I really like history, especially history of ancient civilizations like Egypt. This book itself has the potential to be a very interesting read, because the topic is cool and unusual.

Of all the seven Cleopatras of Egypt, only Cleopatra VII Philopator’s life has been continuously discussed. Not many people know (or particularly interested) in the other Cleopatras.

This book tried to introduce the other Cleopatras to the reader. It's really full of information. Almost everything that readers want to know about Ptolemaic Egypt can be found in this book. Moreover, Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, who wrote this book, is indeed a historian. I trust his credibility as an author.

Unfortunately, all the dense information in this book seems scattered. After discussing the history of Cleopatra I, the author can suddenly talk about the name Cleopatra which is also popular in Greek mythology.

It feels such a pity, the dense and actually important information is easily overlooked because it is piled into one. Moreover, one chapter can tell about several Cleopatras at once.

This way of storytelling will be difficult for modern readers who are not used to long texts. (short attention span due to overconsumption of social media contents). It’s a shame if the historical facts that the author has painstakingly summarized just pass by in the reader’s memory. I even had to make notes in phone every time there was interesting information that I wanted to remember.

The information should be broken down into several chapters and sub-chapters. The chapter about Cleopatra Syra, for example, could be divided into “Background of Cleopatra Syra”, “Conditions of the Seleucid and Egyptian Kingdom during Cleopatra Syra’s time”, “Cleopatra Syra’s Marriage”, and “Cleopatra Syra’s Role as Queen of Egypt”. This way, readers will definitely find it easier to remember the points conveyed by the author.

In the end, this book is an important read. This book could even be made into an interesting docuseries if added with perspectives from other historians.

When I was a child I saw one documentary on Ancient Egypt and fell in love. For most of my young life, I was determined to be an Egyptologist (later I would change to history teacher) and I loved how reading this book reminded me of that.

I enjoyed this author's writing style and how he tackles his subject. I feel he walks a very nice balance between engaging and factual. I know many might not feel the same as me, but when I'm reading to learn I hate the novelization of historical figures (unless there are ample sources from the person). It feels too disingenuous to stuff words into the mouth of someone long gone, it ruins my trust in the material. This author, however, maintained that trust throughout the book. I appreciated his acknowledgment of shortcomings when it comes to the historical record and yet he used available information and context to suggest how our topics could've reacted.

I think this book is digestible for anybody, with or without prior knowledge. The benefit of exploring a dynasty of women is that you get a full picture of that period of history and the events that shaped it. I highly recommend this book for history lovers and casual dabblers alike. It was such a refreshing take on the Cleopatras and his characterization of Cleopatra VII struck a chord in me, and I would love to see a full book by this author on just her. It's very different from the books I read when I was younger and getting into history. The story this author tells seems so much more faceted. And if that fails to convince you, just read it for that sweet sweet family drama because who doesn't love backstabbing women and their brother-uncle-husbands?

I will definitely be going through the recommended readings in the back, I'm hooked. I also hope the physical copies include images of the mentioned artifacts because if it does then it's a guaranteed purchase for me.

*Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

I LOVED this book.

A lot.

I've always been a huge fan of Cleopatra VII (THE Cleopatra to most people), but always wanted to know more about her equally impressive and just as badass ancestors. This book does an excellent job of introducing you to the tangled web of the Ptolemies, who make the Habsburgs look like amateurs with the "keep it in your family" department!

It gives you a lot of information about the infamous dynasty, but doesn't make you feel bogged down like you're reading a dry history text.

Definitely going to purchase this one for my collection!

What a tremendously good read this was. The book is so well researched, so well written and so approachable for every type of reader, be it a student of history or someone who likes historical tv shows, at no point was I bored and to be truthful, I was just riveted to learn about the Ptolemaic women. The number of books written about ancient women is few and far between, and we mostly are supposed to glean them from traditional histories as being there to adorn the male stories, This book shows Cleopatras as powerful and interesting individuals about whom boos are long overdue.

This book sheds light on the often-overlooked legacy of Cleopatra, moving beyond the glamorized portrayal of her by Elizabeth Taylor. The author delves into the multifaceted personas of seven successive Cleopatras, challenging the notion of Cleopatra solely as a seductress crafted by biased Roman sources. By presenting their lives and reigns, the book illustrates how these Cleopatras utilized their political acumen and strategic prowess to navigate the tumultuous time of ancient Egypt, often overshadowing their male counterparts. Through clever manipulation of religion and self-styling as goddesses, they transcended the limitations imposed by their gender, emerging as formidable rulers in their own right.

