A Passion for Egypt: Arthur Weigall, Tutankhamun and the 'Curse of the Pharaohs' [Hardcover]

Julie Hankey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 7, 2001 | ISBN-10: 1860645666 | ISBN-13: 978-1860645662

This compelling biography of Arthur Weigall, the British Egyptologist and Chief Inspector of Antiquities, chronicles his involvement with the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb under Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon. Weigall came into conflict with Carter and Carnarvon over newspaper reporting of the famous find. His remarks to the press during that time led to the infamous story of the "Curse of the Pharaohs." This biography brings to life the atmosphere, intrigue, and intense competition in Egypt during the first quarter of the 20th century.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Arthur Weigall (1880-1934), the British Egyptologist and author, had a multifaceted career: accountant, archeologist, government administrator, set designer and author of over two dozen books. Undoubtedly, his most important role was in Egypt as chief inspector of antiquities (1904-1914). As his granddaughter shows in this (perhaps overly defensive) biography, he labored tirelessly to save Egypt's archeological treasures from thieves, antiques dealers, public work projects (such as the Aswan Dam) and amateur excavators. Weigall had a profound understanding of the economic and cultural forces that led to the plundering of Egypt's riches: he especially blamed Western museums for "creat[ing] a market in stolen antiquities." Hankey is most effective when she's describing the intricate, often exasperating political infighting Weigall engaged in with his boss Gaston Maspero, director of the department of antiquities for Egypt, as well as with Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon (the two men who discovered King Tut's tomb). But at times, the book reads more like an apologia than a biography. For example, she cites Carter's biographer regarding the Carter-Weigall conflict and then analyzes it for anti-Weigall bias. Hankey also contends that Weigall deserves to be taken more seriously as an author of novels and histories. She cites numerous glowing book reviews and quotes from his admiring fan mail. But even Hankey is compelled to admit that Weigall's prose tended toward the purple and that his conception of history was tinged with romantic idealism. In the end, it's hard to know just what legacy Arthur Weigall left behind he played too many roles, and this biography reflects that lack of focus. 16 b&w photos.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Egyptologist Arthur Weigall is probably most widely remembered today for his involvement with Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon's discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922. In this detailed biography, Hankey (Weigall's granddaughter) draws extensively upon Weigall's personal correspondence for the first time, allowing readers to see events from his perspective and shedding new light on some references to Weigall in T.G.H James's Howard Carter: The Path to Tutankhamun (Columbia Univ., 1992). Hankey does full justice to Weigall's accomplishments in the field of Egyptology prior to Tutankhamun's discovery while also capturing his energy, enthusiasm, and reverence for Egypt and the characteristics of the remarkable people with whom he worked. But this biography is far broader in scope than its title suggests, for as Hankey recounts, Weigall turned to writing novels and experimenting in theater and film. Weigall's family life is also ably documented. Hankey is fair in her presentation of Weigall as a complex man who dismissed the existence of Tutankhamun's curse yet may well have fostered popular belief in it. Material from Weigall's correspondence will be of particular interest to specialists, while general readers will be attracted to the account of Weigall's life and work in Egypt. Joan W. Gartland, Detroit P.L.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris (December 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1860645666
• ISBN-13: 978-1860645662
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,905,974 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story about a great story teller, December 8, 2001

By 

"jeffinav" - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Passion for Egypt: Arthur Weigall, Tutankhamun and the 'Curse of the Pharaohs' (Hardcover)

This book is really a great read. Not only does it give you a great deal of insight about Weigall and his exploits, but it also has a lot of good stories about Egypt and it's exploration during it's most colorful time period of the early 20th century. I have always enjoyed Weigall's books and his ability to weave a good story and describe what it would be like to be exploring various sites while on his inspection tours.

This book really goes into a great deal about his crusade to save and catalogue monuments instead of just digging for "treasures". He doesn't seem to get his due for what he tried to accomplish under the difficult conditions he had to work within at the time. What I also found interesting was the perspective of his relationship with Howard Carter from more his point of view versus what is more often seen discussed from Cater's. Being that it was written by his grand-daughter I'm sure there's a little bit of bias there. Either way, it is truly a great book written about a great author.

Wiegall showed that a history book doesn't have to be dry and boring. It seems that his grand-daughter inherited that trait too!

3.0 out of 5 stars Portrait of a hero, October 31, 2004

By 

A. Fehn (Cologne/Germany) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Passion for Egypt: Arthur Weigall, Tutankhamun and the 'Curse of the Pharaohs' (Hardcover)

Mainly and above all, this book gives you a great insight into what might be called "the golden age of archaeology in Egypt". I greatly enjoyed all the little stories covering the various social events of that time (particularly the "party at the ombdeh's") which manage to cover Weigall's own colourful imagination and way of storytelling.

Nevertheless, this biography never quite suceeds in bringing you near Arthur Weigall as a person. What I disliked most was the apologetic tone in which Hankey tried to "answer" several references to Weigall made by TGH James in his book "Howard Carter - The Path to Tutankhamun". It almost seems as if Hankey desperately tries to make clear to the reader that in reality, Weigall was a truly "heroic" guy, fighting for Egypt's heritage, while the "evil" Howard Carter was putting stones in his way.
There is no doubting the fact that Carter was a pretty difficult character but reading Hankey's book, one begins to suspect that Weigall was one as well - a fact not really admitted by his granddaughter.

In comparison to James, who painted a very objective and not in the least biased picture of the person he portrayed in his biography (Carter), Hankey trusts in letting Weigall's own views and thoughts speak for themselves without ever trying to question them.
For me, Weigall's behaviour towards Carter and Carnarvon during the Tutankhamun excavation is still more than questionable, even if one has to share his views concerning the "Times"-agreement and the division of antiquities.

In the end, for me, Howard Carter with all his faults remains the more interesting personality, especially when compared with Julie Hankey's semi-perfect Arthur Weigall.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story about a great story teller, December 8, 2001

By 

"jeffinav" - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Passion for Egypt: Arthur Weigall, Tutankhamun and the 'Curse of the Pharaohs' (Hardcover)

This book is really a great read. Not only does it give you a great deal of insight about Weigall and his exploits, but it also has a lot of good stories about Egypt and it's exploration during it's most colorful time period of the early 20th century. I have always enjoyed Weigall's books and his ability to weave a good story and describe what it would be like to be exploring various sites while on his inspection tours.

This book really goes into a great deal about his crusade to save and catalogue monuments instead of just digging for "treasures". He doesn't seem to get his due for what he tried to accomplish under the difficult conditions he had to work within at the time. What I also found interesting was the perspective of his relationship with Howard Carter from more his point of view versus what is more often seen discussed from Cater's. Being that it was written by his grand-daughter I'm sure there's a little bit of bias there. Either way, it is truly a great book written about a great author.

Wiegall showed that a history book doesn't have to be dry and boring. It seems that his grand-daughter inherited that trait too!