Ramesses Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh by Joyce Tyldesley - Book Report/Review Example

 Ramesses Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh by Joyce Tyldesley Joyce Tyldesley’s Ramesses Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh (2001) gives a wonderful insight into the life and reign of Ramesses II, the great Egyptian pharaoh. Ramesses is heard in history as an exemplary archetypal emperor of Egypt who is considered as the most efficient pharaoh of Egypt. He was a mighty warrior and a bold king who was never afraid to take risks. The monuments of this great pharaoh are found is found in every nook and corner of Egypt. Ramesses Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh is a complete and all-inclusive look into the history of Egypt in the pharaonic period. Ramesses: Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh is an amazing story of the most famed pharaoh of the ancient Egyptian empire. Joyce Tyldesley has done a wonderful job through this well-written account that explains the life and times of the pharaoh, who is believed to rule Egypt during the times of the biblical Moses. Tyldesley’s text is a far-reaching survey into the complete history of the entire reign of Ramesses II with a short coverage about the personal life of the pharaoh. Few pages cover the political life of the emperor. The author has made intelligent attempts to sort out the truths and facts about the emperor whose life is recorded with a mix of truths and myths. Ramesses: Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh is a challenging account that digs deep into the past to provide us with the most interesting and factual information about the great Egyptian pharaoh. Ramesses: Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh explains how people lived during Egyptian New Kingdom era. Readers would get a good view of the Ancient Egypt through this book. Ramesses II had such a kind of popularity in his land that his huge statues and monuments are visible from the Mediterranean Coast to the other end of the kingdom. People adored this efficient pharaoh and consider his time as the golden period of ancient Egypt. None of his successors could achieve popularity similar to that of this great pharaoh. Certain historical information and archeological facts give the clue that he was the pharaoh during the period of Moses. Ramesses II had a long reign that extended over six decades. We read about Ramesses II “In Nubia, Ramesses had already become a fully fledged god. A fortunate combination of circumstances – optimal Nile floods leading to good harvests, international stability and, of course, the extraordinary longevity which caused Ramesses to outlive not only his contemporaries but many of his children and grandchildren – had allowed Egypt to enjoy a continuity of government which was the envy of her neighbours. Whether by good luck or good management, Egypt flourished under Ramesses, and her people were grateful (Tyldesley, 2001).” “Ramesses clearly want his people and their gods to understood that he has been brave, indeed ‘braver than hundreds of thousands all together’. His relief at being able to fulfil one of the most important requirements of a great pharaoh – the successful defence of his country – is obvious.” In the text we also find that “Ramesses has left us sufficient evidence to reconstruct the king he wanted to be: noble, brave, physically perfect, pious and, of course, very rich (Tyldesley, 2001).” Ramesses II was a bold king who took several risks and battled against Syrians, Hittites and the Sherden pirates. Ramesses II was an avid builder. There are innumerable buildings and monuments accounted to his name. “Ramesses knew what made a great pharaoh. He would be a brave warrior, a mighty builder, an educated scribe and an effective priest. He chosen titles ‘Strong Bull, Beloved of Right, Truth; Protector of Egypt who curbs the foreign lands’ reflected this highly traditional programme and made clear his intention to follow in the footsteps of his father, Seti 1. From the very beginning of his reign Ramesses set about proving that he conformed to the ideal of Egyptian kingship. In fact, he determined to prove that he was the greatest of all Egypt’s kings (Tyldesley, 2001).” We read in the book that “Pharaoh represented Egypt and by elevating his own profile he lifted the whole country with him. A modest king would not have been fulfilling his proper role (Tyldesley, 2001).” According to Tyldesley, “by taking steps to ensure that his name and image would survive for ever, Ramesses was preparing to live beyond death (Tyldesley, 2001).” He is remembered by Egyptians as the most efficient pharaoh who took Egypt along a long era of peace and prosperity. No other Egyptian king had such a successful and long reign. He had Nefertari, the beautiful queen as his wife and had fathered scores of children. Even the pharaohs who followed him were proud of his achievements. His successors imitated his practices hoping to achieve the success he accomplished in his long and triumphant reign. The height of the fame of his achievements, however, made him victim of his accomplishments. His name and fame grew and stretched even after his death. He became a god-like figure in the mind of Egyptians that numerous mythical stories of exaggeration were attributed to his name. Several unoriginal stories of confusion adulterated the truth. The truths about the real victories and accomplishments of Ramesses II got buried under the mythical stories that came under his name. Numerous mythical tales surrounded the true stories of victory and triumph. Through this wonderful account Ramesses Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh, the author makes a comprehensive effort to unearth the truth and the facts related to the life and rule of the great pharaoh Ramesses II. Using historical facts and relevant archeological evidences related to the pharaoh, the author prepared a beautiful account about the empire and life of Ramesses II. The book is not just the story of Ramesses II. It is rather a complete exploration about a period in the land of Egypt during which the great pharaoh reigned. The life of the Egyptian people around the region of Nile River is also included by the author. The characteristics of the life of common man and the people who were associated with the king are also well covered in the book. The life in the palaces and life of common man is also included in the text. This would give readers a good glimpse of the Egyptian life in the pharaonic period. Ramesses Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh is a beautiful non-fiction book that would be highly useful for history students and teachers. This historical account is presented in such an interesting manner that it wouldn’t take the reader off until he reaches the last page. This fascinating account covers the story of that complete period with the history of Ramesses II and his contemporaries. The book is a stunning survey of the period of pharaoh. Rather than a history of Ramesses II the book is a good history book of ancient Egypt. It covers in detail the history of the period before the beginning of the reign of Ramesses II. The period after his death is also well included in the text. There are not many archeological remains or historical accounts that would give necessary information about the period of the pharaohs. No primary source of information or inscriptions is available about the pharaoh Ramesses II or other pharaohs. This account of Tyldesley is rich with priceless information and historical details about the pharaohs. Considering the absence of other credible written history about the story of Egypt during the pharaoh period, Ramesses Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh is an invaluable written account. Ramesses Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh is also considered as a careful update on 'Pharaoh Triumphant' by KA Kitchen. Both the books are on the same pharaoh Ramesses II. The only drawback of Ramesses Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh is that there are not enough descriptive maps. Images of artifacts and archeological objects are limited. More detailed pictures of historical objects and maps of the locations associated with that period would have helped the readers much more. However, the author has very liberally provided valuable historic information in the text form. The historical information provided is quite informative, unbiased and original. Unlike other historical account, Tyldesley work is not dry and complicated. It is not just for history students. Anybody with an interest in history would find the book interesting. Every page comes up with new information, and is never repetitious and dreary. The author has been successful in making the account warm, interesting and engaging, while do no sacrificing the scholastic features of the book. Works Cited Joyce A. Tyldesley Ramesses: Egypt's greatest pharaoh, Penguin, 2001 Read More