HOREMHEB: The Forgotten Pharaoh [Paperback]

Charlotte Booth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2010

Horemheb ruled Egypt after Tutankhamun, and was fundamental in bringing Egypt back to the rich and powerful nation it was before Akhenaten took the throne. Rather than simply clearing up the mess left behind after the Amarna period, he lay the foundations for the kings who were to come, and his choice of heir to the throne, led eventually to the rule of Ramses II, one of the most famous kings in Egyptian history.This book puts Horemheb in his rightful place in Egyptian chronology as the start of the 19th Dynasty, and demonstrates how he was fundamental in shaping history as we are know it.returncharacterreturncharacter returncharacterreturncharacter REVIEWS returncharacterreturncharacter"...an accessible history to an influential figure in the Egyptian New Kingdom who has been outshone by the more famous rulers Akhenaten and Tutankhamun. Illuminating a period of upheaval, politics, military action, and social change are described in the context of Horemheb's career and eventual rule."BOOK NEWS, 07/2010

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Charlotte Booth lectures at Birkbeck (University of London). Her focus of study is the Hyksos period of Egypt; she has given talks and prepared articles on this little studied area. She has given talks at nationwide Egyptology Societies since 2000. She lives in London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Amberley (February 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1848686870
• ISBN-13: 978-1848686878
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #379,437 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Focus on Horemheb, April 9, 2010

By 

D. Young "Egyptophile" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: HOREMHEB: The Forgotten Pharaoh (Paperback)

I have often felt it unfair when Egyptologists create stories about important figures in Egypt when there is no evidence to support it. Certainly, the "Amarna" era has its share of these stories. I tend to resist the extreme stories (ie Tutankhamun was murdered, Hatshepsut was an evil queen/king).

HOREMHEB: The Forgotten Pharaoh focuses on the information that is actually known about this man and doesn't write in bitter political rivalry and intrigue without evidence. Happily there is a great deal of information I haven't found in other discussions of Horemheb and other associated figures of the Amarna period.

I have read many books on ancient Egypt, some are disappointing. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Egypt and/or seeking details on this particular king. The stages in Horemheb's career are covered in detail. I found it of interest that later in his life before he became king, he was the one who was called to the palace when the king and/or royal family was in hysterical uproar and restored calm "with his voice." He seems to have been a wise man loyal to Egypt, a skilled general and administrator. A non-royal he put Egypt in order after the royal family of the 18th Dynasty died out with Tutankhamun and established a new dynasty, the 19th, by naming Ramesses I, the head of a capable family, as his successor and ushering in a renewed era in Egypt.

Can you tell I liked the book?

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not The Last Word, May 24, 2010

By 

William Suddaby (Sugarloaf Key, Fl USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: HOREMHEB: The Forgotten Pharaoh (Paperback)

Charlotte Booth is to be commended for bringing together the wealth of surviving information relating to one of Egypt's important, but neglected, pharaohs. That said, it should be noted that Booth tends to charge off into scenarios which other historians might seriously question. She has a definite idea of her subject and is adept at weaving the sometimes puzzling evidence into a validation of her view. Unfortunately--and not at all the fault of the author--the beginning chapters are already out-dated in light of recent results from DNA tests on Amarna royal mummies. "Horemheb The Forgotten Pharoah" still has much to recommend it, even if in this reviewer's opinion it should be read with a healthy dose of questioning. For a more measured account of the reign of Horemheb see chapter seven in Aidan Dodson's "Amarna Sunset."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing Book, November 11, 2011

By 

Maat-Hunhu-Ubuntu "Truth is the Genesis of Ju... (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: HOREMHEB: The Forgotten Pharaoh (Paperback)

Kate et al., you are entirely correct. Anyone with access to journals on Ancient Egypt will be struck by the fact that Charlotte Booth's book comes across as a very poor collation of incredibly informative articles from said journals. These details are simply stitched together without the author bothering to add her perspectives. There are three major issues that I found rather disturbing. Firstly, the author's avoidance of citing and giving credit to the authors from whose articles she takes her information. A good example is found on page 37 where she says, and I quote: "From the Middle Kingdom fortress of Uronaroti, in Nubia, wooden tokens have been discovered which the soldiers exchanged for bread." The source of this information is never cited. The beginning of Chapter 4 reads like C. Aldred's paper: "The End of El-Armarna Period" published in J. of Egyptian Archaeology Vol. 43, pages 30-41 (1957). In her academic circles it may not be considered plagiarism but what she seem to have done comes dangerously close to it. Secondly, I found too many conjectures that are never substantiated. Is it possible that her bold but unsubstantiated statements may possibly have been lifted from sources that she unwittingly avoids citing? Thirdly, her hand-drawn illustrations are very misleading, whether it is a deliberate distortion or innocuous incompetence when it comes to drawing. As an example, compare her drawing on page 37 to Plate 46 in C. Aldred's book entitled Tutankhamun's Egypt. In another example, compare Booth's drawing on page 53 and the drawing on page 5 in an article published by Alan Gardiner in the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology Vol. 39 (1953). She clearly needs to avoid coming up with her own drawings when better quality drawings or pictures are available in the public domain. All in all, the book disappointingly appears like it was hastily put together with very little regard for academic seriousness. The book is clearly substandard and will inevitably disappoint any serious Egyptologist student, unless the reader lacks previous knowledge or access to published sources on the subjects touched by the author. I would suggest editing the book because Horemheb is too important an historical figure to have his narrative so poorly articulated. One good starting point is to cite the sources of the details in her book.