An easy to understand brief history of the boy king's short life and reign and the discovery of his tomb by Howard Carter. Egyptian history can be complicated to understand but this read almost like a novel and though not extremely detailed, it covered the basics with accompanying pictures of the art and artifacts that helped tell the tale. If you're a seasoned fan of Egyptology this information will be nothing new but if you're new to the field this is a good introduction to the topic. Thank you to NetGalley and Yale University Press for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Very accessible, slightly romanticized narrative of Tutankhamun's life, of the discovery of his burial chamber and the enormous interest and controversy that still surrounds it. Don't expect any spectacular revelations, because not much is actually known about this very young pharaoh. Gary J. Shaw portrays it well and his book is absolutely scientifically sound, but I was surprised that he thought it necessary to make Tutankhamun into a kind of movie character (the narrative style is also almost like in a staged documentary). More in my History account on GR: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5034686744
With my thanks for the ARC by Netgalley and publisher Yale University Press.

I’ve long had a fascination with Ancient Egypt and its rulers. This book is both easy to access and detailed, giving a new understanding to life in Ancient Egypt. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and will. eve recommending to friends and family who share my fascination.

Although the death mask of Tutankhamun is one of the most recognisable 'faces' of the twentieth century, it is surprisingly how little we actually know about his life that can be verified. The author uses what we do know, alongside information about life in ancient Egypt in general, to piece together what Tutankhamun's life could have been like. From his early years where even the name of his mother is not known (it is known from DNA that she was one of his father's sisters), to what actually killed him, Tutankhamun's life is mainly a mystery.

This book covers the period of his short life, & several years afterwards, before skipping to the early 1900s & then the discovery of the tomb by Howard Carter in 1922 & up to the present day. The author gives us his best interpretation of the available evidence & provides alternate interpretations in the footnotes. One thing that really struck me when reading it was the evidence that Tutankhamun's burial was very hastily done & rather slipshod in areas. That's not something that I was aware of, having thought with all the burial goods etc that his burial would have been very prestigious, but it seems that it lacked the attention to detail that earlier burials of his ancestors did.

It's a quick read at just under 200 pages, as it keeps things at a surface level without diving into aspects in more detail which is a bit of a weakness in some respects, but it's well worth a read as an introduction to the subject. It left me with lots of questions to follow up on.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Yale University Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

A short book about Tuthankhamun, both his life, and the way he kept on living throughout history. I enjoyed the read, especially what happened after Carter started his journey into the tomb, and how Tuthankhamun became so famous - long after his death. Everything new we have been able to learn about him is fascinating. There is not that much info about his short life on earth, at least we know his life was not easy due to all the health problems he suffered from. Its a quick read that gives a good overlook of Tutankhamun.

This book was an interesting summary of the live of Tutankhamun, that was also good to understand for people who don’t know that much about the pharaoh yet.
I was especially amazed by the last part which was about the discovery of the tomb and the analysis that has been done since.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in old Egypt or especially Tutankhamun!

The book is short for what it is about. I found the information very interesting. What I appreciated was how he treated the curse that did´nt exist.

Since I can remember I've always had this fascination with Ancient Egypt. That being said, of course King Tutankhman is a figure I've been drawn to time and time again. Back in 2010 when the King Tut exhibit returned to NYC, I of course went and had a blast. OK, enough about me! Let's get back to the book review ...

In this new biography the author goes into what was going on during the period before Tutankhman's birth in Egypt under his father, Akhenaten's, reign, his life growing up as a royal and becoming the youngest pharaoh to ever rule over ancient Egypt, to his death and funerary preparations, to the discovery of his tomb by Howard Carter and the Tut-mania that followed, a captivation that hasn't abated even through our current times.

This short, succinct biography of Tutankhamun was a fun, interesting, educational read. It's truly incredible how much I learned from this barely 200-page book! After finding out from this book all that was done by one of his predecessors, Horemheb, to erase Tut's name (He literally chiselled out Tutankhamun's name and replaced it with his own) from memory and ultimately history, it feels like a miracle to even be talking and reading about King Tut.

