"How did someone become pharaoh? -- What did a pharaoh do each day? -- Did the pharaoh personally lead his army into battle? -- How influential was the Great Royal Wife? -- How was a pharaoh embalmed and buried? -- Who was the last pharaoh (and it wasn't Cleopatra)?"--Jkt.

"With 234 illustrations, 172 in color."

Introduction: Pharaonic Lives -- From Menes to the Roman Emperors -- 1) Pharaonic Kingship: Evolution and Ideology/ Myths -- The Predynastic Origins of Kingship: The Naqada Period -- The Ideology and Insignia of Kingship -- The King's Divinity -- 2) The Story of Two Lands/ The Early Dynastic Period (c.3100-2584BC) -- The Pyramid Age- The Old Kingdom (c.2584-2117BC) -- The First Intermediate Period (c.2117-2066BC) -- The Middle Kingdom (c.2066-1781BC) -- The Second Intermediate Period (c.1781-1549BC) -- The New Kingdom's Golden Age - The 18th Dynasty (c.1549-1298BC) -- Sun Kings- The Amarna Period -- The Ramesside Period (c.1298-1069BC) -- Kinglets and Kushites- The Third Intermediate Period (c.1064-664BC) -- The Late Period (664-332BC) -- 3) Becoming Pharaoh/ The Royal Bloodline -- The Birth of a Prince -- Wet Nurses -- Royal Tutors -- The Children of the Royal Nursery -- An EducationFit for a King -- A Princely Life -- Usurpation and Assassination -- The Royal Accession -- The Coronation Ceremony --4) Being Pharaoh/ Awakening in the Palace -- Morning Ablutions -- The Royal Wardrobe -- Breakfast and Morning Duties -- Entering Before Pharaoh: Audience Chambers and Throne Rooms -- The Moment of Audience -- The King as Lawmaker and Judge -- Managing Egypt -- Royal Women and the Harem -- Rituals and Festivals -- Interacting with the Gods -- The Provisions of the Lord: Finances and Food -- Royal Banquets: 'Eating, Drinking and Making Holiday' -- Recitations -- Sports and Games -- 5) Pharaohs on Campaign/ Early Warfare -- Preparing for War -- Mustering and Arming the Troops -- The King and his Army -- Talking Tactics on Campaign -- Military Camps -- The Battle -- Did the Pharaohs Fight? -- After the Battle -- 6) Royal Cities/ Temple, Palace and Cosmos -- Memphis -- Thebes - Luxor -- Akhetaten- Tell el-Amarna -- Pi-Ramesses- Qantir -- The King on the Move -- The Pharaoh and his People -- 7) The Pharaoh in Death/ The First Royal Tombs -- The Pyramid Age -- The Middle Kingdom -- Transition: The Second Intermediate Period -- The Valley of the Kings -- After the New Kingdom -- Mummification and the Royal Funeral -- 8) The Last Pharaohs/ Alexander and the First Ptolemies -- The Fall of the Ptolemies -- Roman Egypt -- Diocletian- The Last Pharaoh? -- The Pharaohs: Brief Lives -- Further Reading -- Sources of Quotations -- Acknowledgments -- Sources of Illustrations -- Index.