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The Good Kings by Kara Cooney

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The Good Kings

Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World

Kara Cooney

Disney Publishing Group · Print & ebook · November 2, 2021

Reading lane: Ancient Egypt

Written in the tradition of historians like Stacy Schiff and Amanda Foreman who find modern lessons in ancient history, this provocative narrative explores the lives of five remarkable pharaohs who ruled Egypt with absolute power, shining a new light on the country's 3,000-year empire and its meaning today.

At a Glance

Why This Clicks

Power, Reframed

A brisk, cross-era look at power that plays equally well as argument and teaching tool.

Come here for

  • Ancient Egypt as a lens on power
  • Classroom-ready clarity

Expect

  • Cultural-literate context
  • History with contemporary reach

Book Details

Authors
Kara Cooney
Publisher
Disney Publishing Group
Published
November 2, 2021
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Ancient Egypt · Royal Lives
Reading lane
Ancient Egypt

Affinity

Publisher Categories

  • Lives in History

  • Ancient Egypt

  • Fascism & Totalitarianism

About This Book

Written in the tradition of historians like Stacy Schiff and Amanda Foreman who find modern lessons in ancient history, this provocative narrative explores the lives of five remarkable pharaohs who ruled Egypt with absolute power, shining a new light on the country's 3,000-year empire and its meaning today. In a new era when democracies around the world are threatened or crumbling, best-selling author Kara Cooney turns to five ancient Egyptian pharaohs--Khufu, Senwosret III,...

Read full description

Written in the tradition of historians like Stacy Schiff and Amanda Foreman who find modern lessons in ancient history, this provocative narrative explores the lives of five remarkable pharaohs who ruled Egypt with absolute power, shining a new light on the country's 3,000-year empire and its meaning today. In a new era when democracies around the world are threatened or crumbling, best-selling author Kara Cooney turns to five ancient Egyptian pharaohs--Khufu, Senwosret III, Akenhaten, Ramses II, and Taharqa--to understand why many so often give up power to the few, and what it can mean for our future. As the first centralized political power on earth, the pharaohs and their process of divine kingship can tell us a lot about the world's politics, past and present. Every animal-headed god, every monumental temple, every pyramid, every tomb, offers extraordinary insight into a culture that combined deeply held religious beliefs with uniquely human schemes to justify a system in which one ruled over many. From Khufu, the man who built the Great Pyramid at Giza as testament to his authoritarian reign, and Taharqa, the last true pharaoh who worked to make Egypt great again, we discover a clear lens into understanding how power was earned, controlled, and manipulated in ancient times. And in mining the past, Cooney uncovers the reason why societies have so willingly chosen a dictator over democracy, time and time again. Read more

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