Tut Fun Facts:

⚱️The great golden death mask we all associate with the boy king was actually made for his mother

⚱️Tutankhamun married his 11 year old half-sister, Ankhesenamu, and their eventual deaths marked the end of their royal line

⚱️Due to tomb preparations and having no successor, King Tut's funeral didn't happen until 7 months after his death

⚱️After discovering the tomb, Howard Carter had every artefact photographed both as it was discovered in the tomb, and afterwards, as individual objects

⚱️As of the writing of this book, Tutankhman remains in his tomb. He's the only pharaoh we know of still resting in his own tomb

⚱️Once having travelled all over the world for different exhibitions, Tutankhman's treasures, amounting to about 5,000 artifacts, now have a new home at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza

Thank you Yale University Press & NetGalley for this e-ARC!

I give The Story of Tutankhamun: An Intimate Life of the Boy Who Became King by Garry J. Shaw 4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Story of Tutankhamun was an excellent view into the life of the boy king. Shaw had a way of being informative while making it readable without it being dry or condescending. Reads like fiction, and I would recommend it for readers of all ages.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Well this was a fascinating look at the life of King Tutankhamen. An easy and enjoyable read for those who want to know more about the famous boy King. A fascinating period of time and well written style. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.

The image of Tutankhamen’s golden death mask is probably what comes to mind whenever you think of Ancient Egypt - I know it does for me. Whilst we all recognise the mask, the actual story behind Tutankhamen’s life and the subsequent finding of his tomb 100 years ago is less well known. Shaw brings Tutankhamen and his story to life in a brilliantly paced and accessible read, suitable for all history lovers.

The book covers how Egypt was ruled before Tutankhamen was born as to give some background to the world in which he grew up, and carefully guides us through his too-short reign as Pharaoh. His death and the aftermath are sympathetically written, especially with respects to his wife. The events that followed are described so well you feel as though you’re there, in the 1920s, desperately waiting for more information on the tomb and the Pharaoh they found within it.

As someone who only has a very vague understand of Ancient Egypt, this book was a perfect introduction to Tutankhamen’s era and to Ancient Egypt as a whole.

I really enjoyed this well-researched book about King Tut, a name I easily recognize but a boy king I knew little about. If you’re a fan of Ancient Egypt, this book is for you.

This book presents a great narrative about the life and environment of Tutankhamun. Little is practically known about this character aside from his famous tomb. This book illuminates the surrounding social, economic, and political conditions of his time. Great illustrations as well!

An excellent presentation of the life of Tutankhamun!! It is an easy, informative, entertaining read...perfect for the casual history fan looking to learn about this young pharaoh whose life ended far too soon. Highly recommend!!

Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy, which I voluntarily read and reviewed.

A fantastic account of the boy pharaoh, his life, and early death. As someone who has a beginner level knowledge of the subject before diving in to this work, I found it accessible and engaging to many audiences, and I didn't want to put this book down.

Shaw writes this book as historical, but employs prose that makes the reader feel as if they are reading a fantastic work of fiction.

If you have an amateur Egyptologist in your life (or if you are one), this book is highly recommended.

This was fascinating, a look at the life and times of the boy king rather than just his tomb. I requested this book as I was supposed to travel to London to see the Tutankhamun exhibition (unfortunately lockdown scuppered that), but this almost felt as if I was there. Excellent.

The Story of Tutankhamun
An Intimate Life of the Boy who Became King
by Garry J. Shaw

This is an amazing and very informative book bringing the young king alive again for a short time so we can visually picture his life and death as if we were there. It's been 100 years since the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb and this book tells us his life before death, why he was buried there, how it was hidden, and the many things we have learned in the last 100 years.

