Ramesses

As today’s visitors tour Egypt, one pharaoh’s name and image appear nearly everywhere they go, from Cairo’s main railway station to the magnificent rock-cut temples of Abu Simbel: User-Ma’at-Re Setpenre Ra-mes-su, better known to us as Ramesses II or Ramesses the Great, who reigned for 67 years in the thirteenth century BC, at the height of Egypt’s influence and power. He left behind him the most extensive and visible monumental legacy of any of ancient Egypt’s kings, building and adding to temples all over Egypt (even far into what is now Sudan) and erecting new statues of himself in addition to usurping those of earlier rulers. This lavishly illustrated book brings Ramesses the Great alive as never before. Stunning photography of temples, friezes, statues, tombs, and treasures gives us an unparalleled visual appreciation of the pharaoh and his times. Leading authority T.G.H. James provides a vivid word picture of man and king, describing the background to his reign, the politics of the time, the clash with the Hittites, the Battle of Qadesh, the king as builder and image-maker, his wives and children, his officials, his people, and his legacy. A companion volume to The Treasures of the Egyptian Museum and Tutankhamun: The Eternal Splendor of the Boy Pharaoh, this extraordinary book belongs in the library of every lover of Egypt and its glorious heritage.