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Ramesses II, Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh Paperback – April 13, 2023

by Peter J. Brand (Author)
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 15 ratings
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Ramesses II was the most magnificent and iconic pharaoh in Egyptian history. His reign was the longest, the most "monumental" in buildings and artwork, the most innovative in diplomacy, and even the most procreative, with over one hundred royal offspring. Drawing on the latest research, Peter J. Brand digs deep into Egyptian culture and archeology, revealing the mindset and motivations of Ramesses II. We find what his grand monuments reveal, and equally what they conceal. On the international scene, we peruse the diplomatic letters--often surprising, sometimes amusing--between Pharaoh and the kings of Babylon, Assyria, and the Hittite Empire. A courageous warrior in his prime, Ramesses was also a wise and visionary statesman. He ended six decades of war with the Hittite Empire by signing the first peace treaty in recorded history. In his later years Ramesses II became a living god, and finally an immortal legend. Forty years after Kenneth Kitchen's Pharaoh Triumphant, here at last is a fresh, engaging look at Ramesses II, Egypt's ultimate Pharaoh.
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  1. Print length
    598 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Lockwood Press
  4. Publication date
    April 13, 2023
  5. Dimensions
    6.61 x 1.73 x 9.53 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1948488485
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1948488488
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"An evocative and up-to-date account of the life and times of the man whose shadow-for better or worse-had dominated the image of pharaonic kingship over three millennia." --Aidan Dodson

"This book is not merely yet another foray into an attempted biography of a bygone ruler of the Nile Valley. Quite to the contrary, I believe that what Brand has achieved is a marvel. This scholarly work is a new stepping stone in the now two-full-centuries-long history of Egyptology not only owing to its in-depth critical approach, but also as Brand provides a perceptive secondary, or higher-level analysis of historical investigation. Brand's volume is equally significant as it is a major advance in the field of Egyptology, especially in historical studies of the ancient world. He connects many sources together, all reflecting a disparate aspect and nature such as archaeology, inscriptions, visual panoramas and tableaux, not to mention "lowly" objects such as coffers or jewels and the like, into a coherent and stimulating whole. It is my firm position that Brand's Ramesses II, Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh, will be seen not only as reconfirming the ruler's importance in world history, but equally as a paradigm for historical studies of the ancient world. The book will become a milestone in historical writing on pharaonic Egypt." --Anthony Spalinger

"No Egyptian pharaoh had arguably as great an impact on Egypt than Ramesses II. Professor Peter Brand's study provides more than a history of an eventful reign; it looks beyond the image of Ramesses as a great warrior and builder and puts him in a broader context of Egypt, the Levant, and Nubia. The narrative shows how Egypt's place in the Late Bronze Age was maintained not just by war, but by judicious diplomacy as well. Especially interesting is the description of the negotiations between the Ramesses and the Hittite royal house that led to the peace treaty between the two empires in his twenty-first regnal year and the first diplomatic marriage to a Hittite princess in his thirty-fourth. Specialists and nonspecialists alike will welcome the balanced approach to the critical and controversial issues of his reign: a possible coregency with his father; the Battle of Kadesh; his complex family and many sons; the role of his queens and other royal women; Egyptian exploitation of Nubia and its gold mines; and, finally, his legacy in Egyptian and world history. The even-handed presentation allows a general readership to follow critical issues of the reign, while providing endnotes and an extensive bibliography that add solid scholarly support to discussions. A generous number of illustrations and maps are well deployed and particularly helpful in describing the ambitious building program throughout Egypt and Nubia that marked Ramesses’s reign." --Ogden Goelet

About the Author

Dr. Peter J. Brand (PhD University of Toronto, 1998) is an ancient historian and Egyptologist specializing in history and culture of ancient Egypt during its imperial age (ca. 1550-1100 BCE). He is author of The Monuments of Seti I and their Historical Significance: Epigraphic, Historical and Art-Historical Analysis (Brill, 2000), and has written numerous articles on Egyptian kingship, monumental art and construction, history, popular religion, warfare, and diplomacy during the late Eighteenth Dynasty and Ramesside period. Ramesses II, Egypt's Ultimate Pharaoh is his fourth book. Since 2001, Brand has served as director of the Karnak Hypostyle Hall Project, which is recording, conserving, and interpreting hundreds of scenes and hieroglyphic texts carved on the walls and columns of the Great Hypostyle Hall. The project uses cutting-edge technology to model and reveal the inscriptions on this forest of 134 giant columns. Brand has appeared in over twenty documentaries for the History Channel, Discovery, and National Geographic.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lockwood Press (April 13, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 598 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1948488485
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1948488488
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.65 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.61 x 1.73 x 9.53 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 15 ratings

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
15 global ratings
Everything currently know about the complex figure of Ramesses II.
5 Stars
Everything currently know about the complex figure of Ramesses II.
It’s massive but painless to read, in a non-romanticized, relatable and contemporary style. Plenty of colored illustrations. You can plunge as deep as you want to, the more academic data is noted at the end of each chapter.Meticulous account of the battle of Kadesh, almost minute by minute. Who really won? No spoilers!There are sections on Ramesses I, Seti I, wives and children as well.Heard about it on the History of Egypt Podcast.
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Top reviews from the United States

