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Book Categories: Pharaohs, Queens, Valley of the Kings, Tombs, Monuments & Mummies, Pyramids, Hatshepsut, Thutmose III, Amenhotep III, Akhenaten & Nefertiti, Tutankhamen, Ramses II, Ramses III, Nubia, Ptolemies, Cleopatra, General History, Ancient Egypt, Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Egypt in Middle Ages, Fatimid Dynasty, Saladin, Ottoman Empire, Modern Egypt, Farouk, Palaces, Miscellaneous, Fiction, Documentaries, Africa, Children's Books

The Pharaohs

Chronicle of the Pharaohs by Peter A. Clayton. A reign-by-reign record of the rulers and dynasties of ancient Egypt with 350 illustrations, 130 in color.

The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt: A Genealogical Sourcebook of the Pharaohs by Aidan Dodson, Dyan Hilton. Unravels royal family relationships from the dawn of Egyptian history to the Ptolemies and Cleopatras.

Pharaohs by Joyce Tyldesley. An illustrated history of Egyptian rulers, starting around 3100 BC when the first pharaoh, Menes, unified Egypt, and ending with the conquest of Egypt in 332 BC by Alexander the Great.

The Book of the Pharaohs by Pascal Vernus and Jean Yoyotte. An encyclopedia of information about Egypt's pharaohs and their world. Includes a bibliography and a chronological table.

The First Pharaohs: Their Lives and Afterlives by Aidan Dodson. An illustrated account of the rulers of the first three dynasties of ancient Egypt.

Encyclopedia of Egyptian Pharaohs by Darrell D. Baker. Predynastic through Twentieth Dynasty (3200 BC - 1085 BC).

The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World by Kara Cooney. The lives of pharaohs Khufu, Senwosret III, Akenhaten, Ramses II, and Taharqa.

The Pharaoh: Life at Court and on Campaign by Garry Shaw. What it was like to be pharaoh, from birth to death, in private and in public, at court and on campaign. 234 illustrations, 172 in color.

Kingship, Power, and Legitimacy in Ancient Egypt: From the Old Kingdom to the Middle Kingdom by Lisa K. Sabbahy. Explores the king's emphasis on his relationship to the sun god Ra and the goddess Hathor.

Pharaoh: King of Ancient Egypt by Marie Vandenbeusch, Aude Semet, and Margaret Maitland. Essays and 180 color photographs of monumental sculpture, funerary objects, jewelry, and other objects from the British Museum.

Pharaohs and Egypt

Egypt and the Pharaohs edited by Patrizia Piacentini. An illustrated look at the reconstruction of the history of the pharaohs, shown through original documents and observations by famous Egyptologists.

From Slave to Pharaoh: The Black Experience of Ancient Egypt by Donald B. Redford. Examines the interactions between Egypt and the Nubian and Sudanese civilizations to the south.

Abydos: Egypt's First Pharaohs and the Cult of Osiris by David O'Connor. Abydos is one of the most important archaeological sites in Egypt, the burial place of the first kings and a cult center of the god of the lower world. 113 illustrations, 11 in colour, including maps.

Letters of the Great Kings of the Ancient Near East: The Royal Correspondence of the Late Bronze Age by Trevor Bryce. From the 17th to the 12th centuries BC, the kings of Egypt, Babylon, Hatti (the kingdom of the Hittites), Mitanni, and Assyria ruled over vast territories. Many of their letters survive.

Egypt: Land of the Pharaohs by Robert Morkot. An illustrated travel guide. Fifth edition.

Whose Pharaohs? by Donald M. Reid is about archaeology, museums, and Egyptian national identity from Napoleon to World War I.

Books About Nubian Rulers

Queens of Egypt

Books About Egypt's Royal Women

The Valley of the Kings

The Complete Valley of the Kings: Tombs and Treasures of Egypt's Greatest Pharaohs by C. N. Reeves and Richard H. Wilkinson. Includes floor plans, photographs, and more.

