick to historical fiction set in ancient Egypt (a la Michelle Moran).
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Hatshepsut failed to produce an heir, and Thutmose II died young, Hatshepsut managed to become regent with the infant king Thutmose III, outmaneuvering his mother for political power, and eventually ascending to be pharaoh in her own right, ruling for 14 years, and overseeing one of Egypt's busiest periods of building. But shortly after her death, her monuments began to be defaced or destroyed, and her legacy was largely forgotten. Review: This was an interesting look at some ancient history, and I certainly learned a lot, but I didn't always find it the easiest read. Hatshepsut was a fascinating figure, and I like Cooney's idea to use her to examine the perception of and reaction to women in political power, although this was used more as an introduction to the biography than analyzed in any critical detail. Cooney does a nice job of explaining the relevant social, political, and religious aspects of life in ancient Egypt, something which I - as a relative neophyte to Egyptian history - greatly appreciated as a means of putting Hatshepsut's life into context. The writing was generally smooth, although there were places where it was harder for me to get through - I felt like it occasionally lost track of the main narrative thread of Hatshepsut's life and struggles, and thus lost some of its driving force and became somewhat dense.
I also thought that Cooney did a good job of differentiating fact from interpretation in her reconstruction of Hatshepsut's life, something that is not always the case in histories based on limited or fragmentary sources. (She occasionally ventured a little far into the "may have" form of sentence construction when discussing aspects of Hatshepsut's life for which there is no direct evidence, but that's preferable to treating interpolation and interpretation as truth.) One issue that did bother me is that the evidence that Cooney did have was rarely "on display", as it were. Early in the book she discusses how most of Hatshepsut's monuments were destroyed, but I was never entirely clear on a) how archaeologists could tell they were Hatshepsut's monuments in the first place, and b) what evidence remains that wasn't destroyed. Not that I need to see every statue or read every hieroglyph, but I would have appreciated some more direct discussion of where this information was coming from. 3 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: I found this book interesting but not exactly compelling. Those with a strong interest in ancient Egypt would certainly find this one worth a try, although those with a more casual interest may do better to stick to historical fiction set in ancient Egypt (a la Michelle Moran).
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LibraryThing member jen.e.moore
This is a solid biography of Hatshepsut, a woman who reigned as a king in Egypt first as regent for and then alongside her nephew, in an attempt to solidify her family's hold on the kingship. Cooney is writing half to a general audience and half to Egyptologists who she thinks have misinterpreted
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Hatshepsut's reign, so it turns out to be a fascinating insight into Egyptology research, too. Show Less
LibraryThing member karmabodhi
I loved this novel. In the interest of full disclosure, I love anything in the historical fiction genre pertaining to ancient Egypt. However, I thought the book was not only well written, I felt like I was right there with characters, and that is a hallmark of brilliant fiction.
LibraryThing member drsyko
I have long been fascinated with Egyptian history in general, and with Hatshepsut in particular, so I was very pleased to get this book from Early Reviewers. Kara Cooney takes a somewhat different approach to analyzing Hatshepsut's life by adding mostly logical conjecture about why Hatshepsut did
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what she did, and how she may have thought and felt about her own situation and her place in history. This book goes beyond a general recitation of facts, but not, in my opinion, beyond the bounds of reasonable interpretation of the motivations, thoughts and feelings that may have driven Hatshepsut's novel and daring decisions. If you like your history books to stick strictly to the facts, you may not enjoy this book. But if you enjoy attempting to analyze the psychology behind what drives powerful people, especially women, to make the choices they make, then you'll probably enjoy this book. As a psychologist I found it fascinating, and as an enthusiast for Hatshepsut, I found a new understanding of the possible personal and cultural elements that may have made her remarkable rise to power a possibility. I also enjoyed the more colloquial and less academic style of writing. Overall, this was an interesting and unique approach to telling the story of one of the world's great historic leaders. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2014-10-14
Physical description
320 p.; 9.52 inches
ISBN
9780307956767
Local notes
MJW - 13-L
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