AUDIO

The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt

by Kara Cooney
9 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 10½ hrs. Books on Tape. 2014. ISBN 9780804128360. $45; digital download. HIST
COPY ISBN
In her first book, Cooney (Egyptian art and architecture, UCLA) shines a light on Hatshepsut, who was born into privilege in ancient Egypt; her father usurped the throne and her mother had ties with the previous ruling family. When Hatshepsut failed to produce a male heir, she cross-dressed in order to ascend to the rank of pharaoh to reign with Thutmose III, who was still in infancy. She reigned during one of Egypt's most productive building periods and was the country's second documented female pharaoh, yet most of her monuments were destroyed within a few decades of her death. Cooney, who capably reads her own work, has constructed a lively narrative using the artifacts that remain. The book offers a fascinating account of one powerful woman's rise and fall.
VERDICT Highly recommended for listeners who are interested in ancient history, women's studies, and politics. ["Cooney does a fantastic job of breathing new life into her subject and showing the woman who dared to keep herself and her nephew… on the throne," read the starred review of the Crown hc, LJ 10/15/14.]
Reviewed by Pam Kingsbury, Univ. of North Alabama, Florence , Feb 15, 2015
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

MEDIA

Trailer Park Parable: A Memoir of How Three Brothers Strove To Rise Above Their Broken Past, Find Forgiveness, and Forge a Hopeful Future
by Zed, Tyler
MEDIA

Wait Softly Brother
by Kuitenbrouwer, Kathryn
MEDIA

Twelve Trees: The Deep Roots of Our Future
by Lewis, Daniel
MEDIA

James
by Everett, Percival
MEDIA

The Warm Hands of Ghosts
by Arden, Katherine
MEDIA

Transmuted
by Harms, Eve
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?