The Millionaire and the Mummies: Theodore Davis's Gilded Age in the Valley of the Kings by John M. Adams. Biography of archaeologist Theodore Davis, who found a record 18 tombs in Egypt's Valley of the Kings.

The Royal Tombs of Egypt: The Art of Thebes Revealed by Zahi Hawass. The first book to fully reproduce the wall paintings and murals in Egypt's Valley of the Kings.

Luxor and the Valley of the Kings by Kent Weeks. A guide to the art and antiquities found in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, including the tomb of Tutankhamun, the temples of Luxor and Karnak, the Luxor Museum, the Valley of the Queens, and more.

Tomb of Siphtah: With the Tomb of Queen Tiyi by Theodore M. David. The author, who financed archaelogical digs in the early 20th century, discusses two tombs uncovered in the Valley of the Kings.

Royal Tombs, Monuments, Treasures

The Royal Tombs of Ancient Egypt by Aidan Dodson. A history of burial places from the dawn of history to the country's absorption into the Roman Empire.

Royal Mummies: Immortality in Ancient Egypt by Francis Janot. Reveals the secrets of the embalming room, the meaning of the amulets found with mummies, and more. 200 color photographs.

The Lost Pharaohs by Leonard Cottrell. The mummies of the lost pharaohs were undisturbed for 3,000 years. This book discusses their discovery and its impact on Egyptology.

Scanning the Pharaohs: CT Imaging of the New Kingdom Royal Mummies by Zahi Hawass and Sahar Saleem. Surprising results about the genealogy and familial relationships of pharaohs and queens.

The Treasure of the Egyptian Queen Ahhotep and International Relations at the Turn of the Middle Bronze Age (1600-1500 BCE) edited by Gianluca Miniaci and Peter Lacovara. Essays about objects from the burial of Queen Ahhotep, whose identity is not fully known.

King Seneb-Kay's Tomb and the Necropolis of a Lost Dynasty at Abydos by Josef Wegner and Kevin Cahail. The mummy of Seneb-Kay (ca. 1650-1600 BCE) provides a rare opportunity to examine a king of this era.

Cleopatra's Needles: The Lost Obelisks of Egypt by Bob Brier. Built by the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, three massive obelisks nicknamed "Cleopatra's Needles" were moved to Paris, London, and New York in the 19th century.

Mummies and Death in Egypt by Francoise Dunand and Roger Lichtenberg. Covers the history of mummification in Egypt, and looks at modern forensic work on mummies.

Egyptian Mummies and Modern Science edited by Rosalie Ann David. How mummies are being used for major international investigations of disease and pharmacology.

Books About King Tut's Tomb

The Pyramids

The Complete Pyramids: Solving the Ancient Mysteries by Mark Lehner. An illustrated compendium of every major pyramid of ancient Egypt. 450 illustrations, 100 in color.

The Pyramids: The Mystery, Culture, and Science of Egypt's Great Monuments by Miroslav Verner, translated by Steven Rendall. The history of ancient Egypt, and the religious and political beliefs that gave rise to its great pyramids.

Hatshepsut

Books About Hatshepsut

Thutmose III

Thutmose III: A New Biography edited by Eric H. Cline and David O'Connor. Includes an overview of the great pharaoh's life.

Thutmose III: The Military Biography of Egypt's Greatest Warrior King by Richard A. Gabriel. Thutmose created the first combat navy in the ancient world, reformed the army, and introduced strategic principles of national security that guided Egyptian policies for half a millennium.

Amenhotep III

Amenhotep III: Egypt's Radiant Pharaoh by Arielle P. Kozloff. The life story of Amenhotep III, who ruled for 38 years during the apex of Egypt's international and artistic power.

Amenhotep III: Perspectives on His Reign edited by David O'Connor and Eric H. Cline. Essays on this complex pharaoh and his reign. Includes hard-to-find details.

