God Against the Gods (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Dell Pub Co; 1st THUS edition (February 1978)
• ISBN-10: 0440129680
• ISBN-13: 978-0440129684
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #513,472 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Drury succeeds with his tale of ancient Egypt, June 21, 2000

By	Billy J. Hobbs "billhobbs" (Tyler, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: A God Against the Gods: Return to Thebes (Hardcover)

Much, of course, has been written about ancient Egypt in non-fiction and in the past two decades an increasing interest in the fictional world of Egypt has spawned a number of excellent novels, especially mysteries. Allen Drury's "A God Against the Gods," published in 1976--timed well with the King Tut craze associated with the world tour of the late king's funeral treasures--undoubtedly is the "father" of this subject/genre.

And well it should. Drury takes the time of the Pharaoh Akhenaten, some 3300 years ago, and proceeds to tell the story of this "horse-faced" king, husband to the beautiful Nefertiti and brother to the young King Tut.

The time of the pharaoh is rife with struggle--and plenty of problems. Against the advice of many of his advisers, Akhenaten proceeds to change the Egyptian theological concept of multi-gods into a monotheistic concept. Needless to say, this does not go well with his subjects. Changing the tenor of the religion, however, is only one concern Akhenaten faces. With Drury's renowned patience for detail and historical research, the novel examines the numerous aspects of the pharaoh's life, especially his relationship with Nefertiti and of his zeal to produce an heir. He doesn't, of course, and therein lies many of his problems.

"(Akhenaten) was perhaps the most human and touching of all the Pharoahs, for he greatly tried, and greatly failed, to bring to humanity a universal symbol of love." And it is the trials--and these failures--so poignantly presented that makes this book well worth the read, not just to Egyptologists, but to the layperson as well. Granted, not all authorities agree on Drury's interpretations (Drury points that out in his introduction), but the author's research and theories are academically acceptable, although there is disagreement in familial structure, relationships, pronunciations/spelling that experts may (or may not) recognize. Regardless, Drury's skill as an outstanding author carry the book along at an amazingly fast pace--almost if you were riding the current of the Nile itself. "Fascinating" is, indeed, an apt description of this book.

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable and enlightening book. . ., September 27, 2000

By	David Zampino "21st Century Hobbit" (Delavan, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: A God Against the Gods: Return to Thebes (Hardcover)

The late Pulitzer Prize winning author Allen Drury in this novel, (and its sequel, "Return to Thebes") moves radically away from the genre which made him famous (the Washington Political Novel), and shares with his readers an historical novel based on the events of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt -- when the concept of monotheism was (possibly) first seriously considered. Readers of Drury's political novels will recognize his characteristic style of writing, character portrayal, and the like -- but the subject is one totally foreign to most Americans. Drury makes it come alive.

I have no idea what possessed Mr. Drury to write this novel -- but I'm glad that he did.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars While sometimes slow, it was often excellent., October 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A God Against the Gods: Return to Thebes (Hardcover)

I cannot say that I enjoyed A God Against the Gods as much as I did Return to Thebes. Indeed, I came close to giving up at several points in this book. But, when Drury is good, he is very good. At the critical times during this book, such as Akhenaten's founding of Akhetaten's altar. His descriptions are always excellent, and his historical accuracy is unquestionable. I did feel a connection to the characters, although Drury's style made me feel as if I was reading letters that they were sending me. He puts the treader on an equal level with the characters, and does not talk down to the reader. To Jeffrey Li, I must ask, "If this book was so bad, why did you read the sequel?"