While the narrative offers valuable insights into the lives of these remarkable women, it occasionally gets bogged down by excessive tangents into Ptolemaic history, detracting from the central focus. Nevertheless, for readers willing to invest the time and patience, this book serves as a compelling introduction to the end of the Ptolemaic dynasty, offering a fresh perspective on the often marginalized and unfairly depicted female Pharaohs.

Looking at a dynasty through a new lens is always interesting, especially when all the queens share the same name! Llewellyn-Jones takes us through Ptolemaic Egypt through the lens of its queens. In keeping with his other work that I have read (The Persians), it has a flowing conversational style that makes the topic easy to get into.

"The Cleopatras" is Egyptian history through a unique filter--focusing on the stories of the many Cleopatras predating "the" Cleopatra.

What's good: The book is relatively accessible for those not familiar with Egyptian pharaohs and their history. The author does the best job possible in keeping straight a cast of characters who are mostly one of two names (Ptolemy or Cleopatra). The book manages to pull together evidence from a range of sources, including the most glancing references in half-broken tablets. Until the last quarter of the book, I was able to stay interested *and* keep the strands of the different royals' stories separate in my head. (In the last quarter, I did have a bit of Cleo fatigue.)

What's iffier: Some of the conclusions do make me side-eye the author. For example, there's a conclusion about one young princess' actions that could be right--but also could be wrong, because there's little evidence to say conclusively.

With gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

A conversational, highly readable account of an under-reported period of history. Due to the eras under discussion, there is obviously a dearth of primary sources to draw on; Llewellyn-Jones uses this to his advantage, extending the scope of the project to provide a broader look at life in Egypt during the reigns of the Cleopatras.

Good as a memory refresher for those who already are familiar with the Ptolemaic dynasty, and informative for those that aren't, and very readable. Full review in link!

I really enjoyed this book. The first part focussed a bit too much on Alexandria in general (which in itself I really liked considering that, next to Cleopatra VII, I knew very little about it) but the later parts got to focus more on the actual Cleopatras and delivered on it's promise.
Each of the queens (or princessess) really got the attention she warranted and for each of them that was a lot of attention, they are all so interesting! I had been afraid that Cleopatra VII would make up a major part of this, but she was adressed as much or less as the others.

With so many Ptolemy's and Cleopatra's it was a smart move to speak of them by their name, taking away as much repetition as possible with this serial-name family.

The only complaint I have is that Cleopatra Selene (Cleopatra VII's daughter) was barely mentioned even though she goes on to be a queen through her marriage (the marriage does get a short mention).

Storygraph rating: 4.5

The Cleopatras by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones is the first of its kind in how it explores the Cleopatras of the Ptolemaic dynasty, and overall Llewellyn-Jones' approach appears thorough and offers a refreshing portrayal of women in power.

"The Cleopatras' worst crime? Being women. And worse still, being women with genuine power to wield."

From Cleopatra I Syra to Cleopatra VII (the Cleopatra we all know), Llewellyn-Jones provides an excellent critique of scholarship on female power and leadership in history. In particular, his focus on numismatic, epigraphic and statuary evidence was promising as for once conclusions were (for the majority of the time) drawn from how these figures genuinely portrayed themselves during their reigns. Of course, at times where there is a lack of contemporary evidence, storytelling invariably carried the main threads of this discussion of power. But, as someone who studied Classics, this is incredibly difficult to avoid when attempting to reconstruct timelines and the lives of historical figures long dead.

I'd recommend The Cleopatras for anyone fairly new to the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt but at times the writing might feel 'dense' for the average non-fiction reader. It is definitely beneficial to have some familiarity with the Hellenistic period and imperial expansion during the Roman Republic. The Cleopatras provides a richer backdrop to this period of history when we understand in more depth the power wielded by Egypt's queens in both the Ptolemaic and Seleucid empires, and the enigma that is Cleopatra VII is finally put in context.

"Cleopatra VII comes into her own when we understood that she was one of a long line of extraordinary ruling women - that she was one of the Cleopatras."

Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones’ THE CLEOPATRAS: THE FORGOTTEN QUEENS OF EGYPT is an impressive work of scholarship by an eminent historian. In tracing the biographies of the seven Ptolemaic queens who ruled Egypt, Jones does a great job providing the socio-political context in which the first Queen Cleopatra Syra found herself, her quick adaptation and hence the establishment of a dynasty. He portrays all the in-fighting and intra-marrying that continues throughout, finally reaching the woman of story and myth, whom he calls “the Cleopatra,” Cleopatra VII.

Jones provides thorough examination of sibling marriage practiced by Egyptian royalty during this time. He makes excellent use of contemporaneous historians, quoting them extensively, as well as the art, literature, architecture and any related historical records. He tries to make the personages come to life, to the extent the historical record allows.

One of his stated goals is to evaluate the Cleopatras through a less patriarchal lens. It’s hard to rescue them from centuries of neglect and/or contempt but he takes a long first step. Some details about this period such as female infanticide or the extreme policing of women as a matter of family honor are well-known, but nevertheless shocking and valuable to have in the context of this successful female political dynasty.

Jones does everything possible to make this a lively read. But history is complicated and there’s nothing he can do about that. The book is clearly written but it does traverse difficult material repeatedly. My final comment: this book is not for casual reading but is well worth the effort. Especially for readers interested in this period of time or culture.

With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who has always said Cleopatra VII is overrated, this book was made for me. I loved the casually informative tone of the book and how it tried it's best to keep the numerous Cleopatras and Ptolemys clear. Despite it being a history book, there was a clear throughline and it was easy to understand--almost like there was a narrative, or this was a lecture being given by a casual professor.

In particular, I loved how this truly traced the rise and fall of the dynasty through the lens of the Cleopatras. Would highly recommend, especially to those who find history books hard to read.

Most people know Cleopatra, the famous queen who allegedly chose death by asp instead of facing defeat at the hands of the Romans, but not many may know she was the last in a long line of queens that shared her name. There was, in fact, seven Cleopatra's in the Ptolemy dynasty that became queen, each with her own interesting tales to tell. The book takes a look at all seven women, their lives, and what was going on in Egypt during their reigns. It's clear a lot of research went into this book, as there is a good amount of detail about not only the queens and the royal family, but also of Egypt, its political and social landscapes, and the culture surrounding royalty. Any chance to learn more about Egyptian women who held power is interesting, as they weren't always well documented, and some were erased from the records after their death. But, women in Egypt often ruled, whether as a co-ruler, a regent, or pharaoh in their own right, and it's always fascinating to see how these women wielded their influence. While I did feel like the writing was a bit dry and sometimes hard to slog through, this book was a good read and offers a lot of information about these little-known women.

The Cleopatras: The Forgotten Queens of Egypt was one of my most highest anticipated books of the year but for me, personally, it wasn't the best book I've ever read about ancient Egypt. However, I would still recommend it to people who want to learn more about the extraordinary Ptolemy dynasty and the amazing Cleopatras that stood out among the men.

I don't think I'm mistaken if I say that most people only know of one Cleopatra in particular, which is Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator. She was the (obvioiusly) 7th Cleopatra and the last queen of Egypt. I knew a bunch of other Cleopatras came before her but I never really delved into their stories before nor do I think there are any books that are just about these seven women in one book (although I could always be mistaken). But that's why I'm glad that Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones has written this book because all of the Cleopatras deserve the attention.

Three star rated books are always the hardest for me to review so with this one it isn't an exception. It's always a kind of struggle for me. I liked this book but I didn't end up loving it as much as I would've wanted. It was fascinating for sure. I just felt like it didn't start out very strong but as the book went on and I read chapter after chapter I must say that it did gain strength.

The Cleopatras is divided into three parts. Part one is called Beginning, part two is called Expanding Horizons and part three is called Terminal Decline. The third part, which contained the last five chapters + epilogue, was my favorite part. I thought those chapters were the most interesting and the ones that read quicker for me. Maybe because I finally got used to the mention of so many Cleopatras and Ptolemy's. I knew this going in, of course, that in ancient Egyptian dynasties there were many queens and kings with the same name but even with this in the back of my head I still somewhat struggled with keeping everyone straight. By the time I reached part three I think I finally got a handle on them.

This was my first book by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones and although I didn't end up fully devouring and loving the book, I still want to read some of his other books because I could definitely feel the enthusiasm he has for the ancient world. This was something that I could clearly tell from his writing. I would love to read his book on the Persians. I think it sounds highly fascinating!