Chronicle of a Pharaoh: The Intimate Life of Amenhotep III by Joann Fletcher. Exposes the pharaoh's public and private faces, from the day-to-day running of an empire to his bedroom habits.

Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and Tutankhamen

Books About Tutankhamen and His Family

Ramses II and Nefertari

Ramses II: An Illustrated Biography by Christiane Desroch Noblecourt. Ramses II's 67-year reign is extensively documented. This book demystifies the great ruler and unlocks the reality of his life and times.

Ramesses: Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh by Joyce A. Tyldesley. This biography of Ramses II introduces readers to the high politics, international intrigue, and opulence of Ramses's world.

Ramesses the Great: Egypt's King of Kings by Toby Wilkinson. The life, dramatic reign, and enduring legacy of the pharaoh Ramesses II, with lessons for the present.

Ramesses II, Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh by Peter J. Brand. Warrior, builder, and statesman, Ramesses II achieved more than any other pharaoh.

Ramesses, Loved by Ptah: The History of a Colossal Royal Statue by Susanna Thomas. The dramatic story of the 3,200-year-old colossal statue of King Ramesses II, now residing in Egypt's Grand Egyptian Museum.

Qadesh 1300 BC: Clash of the Warrior Kings by Mark Healy. About the earliest battle in history which can be reconstructed in detail.

The Eastern Mediterranean in the Age of Ramesses II by Marc Van de Mieroop. An illustrated look at international life during the age of Ramesses II.

Murder in the Palace by Iain Campbell. Fiction. After Prince Ra-em hotep of Egypt is murdered by poison, Cretan pharmacologist Nikolas is asked by Pharaoh Ramesses II to investigate.

Children's Books About Ramses II

Ramsesses III

Rameses III, King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife by Aidan Dodson. Richly illustrated look at the life of the "last great pharaoh."

Ramesses III: The Life and Times of Egypt's Last Hero edited by Eric H. Cline and David O'Connor. Essays about the life, career, and world of one of Egypt's most important pharaohs.

1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline. In 1177 B.C., the invasion of marauding groups sent Egypt and surrounding civilizations into decline. How did it happen?

The Harem Conspiracy: The Murder of Rameses III by Susan Redford. Investigates the circumstances of the ancient pharoah's death - and discovers among the women of his harem the threads of a murder conspiracy.

Cleopatra

Books About Cleopatra

Other Pharaohs

Sethy I, King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife by Aidan Dodson. This illustrated book tells the story of Seti's career and monuments, and the impact of his legacy.

Tausret: Forgotten Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt edited by Richard H. Wilkinson. Tausret was the last pharaoh of the 19th dynasty (c. 1200 BCE). Recent archaeological discoveries have illuminated her importance. Illustrated.

Horemheb: The Forgotten Pharaoh by Charlotte Booth. Ruling Egypt after Tutankhamun, Horemheb returned the nation to wealth and power.

Conspiracies in the Egyptian Palace by Naguib Kanawati. This original study examines the possible assassination of King Teti by his own bodyguards. With over 80 illustrations.

Egypt of the Saite Pharaohs, 664-525 BC by Roger Forshaw. In the 660s BC Egypt was an occupied country. However, a family from the city of Sais declared independence from the Assyrian Empire and reunified Egypt.

Encomium of Ptolemy Philadelphus by Theocritus, translated by Richard Hunter. Ptolemy II Philadelphus ruled Egypt in the third century BC. The author of this poetic tribute lived at the same time.

Visualizing Coregency by Lisa Haney. An exploration of the link between royal image and co-rule during the reign of Senwosret III and Amenemhet III.

Books About the Ptolemies

General History of Egypt

A History of Egypt: From Earliest Times to the Present by Jason Thompson. 5,000 years of Egyptian history, highlighting the strong connections between the ancient land of the Pharaohs and the modern-day Arab nation.

