The first book to convey the full experience of what it was actually like to be pharaoh one of the most powerful rulers of the ancient world Garry Shaw covers through eight themed chapters all aspects of the realities of pharaohs life from mornings waking in the palace to evenings spent banqueting with all his duties & activities in between. This vividly written & authoritative account provides new insights into key official ceremonies including the accession & coronation & the pomp & protocol of an audience before the king & is supplemented by numerous box features from the internal decoration of pyramids & the women who became pharaoh to pharaonic pets as well as"ations from contemporary sources & a complete king list with brief biographies of the major pharaohs. Beautifully illustrated with a wide range of images most in colour including temples & tombs reliefs & wall paintings jewelry & statues line drawings & reconstructions maps & plans this book charts the development of a uniquely Egyptian vision of kingship exemplified by the men & women who ascended the throne from mythical beginnings & the first ruler of a unified country through renowned & supreme monarchs such as Khufu Seti I & Ramesses II to the decadence of the all-too human Ptolemies & pharaonic kingships last gasp under Roman rule.