Customer Reviews

The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen (Egypt)

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Written for a curious public, this is Howard Carter's only published account of the finding of the tomb and clearing of the "Antechamber". It is easy for some, more than 75 years after its discovery to fault Carter for his handling of many of the objects from the tomb. Here you can read of some of the problems and his solutions first hand. Included are the photos Burton took during the clearance. Some of these are to be found nowhere else. The step by step emptying of the famous "Painted chest" is fascinating. You can actually see the condition of the objects deteriorate as the bottom of the box is reached.

This book is not simply a description of the tomb or complicated archeological jargon, but was written to inform the curious while the tomb was being cleared. It still contains a sense of currency that captures a rare event in recovering the past. Starting with a biography of Lord Carnarvon who financed the expedition, then goes on to describe in subsequent chapters what they knew of King Tut at the time, and the background of the Valley of the Kings and a discussion on the theft of antiquities. Then about half way through begins the story of Carter's involvement. With a combination of the words and pictures it is possible to get a glimmer of what events were like for them. Even to his irksome view of people who interrupted the work by insisting upon a tour of the tomb, or his peevish rebuttal against those who consider an archeologists work akin to a day at the beach. Anyway, through it all it is an engaging book. Includes 105 photographs, however in black and white. It should be known that this account is not of the complete find and primarily concerns finds in the Antechamber, and not the Annex or Shrine. Still, the book is titled the "Discovery" so this should not come as a surprise.

If you love Epyptology, you'll love this book. Written like a diary, it will keep you on the edge of your seat, waiting for what's around the corner. A must read!

I have studied Egypt for many years and just happened upon this book. What I found inside was a completely different man than what I had expected. His love for his work, his humility in the face of great celebrity, his reverence for the dead boy king are touching and uplifting. How fortunate is history that two men such as Howard Cater and Lord Carnarvon were entrusted with this amazing discovery and how generous of the Metropolitan Museum of Art to send a photographer of Harry Burton's abilities to record all of this for us. I wish I could find a biography on Carter, for he is a complex and fascinating man.

3 years ago my parents took me on holiday to Egypt, which I was very angry about at first because its was'nt a 'proper holiday' (too much education involved). Now I look back on it as the most inspirational 2 weeks of my life. This book compliments the travels perfectly. The book really shows how determined Howard Carter was to discovering Tut's tomb, and how close he got to never finding it at all. The book documents one of the greatest discoverys in the past century and will make you want to visit the tomb. Please read this book!!

I have a beloved hard copy that I've owned since sophomore year of high school when I learned about Howard Carter and Tutankhamen in A.P. History class. I was hooked and had to learn more. I've read that the first edition was actually two volumes but I haven't ever come across any copies yet.

This is a very interesting book. Who could do a better job then Carter at writing a book on King Tutankhamen. I only wish they could have added a few more pictures of the beautiful treasures in the tomb.

This review refers to the hardcover edition.

Imagine what it would be like to peer into a small opening and seeing wonderful treasures that no one has seen for thousands of centries. This book gives you the first hand account of the most famous Egyptian archeological discovery of all time. The description of the treasures will send chills down your spine. Read about the evidence discovered that indicates ancient grave robbers were caught in the act of plundering Tut's tomb. The book gives an excellent account of opening the sarcophogus and examining Tut's mummy. I recommend this book to anyone interested in Egyptian archeology. The color plates in the book are beautiful.

There are two things that make this book special: Mr. Carter's description of not only what he sees as he enters the tomb, but his emotions as well. The other special feature is that the book's pictures have been interjected within his story in close proximity to what Carter is describing at the time.

Carter also makes it extremely easy to understand what he is describing by referencing specific plate numbers. This is useful when the reader is not familiar with the name of an item because it never existed in modern times.

For a person who enjoys reading stories of true events, Mr. Carter has given us a gem of a book. My only wish is that Mr. Carter had available to him at the time the technology of color film. His descriptions of what he sees and the stiking colors he witnessed in the tomb leave one yearning for color prints.

I remember in the 1960's reading the original books (2 volumes) that were published by Howard Carter not long after he had finished cataloguing the extraordinary finds from the tomb. Although all the photographs were in black and white they showed beautiful objects. Objects that increased my love of the Ancient Egyptians. It also aroused an interest in hieroglyphics.

One can get a feel from the book, about what it must have been like to gaze into the confines of a space made by other human beings many centuries ago. To see objects and to wonder about the skill and patience of the people who had made them, sometimes with the most rudimentary equipment and yet we are unable to replicate them in this modern scientific world.

Everything that was in the tomb was there for a purpose, either to assist Tutanhamun to get to the next world, or to be of use to him when he arrived there. It is impossible to envisage what it must have been like to discover the tomb. In fact it was only Carter's determination, some would say bloody mindedness that uncovered a tomb that many eminent Egyptologist's of his day said did not exist. His backer Lord Caernarvon had been ready to give up the franchise months before, but agreed to give Howard Carter one last try.

There have been several documentaries in recent years that seem to go out of there way to discredit Howard Carter. Some allege that he had entered the tomb a long time before the official opening and had removed some of the wonderful objects for himself. It seems to me to be too easy to make accusations against someone who can no longer defend himself. Carter was a well respected Egyptologist and why he should do anything to jeopardise his reputation is beyond my belief.

This book is a must for the avid enthusiast of all things Egyptian. Even for those with only a passing interest in the Egyptian Pharaoh's and Tutankhamun in particular, the book is still worth a place on the bookshelf.