Ancient Egypt

The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt by Ian Shaw. From c. 700,000 BC to AD 311, this book follows the story of the Egyptians from their prehistoric origins to their conquest by the Persians, Greeks, and Romans.

Egypt: A Short History by Robert L. Tignor. A history of Egypt from the beginning of human settlement in the Nile River valley 5000 years ago to modern times.

Egypt: The World of the Pharaohs by Regine Schulz and Matthias Seidel. Covers everything from architecture, sculpture and painting to everyday life, statecraft, society and religion. Illustrated.

Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt by Barbara Mertz. A colorful look at ancient Egypt, including glimpes into everyday life and the amazing stories of the pharaohs. The author also writes popular novels under the names Barbara Michaels and Elizabeth Peters.

A History of Ancient Egypt by Marc Van De Mieroop. A chronological survey of Ancient Egypt from the beginning of the state around 3000 B.C. until the late fourth century AD.

The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt by Toby Wilkinson. The epic story of a great civilization from its birth as the first nation-state to its absorption into the Roman Empire -- three thousand years of wild drama, bold spectacle, and unforgettable characters.

Lives of the Ancient Egyptians: Pharaohs, Queens, Courtiers and Commoners by Toby Wilkinson. One hundred biographies of ancient Egypt's rulers, monument builders, government officials, farmers, priests, and soldiers. 200 illustrations, 80 in color.

The Realm of the Pharaohs by Zahi Hawass. Takes readers on a tour of the most important sites of ancient Egypt, recounts the history of the most famous kings and queens, and shares details of the everyday lives of the people. Illustrated with hundreds of photographs.

Life Under the Pharaohs by Leonard Cottrell. Provides an overview of Egyptian history, the Valley of the Kings, the building of the pyramids, and such important figures and places as Akhenaten and Amarna. Includes lists of Egyptian dynasties.

The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt by Donald B. Redford. Features 600 original articles written by leading scholars. Three-volume set.

Novels About Ancient Egypt

The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran. Nefertari is an unimportant princess left to run wild. Then she is taken under the wing of the Pharaoh's aunt and catches the eye of the Crown Prince, who will become Ramesses the Great. By the author of Nefertiti: A Novel.

The Pyramid: A Novel by Ismail Kadare, translated by David Bellos. Court sages persuade the pharaoh Cheops to build a pyramid. Rumors multiply. A secret police is formed. By the time the first stone is laid, Cheops's subjects are terrified enough to yield to his most murderous whims.

Cheops: A Cupboard for the Sun by Paul West. A novel about the Egyptian pharaoh Khufu, who built the Great Pyramid of Giza.

The Twice Born by Pauline Gedge. Book 1 of the "King's Man" trilogy. A farmer's son, Huy, is educated to be a scribe and later a seer. Followed by book 2, The Seer of Egypt, and book 3, The King's Man.

Novels About Cleopatra

Middle Ages and Ottoman Empire

Books About the Fatimid Dynasty
Books About the Ottoman Empire

Egypt in the Middle Ages

Egypt and Syria in the Fatimid, Ayyubid and Mamluk Eras edited by U Vermeulen. Papers about Egypt and Greater Syria in the Fatimid, Ayyubid and Mamluk eras (10th-15th centuries).

Tree of Pearls: The Extraordinary Architectural Patronage of the 13th-Century Egyptian Slave-Queen Shajar al-Durr by D. Fairchild Ruggles. Biography of Shajar al-Durr, a slave who became the concubine of Ayyubid sultan Salih of Egypt, then his wife, then sultan after his death.

Crowds and Sultans: Urban Protest in Late Medieval Egypt and Syria by Amina Elbendary. During the 15h century, the Mamluk sultanate that ruled Egypt and Syria faced a series of challenges, from recurrent plagues to changes in international trade routes.

Protectors or Praetorians? by Carl F. Petry. The last Mamluk sultans and Egypt's waning as a great power.