Virstone
5.0 out of 5 stars Huge book.
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
Will take a while to read but looks to be everything I wanted to know about Ramses II.
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Lucie M.
5.0 out of 5 stars Everything currently know about the complex figure of Ramesses II.
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
It’s massive but painless to read, in a non-romanticized, relatable and contemporary style. Plenty of colored illustrations. You can plunge as deep as you want to, the more academic data is noted at the end of each chapter.
Meticulous account of the battle of Kadesh, almost minute by minute. Who really won? No spoilers!
There are sections on Ramesses I, Seti I, wives and children as well.
Heard about it on the History of Egypt Podcast.
Customer image
Lucie M.
5.0 out of 5 stars Everything currently know about the complex figure of Ramesses II.
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2023
It’s massive but painless to read, in a non-romanticized, relatable and contemporary style. Plenty of colored illustrations. You can plunge as deep as you want to, the more academic data is noted at the end of each chapter.
Meticulous account of the battle of Kadesh, almost minute by minute. Who really won? No spoilers!
There are sections on Ramesses I, Seti I, wives and children as well.
Heard about it on the History of Egypt Podcast.
Images in this review
Customer image
Customer image
Helpful
 Report
Warda Sahab
5.0 out of 5 stars An up-to-date and well researched book!
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2023
Brand’s book on Ramesses II is a well-researched and nuanced take on the reign of one of ancient Egypt’s most famous rulers. When discussing the king’s achievements, the author makes sure his readers are aware of the ideological filter that influences monumental representations and the historical records of the time. Instead of reducing Ramesses II to a megalomaniacal oriental despot, Brand manages to present this king from a more refined vantage point. The topic of the royal “harem” is a good example, a loaded orientalist term used by some to describe the pharaoh’s female household, which in fact did not resemble at all how this component of the ancient royal court would have looked like and functioned.

The book is well illustrated and a good read, with just the right level of historical discussions as to not bog down the narrative. It contains color images and line drawings that can be useful to lay readers and specialists alike, not a coffee table picture book or a boring biography. Each chapter is well referenced with sources that can be used by those who wish to dwell deeper into a specific subject. I personally appreciated the diagrams created to explain the so called “Abydos helicopter inscription”, which is a recarved inscription and not at all proof of ancient alien visitors. Another favorite was the reconstruction of the silver tablet inscribed with the peace treaty between the Egyptian and Hittite empires, a fascinating relic that is now sadly lost, but which at the time of its creation would have been worth at least 4 times it’s weight in gold if not more!
Brand’s work merits to be part of the book collection of anyone fascinated by the history of ancient Egypt!
Customer image
Warda Sahab
5.0 out of 5 stars An up-to-date and well researched book!
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2023
Brand’s book on Ramesses II is a well-researched and nuanced take on the reign of one of ancient Egypt’s most famous rulers. When discussing the king’s achievements, the author makes sure his readers are aware of the ideological filter that influences monumental representations and the historical records of the time. Instead of reducing Ramesses II to a megalomaniacal oriental despot, Brand manages to present this king from a more refined vantage point. The topic of the royal “harem” is a good example, a loaded orientalist term used by some to describe the pharaoh’s female household, which in fact did not resemble at all how this component of the ancient royal court would have looked like and functioned.

The book is well illustrated and a good read, with just the right level of historical discussions as to not bog down the narrative. It contains color images and line drawings that can be useful to lay readers and specialists alike, not a coffee table picture book or a boring biography. Each chapter is well referenced with sources that can be used by those who wish to dwell deeper into a specific subject. I personally appreciated the diagrams created to explain the so called “Abydos helicopter inscription”, which is a recarved inscription and not at all proof of ancient alien visitors. Another favorite was the reconstruction of the silver tablet inscribed with the peace treaty between the Egyptian and Hittite empires, a fascinating relic that is now sadly lost, but which at the time of its creation would have been worth at least 4 times it’s weight in gold if not more!
Brand’s work merits to be part of the book collection of anyone fascinated by the history of ancient Egypt!
Images in this review
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One person found this helpful
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Ann Elaine Carroll
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book about Ramesses II
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2023
I love Egyptian history but many history books do not hold my interest. This book was different. The narrative captures the imagination and makes it so easy to understand the life of Ramesses II. A very well written book that would benefit both historians and non-historians alike, and includes everything you could ever want to know about this great Pharaoh. Dr. Brand’s expertise on this topic is considerable. The book also has many photographs that help bring the story to life. Highly recommend!!
One person found this helpful
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Jack Naylor
5.0 out of 5 stars Long Overdue Biography of One of Egypt's Greatest Pharaohs
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2023
As the author notes in the preface of this book, it has been 40 years since Kenneth Kitchen wrote his seminal work on Ramesses II, and a new one has been long overdue. What Peter Brand delivers clearly exceeds expectations and presents a new and compelling account of Ramesses the Great. The book includes material on every key aspect of the pharaoh's reign and successfully incorporates points of contention without letting them drag the book down (something many books on ancient Egypt fail to do). By all accounts, Brand's take on Ramesses is even-handed and exciting. In particular, the chapter on the Battle of Kadesh demonstrates the author's strong command of the evidence, talent for crafting compelling narratives, and sensitivity to historical context. This book was a great pleasure to read and surely deserves its place as "the" new account of Ramesses II.
7 people found this helpful
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