The Valley of the Kings [Paperback]

John Romer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2001 | Series: Phoenix Press

For more than 500 years, the Valley of the Kings held a thriving community--and then it disappeared from the historical records for hundreds of years. Here is the story of the tombs and the ancient royalty buried there, as well as the compelling archeological hunt for the past. "...vividly written...authoritative, informative, and entertaining throughout."--TLS. "...bound to become a classic of Egyptology. One of the best serious books on archeology to appear in many years."--LA Herald Examiner.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Louis Romer was educated at Ottershaw School and the Royal College of Art, London. During the late 1960s he worked in the temples and tombs at Thebes in Egypt with the University of Chicago Epigraphic Survey. In 1977-9 he originated and organised a major expedition to the Valley of the Kings which carried out the first excavation there since the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb. He has appeared in a number of television series.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Phoenix Press (December 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 184212045X
• ISBN-13: 978-1842120453
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,315,780 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Be prepared to fall in love with the Valley, my friends!, April 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Valley of the Kings: Exploring the Tombs of the Pharaohs (Paperback)

Having reviewed this book once before but seeing that my review is lacking in the official standings, one more time I must sing this work's praise. It is an exquisite masterpiece, spending time on many of the lesser known tombs and their excavators; a much more complete synopsis of the Valley than N. Reeves' "The Complete Calley of the Kings." Within is perhaps the best examination of KV55 that I have yet to encounter outside the works of the great Cyril Aldred. True, their is the usual chapter on Tutankhamun, but in John's case it is there in reference to the whole of the Carter/Carnarvon excavations. An indespensible reference work and mentioned in all the bibliographies I can think of, it gives me great pleasure to be the first to (again) review this book, and I implore you to second my review by embarking on one of your own.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating History of the Valley of the Kings, June 29, 2008

By 

Jamie Elliott (Madison, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Valley of the Kings (Hardcover)

It isn't hard to make Egyptology interesting; the lure of uncovering history preserved for thousands of years, the glint of gold, the confrontation with death and with a culture that seemingly embraced it have all captivated the attention of generations. This book is no exception. It presents a chronological history of excavation in the Valley of the Kings, both describing the finds and introducing the varied cast of treasure hunters, archaeologists, and entrepreneurs who discovered them. It is a book primarily about Egyptology, rather than of Egyptology, neither idolizing nor absolving the early excavators. Romer's love for the ancient Egyptians shines through his record of history every time he describes their art or architecture. This is the book's main drawback, as Romer's enthusiastic portrayal of the beauties of the valley inspires a desire to see that is not sufficiently served by the book's few plates and smattering of tomb layouts. I wanted so much more, more pictures and more layouts, maps of the valley, etc. Otherwise thoroughly enjoyable, this book made me long for a trip to Egypt.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exhaustive overview of the valley of Kings, May 7, 2005

By 

D. D Lawson (Pasadena, Calif. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Valley of the Kings (Hardcover)

This is the place to go if you want to know anything about the Valley of Kings in Egypt. Mr. Romers love of the Past is quite clear. His presentation of the facts is well organized and on the whole presented in an interesting way. I just hope that he gets around to doing one of his excellent documentaries in DVD soon on the Valley of Kings!