Books About Caliphs
Books about Saladin & Crusades

Modern Egypt & Monarchy

Monarchy and Modernity in Egypt: Politics, Islam and Neo-Colonialism Between the Wars by James Whidden. The creation of the Egyptian monarchy in 1922, under King Fuad II, opened debates over fundamental cultural questions.

Diaries of an Egyptian Princess by Nevine Abbas Halim. This book includes royal gossip, political intrigue, and tales of young love and fashionable society.

Modern Egypt: The Formation of a Nation State by Arthur Goldschmidt. A concise survey of Egyptian history since the mid-eighteenth century. Published in 2004.

Biographical Dictionary of Modern Egypt by Arthur Goldschmidt.

A Short History of Modern Egypt by Afaf Lufti Al Sayyid Marsot. The history of Egypt from the Arab conquest in 639 to modern times.

The Cambridge History of Egypt: Volume 2 by M. W. Daly is about modern Egypt, from 1517 to the end of the 20th century.

King Farouk I

Too Rich: The High Life and Tragic Death of King Farouk by William Stadiem. A biography of the playboy king who was deposed in 1952. Published in 1991.

Farouk by Michael Stern. "The true inside story of the scandalous life and loves of the notorious playboy king." Published in 1965.

Farouk of Egypt: A Biography by Barrie St. Clair McBride. The story of a good-hearted and sad man with palaces but no home, and his struggles against overwhelming odds. Published in 1967.

The Last Pharaoh: Farouk of Egypt by Hugh McLeave. Published in 1969.

A King Betrayed: The Ill-Fated Reign of Farouk of Egypt by Adel Sabit. Published in 1989.

Empire, Celebrity and Excess by Martin Francis. King Farouk of Egypt and British culture, 1936-1965.

More Books About Royalty in Africa

Children's Books About Ancient Egypt

Nonfiction

The Pharaoh's Court by Kathryn Hinds. A look at life in ancient Egypt for children ages 9 to 12.

A Day in the Life of a Pharaoh by Emma Helbrough. For children ages 9 to 12.

Pharaoh: Life and Afterlife of a God by David Kennett. An illustrated look at lives and afterlives of Seti I and Ramesses II and the powerful civilizations they built. For children ages 9 to 12.

Pharaohs and Dynasties of Ancient Egypt by Kristine Carlson Asselin. How pharaohs lived and ruled. For children ages 9 to 12.

Pharaoh's Boat by David L. Weitzman. In the shadow of the Great Pyramid, shipwrights are building an enormous vessel for Cheops, the mighty pharaoh. But no one imagines where the journey will lead. Illustrated. For children ages 9 to 12.

Rulers of Ancient Egypt edited by Don Nardo. For young adult readers.

How to Be an Egyptian Princess by Jacqueline Morley. You know you were born to rule! But what are your duties at court? Will you attend official ceremonies and banquets? What about school? All you need to know to become an Egyptian princess is illustrated here. For children ages 4 to 8.

Your Life as a Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt by Jessica Gunderson, illustrated by Jeff Ebbeler. A nonfiction picture book.

Ancient Egypt by Andrew Haslam. An educational craft book. For children ages 9 to 12.

Snefru by Susanna Thomas. Children's book about the Egyptian king who built the first true pyramid. For ages 9 to 12.

Fiction

Pharaoh by Jackie French. Fiction. Prince Narmer is destined to be king of Thinis, the greatest town in Egypt. Then a devastating accident forces him to give up his right to the throne. For children ages 8 and up.

Mummies & Tombs

The Curse of the Pharaohs: My Adventures With Mummies by Zahi Hawass. The head of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities tells true stories of archaeology and Egypt's treasures, including the "curse of the pharaohs." From National Geographic. For children ages 9 to 12.

The Royal Mummies: Remains From Ancient Egypt by Eric Kudalis. For children ages 4 to 8.

