Monday, October 26, 2009

Books I've read this week - The Murder of King Tut


The Murder of King Tut © 2009 by James patterson & Martin Dugard

Little, Brown
$26.99
ISBN: 9780316034043
 
About the book:  A secret buried for centuries
Thrust onto Egypt's most powerful throne at the age of nine, King Tut's reign was fiercely debated from the outset. Behind the palace's veil of prosperity, bitter rivalries and jealousy flourished among the Boy King's most trusted advisors, and after only nine years, King Tut suddenly perished, his name purged from Egyptian history. To this day, his death remains shrouded in controversy.

 

The keys to an unsolved mystery

Enchanted by the ruler's tragic story and hoping to unlock the answers to the 3,000 year-old mystery, Howard Carter made it his life's mission to uncover the pharaoh's hidden tomb. He began his search in 1907, but encountered countless setbacks and dead-ends before he finally, uncovered the long-lost crypt.


The clues point to murder
Now, in "The Murder of King Tut," James Patterson and Martin Dugard dig through stacks of evidence--X-rays, Carter's files, forensic clues, and stories told through the ages--to arrive at their own account of King Tut's life and death. The result is an exhilarating true crime tale of intrigue, passion, and betrayal that casts fresh light on the oldest mystery of all.

James Patterson became interested in and then somewhat obsessed with the story of King Tut and what had happened to him.  He set out, along with Marty Dugard, to research everything he could about the boy king and his life.  This book is the result of what they think could have happened.  The book is written in three parts which are spread throughout the story - Patterson's reasons for writing the book and his conclusions; the story of the pharoahs' lives as they MAY have happened; and the story of Howard Carter, an Englishman who went to Egypt and spent his life searching for pharoahs' tombs.  His exploration party was the one that eventually found the tomb of King Tut after others had given up hope.

The cover of the book says this is a 'nonfiction' thriller. I think using the research they did, Mr. Patterson and Mr. Dugard did an excellent job of writing the story of the pharoahs and it makes a good novel.  The part about Mr. Carter is based on his own journals so much of it is known fact.  Putting the two together makes a very interesting book but what really happened to King Tut is still very much unknown and the book's conclusion is just the author's own theory and not fact.  Read the book and draw your own conclusions.

I won this book from The Tome Traveler blog.  Thanks Carey!

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