Thutmose III: The Military Biography of Egypt's Greatest Warrior King [Hardcover]

Richard A. Gabriel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 31, 2009

In the course of his thirty-two-year reign over ancient Egypt, Thutmose III fought an impressive seventeen campaigns. He fought more battles over a longer period of time and experienced more victories than Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar did. Despite Thutmose III’s surprisingly illustrious record, his name does not command the same immediate recognition as these highly visible military leaders.

In Thutmose III, Richard Gabriel deftly brings to life the character and ability of ancient Egypt’s warrior king and sheds light on Thutmose’s key contributions to Egyptian history. Considered the father of the Egyptian navy, Thutmose created the first combat navy in the ancient world and built an enormous shipyard near Memphis to construct troop, horse, and supply transports to support his campaigns in Syria and Iraq. He also reformed the army, establishing a reliable conscript base, creating a professional officer corps, equipping it with modern weapons, and integrating chariotry’s combat arm into new tactical doctrines. Politically, he introduced strategic principles of national security that guided Egyptian diplomatic, commercial, and military policies for half a millennium and created the Egyptian empire.

Through these crowning achievements, Thutmose set into motion events that shaped and influenced the Levant and Egypt for the next four hundred years. His reign can be regarded as a watershed in the military and imperial history of the entire eastern Mediterranean.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard A. Gabriel is a distinguished professor in the Department of History and War Studies at the Royal Military College of Canada and in the Department of Defence Studies at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto. He was professor of history and politics at the U.S. Army War College and held the Visiting Chair in Military Ethics at the Marine Corps University. A retired U.S. Army officer living in Manchester, New Hampshire, Gabriel is the author of numerous books and articles on military history and other subjects, including Muhammad: Islam’s First Great General and Scipio Africanus: Rome’s Greatest General (Potomac Books, Inc., 2008).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 252 pages
• Publisher: Potomac Books Inc.; 1 edition (August 31, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597973734
• ISBN-13: 978-1597973731
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #532,782 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Poorly executed, November 13, 2009

By 

C. E. Boyle - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Thutmose III: The Military Biography of Egypt's Greatest Warrior King (Hardcover)

This book reads like a book that was cobbled together over a weekend because the author needed the money. Indeed, large chunks are cut and pasted nearly verbatim from Gabriel's other books. Worse, it is poorly executed and cries out for a proofreader. Silly errors make it difficult to have confidence in the information provided. For example: on page 54 where Gabriel writes, "[In Egypt] Except for a few places in the Nile Delta, there are no wide-open plains upon which to maneuver [chariots] *as there were in Canaan* and Syria. Yet on page 74 *"Canaan offered few smooth plains* where, the opportunities for wide-ranging maneuver and speed provided dividends." Which was it? On page 92 Thutmose captured 924 enemy chariots but on the very next page only 892 were captured. After praising the Egyptian six-spoked chariot wheel on page 59 we discover on page 75 that "The Canaanite chariot was heavier than the Egyptian vehicle *because* of its four- or six-spoked wheels." How is that exactly? These kinds of errors leave the reader wondering about the accuracy of the rest of the material. [* emphasis added]

It also fails because of unnecessary hyperbole used to build Thutmose III up and justify writing the book. Gabriel takes pains to regularly mention Thutmose's brilliance, but the most excessive hyperbole occurs early in the book. In comparing Thutmose favorably to Alexander the Great Gabriel writes; "If the greatness of a field commander is judged by the ability of the enemy he faces . . . then compared to Alexander, Thutmose must rank as the greater field commander." That is nonsense as judged by Gabriel's own criteria. The evidence provided in his book describes Thutmose's "battles" as skirmishes against inferior opposition. Certainly Thutmose was an admirable military leader but, as Gabriel's own book shows, he was no Alexander. Indeed, one significant question that goes unexamined is why there was so little serious resistance to Thutmose's raids.

Finally, some of the sentences and even paragraphs just don't make sense. The text is sometimes repetitious and appears poorly organized. Occasionally, the pictures don't reflect the equipment Gabriel describes. All of these things reflect the little effort put into the book. Save your money and don't reward Gabriel for foisting "Thutmose III" on an unsuspecting public.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This book does not deserve to be put down - it deserves to be thrown across the room, February 3, 2010

By 

Golden Pharaoh "goldenpharaoh50" (Calgary, Alberta Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thutmose III: The Military Biography of Egypt's Greatest Warrior King (Hardcover)

I began reading this book after I had mentioned to a friend that I was working on some military aspects on the campaigns about Thutmose III and the Egyptian military in general. They lent this book to me and I cannot simply believe that this was ever published.

There are scores of factual errors - practically one on every page. I will point form some highlights (or rather, lowlights):

-Gabriel claims that although Thutmose III did not introduce the khepesh sword, he was the one to introduce it on a large scale to the Egyptian military (page 4). There is no evidence of this taking place and I haven't found anything the inscriptions to say otherwise. There are only 6-9 examples in the world and the artistic evidence doesn't support this either.

-Gabriel claims that the Walls of the Prince were constructed as a series of fortresses along the isthmus of Suez (29). Not really and there's no concrete evidence for such. He goes on (30) to say that it was to protect against "hit and run" raids by Canaanites. This is completely false - the logistical matters in the Sinai would have prevented any sort of sortie into this area not to mention that there's no archaeological evidence for it.

-Gabriel claims that chariots acted like a screen for infantrymen. The chariots would cover the advance while firing arrows. When infantry clashed then archers would retire to the flanks or back through the infantry ranks. He sees chariots as attacking any exposed point, with the option for dismounting and fighting as infantry (64). There's no evidence for how ancient armies at this time fought - it's completely speculation.

I could add a lot more to this list but I think you get the point by now. This book has all the hallmarks of an amateur; in research and execution. I feel sorry for those who do not look further into this fascinating topic. If you want something worth while, see D. Redford's book on Thutmose III (expensive but its worth it).

In short, do not buy this book as it only will leave you with a misinformed view of the Battle of Megiddo and the subsequent campaigns.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Needs Revision, January 22, 2011

By 

Set Maat - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Thutmose III: The Military Biography of Egypt's Greatest Warrior King (Hardcover)

I bought the book as a teacher who wanted to deepen my knowledge of Thutmose III's reign, but within the first chapter I found myself questioning some very basic knowledge, especially as it related to Hatshepsut. Firstly,suggesting that Hatshepsut was 'the mother of Thutmose II' p.5. No she wasn't!(correct lineage of Thutmosids however IS given on p.10); 'her great mortuary temple in the Valley of the Kings' p.16 No it isn't!(my high school students would point that out). I also have my doubts about several of the innovations attributed to Thutmose III, such as the fly of valour p21. So while it is very well footnoted, I recommend readers would be better off reading the cited works of Egyptologists, such as O'Connor,Redford or KMT's Dennis Forbes. Makes me disinclined to read the rest of it!!!! Shame, as Gabriel has a very readable style, but the text needs careful editing for basic accuracy.