Mummies of the Pharaohs: Exploring the Valley of the Kings by Melvin Berger and Gilda Berger. For children ages 9 to 12.

The Valley of the Kings: Egypt's Greatest Mummies by Michael Burgan. Nonfiction for children ages 9 to 12.

Pharaohs and Embalmers (All in a Day's Work) by Anita Ganeri. For ages 9 to 12.

Mummies, Tombs, and Pharaohs: Secrets of Ancient Egypt by Lila Perl, illustrated by Erika Weihs. For ages 9 to 12.

Children's Books About Ramses II

Ramses II: Egyptian Pharaoh, Warrior, and Builder by Stephanie Fitzgerald. For children ages 9 to 12.

Ramesses II: Ruler of Ancient Egypt by Don Nardo. Biography for children ages 9 to 12.

The Life & Times of Rameses the Great by Jim Whiting. Biography for children ages 9 to 12.

Ramses the Great by Silvia Anne Sheafer. Biography for children ages 9 to 12.

Pyramids

I Wonder Why Pyramids Were Built: And Other Questions About Ancient Egypt by Philip Steele. For ages 4 to 8.

The Great Pyramid by Elizabeth Mann, illustrated by Laura Lo Turco. The story of farmers, a god-king, and the most astounding structure ever built. For ages 9 to 12.

The Great Pyramid: Egypt's Tomb for All Time by Jeanette Leardi. For children ages 9 to 12.

More Children's Books About Egypt and Africa

Documentaries and Movies

These DVDs are formatted for North American audiences.

Ramses the Great

Ramses the Great. From his 100 children to the monuments that transformed the face of Egypt, this is an in-depth look at the legendary pharaoh who ruled for 67 years. From the History Channel/A&E.

Ancient Mysteries: The Secret Life of King Ramses II. Documentary about the king of Egypt (1304-1237 BC) whose long and prosperous reign marks the last great peak of Egyptian power. From the History Channel/A&E.

Decisive Battles: Ramses II. When the Hittite king Muwwitallah threatens to break away from the hegemony of the Egyptian empire, Ramses marches to neutralize the threat. But when the battle arrives, he is surprised in camp with his army strung out for miles.

Digging for the Truth: Ramesses - Visions of Greatness. What forces drove Ramses to be the greatest pharaoh? Host Josh Bernstein decodes the propaganda of the pharaohs.

Pharaohs and History

Egypt Beyond the Pyramids. Go beyond the familiar stories to examine the most recent discoveries, including the ongoing excavations of KV5, the largest tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

Egypt's Golden Empire. Presents the history and royal personalities behind the most extraordinary period in Egyptian history: from 1570 B.C. to 1070 B.C., when the Egyptian Empire reached its zenith.

The Real Scorpion King. A documentary that tells the true story of the legendary ruler who helped found the Egyptian empire. Scholars reveal the stunning findings that have emerged from the recent excavation of his tomb.

The Scorpion King. This fanciful 2002 action movie, based very loosely on the real Scorpion King, stars Dwayne Johnson (AKA pro wrestler "The Rock") as an assassin in ancient Egypt.

Pyramids and Mummies

Modern Marvels: Egyptian Pyramids. Egypt's pyramids are engineering marvels of staggering proportions. But the exact methods used to construct them remain tantalizingly obscure.

Ancient Mysteries: The Great Pyramids of Giza. Computer animations show the pyramids as they appeared during the glory days of the Kingdom of the Nile, and engineers present theories about how they were built.

Mummies & the Wonders of Ancient Egypt. The world's greatest Egyptologists and the latest computer technology bring the fabled world of the Egyptians back to life. Unlock the secrets of the pyramids and the sphinx, decipher long-secret hieroglyphs, and explore the glittering sepulcher of Tutankhamun.

Documentaries About King Tut
Movies & Documentaries About Cleopatra