Overview

In 1922, after fifteen years of searching, archaeologists finally discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun. There, buried alongside the king’s mummy, they found more than 5,000 unique objects, from the mundane to the extravagant, from the precious to the everyday. Tutankhamun’s spectacular gold mask is justifiably famous, but the rest of the treasures remain largely unknown, their stories untold. In this rich and beautifully illustrated work of history, renowned Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson allows one hundred artifacts from the boy king’s tomb to speak again—not only for themselves, but as witnesses of the civilization that created them. A gold-decorated chariot reveals the impressive scale of Egyptian technology. Loaves of bread, baskets of fruit, and jars of wine hint at the fertility of the Nile Valley and the abundant feasts enjoyed by its people. Ebony and ivory from Nubia and a jewel of Libyan desert glass show the range of Egypt’s trading and diplomatic networks. Shaving equipment and board games provide a window into the everyday lives of the people. And perhaps most poignant of all the objects in the tomb is one that conjures up a lost world of human experience: Tutankhamun’s silver trumpet. Through these treasures, Wilkinson bring us face-to-face with the culture of the pharaohs, its extraordinary development, its remarkable flourishing, and its lasting impact. Filled with surprising insights and vivid details, Tutankhamun’s Trumpet offers an indelible portrait of the history, people, and legacy of ancient Egypt.

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9781324105367

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Reviews

"A fresh history of King Tut and his world, generously illustrated and lucidly written.-- ""Kirkus Reviews (starred)"" Beautifully written, sumptuously illustrated, constantly fascinating and the work of a man who is practised at explaining the past to the present--David Aaronovitch ""Times (UK)"" British historian Toby Wilkinson tells everything we need to know about pharaonic Egypt...Wilkinson writes beautifully, melodically.--David Luhrssen ""Shepherd Express"" The cleverness of the book lies in how individual grave goods are used to crack open the mindset of a civilisation... This book thrums with life. To the ancient Egyptians, a pharaoh's tomb was a 'resurrection machine' and, in a sense, they were right. The dead cannot be resurrected but, through the artefacts they used, we can sense the lives they lived. I've read many books on ancient Egypt, but I've never felt closer to its people.--James McConnachie ""Sunday Times (UK)"" Wilkinson's expert discussions touch on each item's significance to Tutankhamun and what they reveal about daily life in ancient Egypt...Accentuated with black-and-white and color photos, this is an informative and immersive survey of the ancient world.-- ""Publishers Weekly"""

Author Information

Toby Wilkinson is an Egyptologist and the prizewinning author of fifteen books on the history and culture of the Nile Valley, ancient and modern. Lauded by the Daily Telegraph as “the foremost Egyptologist of his time,” his works include The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt, which won the Hessell-Tiltman Prize. He studied Egyptology at the University of Cambridge and is currently a fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He lives in England.

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