Some things we may have had wrong at times then new discoveries helped explain things further. New medical devices have helped greatly too! No, he was not murdered! But he was chronically ill. He was also born with a club foot causing him to use a cane all his life.

He and the Aye, the man who took over after Tut died, had their names and faces obliterated by the ruler after Aye. So King Tutankhamun was never to be known or see again. He was erased from history. But after Carter found his tomb, King Tut is the most famous king from Egypt! Even little kids know about him! Boy did that backfire on that ruler!

This book is exceptionally laid out and middle grade kids will enjoy and learn from this book but adults will love it too! It's presented wonderfully! I love this history period of Egypt and this book is well researched and very informative! Loved it!

I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this awesome book!

This book is a really nice and easy read about the life of King Tut. There is good history of how King Tut came to become the king, details on his death and burial process, and details about the discovery of his tomb. The story reads easily, and is well researched and documented. There are also some really interesting photos included.

Whilst it may appear there is nothing more to say on the subject this book provides an entertaining reason to revisit the topic. In this book the author brings together material from the discovery, the finds themselves to the influence of 'Tutmania'. There are some interesting points made about the current thoughts in Egyptology and how it is confronting them. The author wears his knowledge lightly and this book will appeal to those who know little of the subject through to those who know more, everyone will find something in this book. It is highly readable, clear and understandable without resorting to too much jargon. A good jumping off point for those who want to read further too.

Publication Jan. 2, 2023

Excellent and this is coming from someone who once pondered taking up the study of archeology. Well, until I realized how tedious and boring the parts that didn't involve finding riches beyond the imagination really was. Seriously, I've always found Tutankhamun fascinating, both from the standpoint of history and the wonder of what it really must have been like for him, as a quite young boy, to suddenly be turned into what might as well have been a god. 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of Howard Carter's discovery of his long hidden tomb and not only are the pre/post Tutankhamun reign discussed, but also more modern connected events. This book, which is an easy read, takes a fascinating look at both, not to mention offers up an extensive selections of endnotes, bibliography, index, and photos, some of which were genuinely new to me despite my long-held fascination with the find.

In other words, even if you think you know everything there is about King Tut, as he's usually called, you're likely to find something new. I know I did. I most liked the author's weaving of a non-fictional story in what I'll dub a fictional manner, bringing the story to life. It gives it the "you are there" feel. You can almost feel the heat, noise, smells, and intense activity about Tut. While the author does not attempt to project feelings of awe, fear, or wonder on the boy king, he uses existing evidence to make some educated assumptions about what his life must have been like both before and after he became king. Even after his death, you're left feeling pangs of sympathy for his young wife as she strives to hold things together, being ultimately forced to wed a much older man who had been a trusted advisor to Tut. In other words, this is both a historical and very human story.

One image that stayed with me involved the humble laborers who slaved away in a rush to create Tutankhamun's tomb, then the more modern laborers as they cleared and worked to move discovered treasures to safer confines. Unlike the burial workers, however, they did have a railroad of sorts, a trolley, perhaps we'd call it. Given the shortage of rails, however, workers had to built, disassemble, then repeat many times to move things from the tomb area to the museum or work spaces. Nor were they all in good condition. Did you know they had to, well, take Tut's mummified remains apart to get it out of the coffin that had been treated with an over-abundance of resin? As the author details, the funeral was a rushed job, despite the fact we'd consider it a long period in modern times to prepare a body for burial. Heck, the tomb used seems to even been borrowed, perhaps from Nefertiti. Evidence supporting this assumption/educated guess is within. Since I read something regarding Tut just recently, I believe on the belief that he had a clubbed foot, it's intriguing to know the background of the burial and how the rush and accidents may impact even modern findings.

Seriously, give this one a read. Heck, even the infamous curse gets a nod, not to mention comedian Steve Martin's 1973 novelty song "King Tut". Yep, something for everyone. Thanks #NetGalley and #YaleUniversityPress for giving me the chance to renew my interest in all things King "Tut".